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Apple CEO Tim Cook Discusses Overusing Technology in New Interview
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Cook said: "I think if you had to make a choice, it's more important to learn coding than a foreign language. I know people who disagree with me on that. But coding is a global language; it's the way you can converse with 7 billion people."
I’ve been a software engineer/designer for 25+ years, travelled a lot, and speak 4 languages. Here are my issues:
I’ve been a software engineer/designer for 25+ years, travelled a lot, and speak 4 languages. Here are my issues:
- How much experience does he have with coding?
- How much experience does he have with living in another country, learning another language, and getting to know another culture?
- Coding is a shallow term and only addresses the most mundane aspect of creating software.
- Coding is a horrible term and does not do right to the complex task of creating software.
- Coding will disappear and will make place for higher level tasks that require a deep understanding of things. (Simpler tasks will be taken over by AI.)
- It's not explained how you can converse with 7 billion people when you know how to throw a few if and loop statements together. (Because that's the level that most people will be willing to reach.)
- People can't often converse using natural language, why would coding be better?
- There are many programming languages.
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Well, coding is good knowledge, but I don't think that Apple is in any way at the forefront of that movement.
Look at Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP8266 Basic and so on.
Stuff that is so cheap even people in developing countries can get their hands on the good stuff and learn. THAT is doing something for future generations, not stupidly overpriced computers with proprietary hard- and software.
Look at Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP8266 Basic and so on.
Stuff that is so cheap even people in developing countries can get their hands on the good stuff and learn. THAT is doing something for future generations, not stupidly overpriced computers with proprietary hard- and software.
Not really. Apple exists to sell phones, not to make people use them, since only a very tiny percentage of Apple's revenue is actually tied to services. If an exec from Google or Facebook said something similar on the other hand, then it would be hypocritical.
The Machine Mentality incarnate.
We don't need to wait for some distant Sci-FI future for A.I. to destroy us.
It's already here turning us into soul-less, inanimate objects.
We don't need to wait for some distant Sci-FI future for A.I. to destroy us.
It's already here turning us into soul-less, inanimate objects.
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I disagree. If we put the cognitive skills that would come with learning a foreign language and look at only the skill, then learning Chinese isn't necessarily as useful as learning a programming language. Almost every person who is under 30 in China speaks some level of English, usually much better than the average Chinese learner could master Chinese. Besides, with the influx of better and better translation algorithms out there, the need to know and use a foreign language is starting to become increasingly redundant.
Fact is: Android allows parents to set operating hours for apps and devices for their children. Short of actual parenting and teaching children about balance, at least there are tools to do this. Apple's parental controls are clumsy and grossly out of date (and believe me if there were only android, I wouldn't own a smart phone, I'm no alphabet apologist).
As to the headline… yep, couldn't be more wrong… click-bait.
And the rest of it? I did a literature degree and I used the hell out of my Macs - gathering research, notes, references and was so glad I had a computer. No I didn't code anything, nor did I do a virtual reality simulation, but the Macs were invaluable, highly efficient, much more so than Windows or anything else and I couldn't have done it without them. Nobody takes more notes and references than me and I revel in the technology I use.
I love books, I read them on my phone whenever I can. Paper is heavy and takes up a lot of space. Guess it depends whether you want an object to admire or the information. The last Dan Brown I read came with videos of him showing people around the locations used in the story… you don't get that with paper.
Coding will never be taught in schools, just as teachers are clueless when it comes to teaching computers (this is a keyboard…), and at one time I thought all schoolchildren would graduate with HTML and CSS as ingrained as touch typing, but alas, there's no chance any of this will manifest. There's neither the will, clue, nor use for Coding in the school system. It's as antiquated as writing on the wall. Now if you can multi-choice it on a Chromebook, THAT'S education!!
As to the headline… yep, couldn't be more wrong… click-bait.
And the rest of it? I did a literature degree and I used the hell out of my Macs - gathering research, notes, references and was so glad I had a computer. No I didn't code anything, nor did I do a virtual reality simulation, but the Macs were invaluable, highly efficient, much more so than Windows or anything else and I couldn't have done it without them. Nobody takes more notes and references than me and I revel in the technology I use.
I love books, I read them on my phone whenever I can. Paper is heavy and takes up a lot of space. Guess it depends whether you want an object to admire or the information. The last Dan Brown I read came with videos of him showing people around the locations used in the story… you don't get that with paper.
Coding will never be taught in schools, just as teachers are clueless when it comes to teaching computers (this is a keyboard…), and at one time I thought all schoolchildren would graduate with HTML and CSS as ingrained as touch typing, but alas, there's no chance any of this will manifest. There's neither the will, clue, nor use for Coding in the school system. It's as antiquated as writing on the wall. Now if you can multi-choice it on a Chromebook, THAT'S education!!
Then teach Perl, or Ruby, or Python , or goddammit C, C++. If you just mean Swift (despite it being technically open-source) then you've just preparing kids to get into the Apple eco-system.
Tim should run for office. He sounds more like a politician every day. Where's Steve Jobs when you need him?
