Category: Random musings

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Thoughts on programming for all: Part IIa — Downsides

In my last post, I wrote about some of the benefits of teaching programming as part of a general liberal arts education.  However, I did express some new reservations about doing so which I explore further in this blog post.  Having let quite a bit of time elapse since writing the first post, I’ve unfortunately forgotten a number of points I had intended to make.  And now, I’m going to break up the downsides into multiple posts.

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Thoughts on programming for all: Part I — The Merits

I was reading Ira Basen’s article The algorithm method in the Globe and Mail and was reminded of the talk given last week by Professor Mark Guzdial of Georgia Tech as part of the DCS’ Distinguished Lecture Series. Guzdial argued that an introduction to programming, if not computer science, should be an essential part of a liberal arts education due to the way it reshapes the way one views computers, an increasing part of our everyday lives. While I agree with his position that being able to understand the algorithms that dictate whether one is approved for a mortgage or make predictions about climate change search could be useful and important, Basen’s article caused me to question and temper my own beliefs on the importance of introducing programming to undergraduates.

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No smoking in cars or no consistency

I recently noticed a car with a non-smoking sign inside.  It had a trillium on the side, so it was likely owned by the provincial government.  My next thought was why we permit smoking in cars.  I’m not here to debate whether any government should get to have a say about this, but allowing smoking seems to be politically and logically inconsistent with a certain one of Ontario’s currently-enacted laws.

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Municipal election tomorrow

Toronto’s new mayor, set of councillors, and school board trustees will determined tomorrow (or it may already have been determined if enough people voted in advance).  Though I’ll be voting, I try to stay out of politics as much as possible.  However, avoiding politics completely is almost impossible as practically everything is political including how many courses are required to complete an undergraduate degree to whether taxes are levied on bread.  No, whenever there are groups of people, politics are unavoidable, be they household politics or diplomatic channels between nations.

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Sad sign of the times

On my way back from Boston, the bus I was taking had a food stop in Syracuse.  My two choices for hot food were Dunkin’ Donuts and Subway.  Having tried an all-day breakfast item from Dunk’s on the way to Boston due to a long line-up at Subway and been non-plussed, I quickly made my way to the end of the queue for Subway.  There, I was greeted by a plaque that seemed to capture several things that seem to be wrong about society today.

Subway Sign
Subway Sign

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Moral victory for grey goop!

Computers have dominated humans at chess for a number of years.  They’re getting better, too (although they are still completely reliant on us squishy humans for improvements).  But however good they are right now, we’re not completely licked, yet, as I realized while reminiscing about one of the extracurricular events I participated in during high school.

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Identifying gaps in wireless network infrastructure

About a month ago, I switched cellular service providers from Rogers to WIND Mobile.  Aside from the abysmal quality of the phone or more precisely, the Android operating system, I purchased for use on the new network, the cellular network infrastructure requires some work.  Indeed, WIND Mobile is well aware of this problem and has a page called Network Builder to report coverage issues.  It might be better if this process could be automated.

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A town cross

Saw this at a parade on the weekend…  When Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” I somehow doubt He had a U-Haul in mind.