Apart from the very misleading title (what did MR smoke?) I think Tim is correct here. It really opens up a lot of possibilities.
I’m a software engineer myself, started coding when I was 10, but didn’t end up developing in that language I started with. If it’s swift, it’s a good thing to learn to get the fundamentals right. Plus it’s a lot like java, Scala, C and so on. Easy to move on from there when you grow up
so I’m not that afraid about we’ll end up with an army of swift-only developers
I’m a software engineer myself, started coding when I was 10, but didn’t end up developing in that language I started with. If it’s swift, it’s a good thing to learn to get the fundamentals right. Plus it’s a lot like java, Scala, C and so on. Easy to move on from there when you grow up
so I’m not that afraid about we’ll end up with an army of swift-only developers [doublepost=1516434139][/doublepost]The last statement whether learning code or a foreign language is more important cannot be generalized. It vastly depends on your native language. When English is your first language that may be true. When it is italian, it is arguable, when it is dutch it just is not true at all.
Apple this morning announced the expansion of its "Everyone Can Code" initiative to 70 educational institutions across Europe, and following the announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke at Harlow College in Essex, one of the schools that will adopt the new curriculum.
The Guardian shared several of Cook's comments, which covered overuse of technology and boundaries for children.
Cook said he believes there are concepts that can't be taught using technology, and in many courses, technology shouldn't dominate.According to Cook, Apple cares about children out of the classroom, a topic that's notable as Apple investors recently urged Apple to do more to protect children from smartphone addiction.
Apple in early January said in a statement that it thinks deeply about how its products are used and the impact they have on people, including children. Apple takes its responsibility to protect children "very seriously," and has promised more robust parental controls for iOS devices in the future.
Though he does not have children of his own, Cook says in his own personal life, he "put some boundaries" on his nephew. "There here are some things that I won't allow; I don't want them on a social network," he said.
On the topic of learning to code, Cook spoke passionately, as he has done several times in the past. Learning to code, he says, is more important than learning a foreign language.Cook's full commentary, which covers diversity, coding at an early age, and the importance of the press, can be read over at The Guardian.
Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: I Don't Believe in Overuse of Technology
We that is plainly not correct in any language that I use regularly. All my code is written in English in a self documenting fashion. Only those who understand English would be able to read it unless they were fluent in reading machine code or byte code.
I think he was thinking of mathematics when he made that comment, either that or he hasn't seen a line of code in his life.
The wisest words he's ever spoken. He knows the deal. Social Media is a disease that needs to be stopped. It is the most successful and rampant drug in the history of humanity.
Sorry Tim, this time you lost it. Language is the most powerful means of interaction, it is also the most flawed - but it is words, sounds and grammar which manipulates people, which makes them actually DO things. It is about real communication. What you are proposing is that A=B is the same as „This hamburger is the same as the other hamburger“, when it is not and can never be.
Coding is more important than language learning?
Coding is more important than intercultural exchange?
Coding is more important?
Are you kidding me?
Coding is for computers.
Language is for human interaction.
This is the one time, I‘m really pissed about Tim Cook. Sorry, number cruncher, this is too much.
[doublepost=1516439120][/doublepost]
Coding is more important than language learning?
Coding is more important than intercultural exchange?
Coding is more important?
Are you kidding me?
Coding is for computers.
Language is for human interaction.
This is the one time, I‘m really pissed about Tim Cook. Sorry, number cruncher, this is too much.
[doublepost=1516439120][/doublepost]
But can he code?
In the REAL World, where humans live, and to explore the world myself as a human and get the most from my short time on this planet.
I'd vastly more wish to know, perhaps 10 or 20 foreign languages to be able to meet others and experience cultures around the planet and enrich my life.
Then to learn 10 to 20 programming languages.
That's an incredible sad this he's saying there when you think about it.
I'd vastly more wish to know, perhaps 10 or 20 foreign languages to be able to meet others and experience cultures around the planet and enrich my life.
Then to learn 10 to 20 programming languages.
That's an incredible sad this he's saying there when you think about it.
Why? He's been a deceitful little worm and continues to be. Respect is earned, not because you were handpicked. Going by what he just said about 'coding' has he calls it, he doesn't know fully what he is talking about.
I like Cook, from what I’ve seen/read but I t’s a strange comment to say he won’t allow his nephew on social media, what’s it got to do with him? That’s the parent’s choice.
Also, if he really cared so much about it, then he really should look at getting restrictions placed in the settings for parents. My two boy’s iPads are set up to go through OpenDNS and everything is locked (where possible)to restricted Google and Microsoft child/family accounts.
Other than the App Store, you need to rely on something like Kidslox to restrict screen time. It’s a lot to do for the non-tech savvy parent, and I assume most kid’s iPads are wide open.
Also, if he really cared so much about it, then he really should look at getting restrictions placed in the settings for parents. My two boy’s iPads are set up to go through OpenDNS and everything is locked (where possible)to restricted Google and Microsoft child/family accounts.
Other than the App Store, you need to rely on something like Kidslox to restrict screen time. It’s a lot to do for the non-tech savvy parent, and I assume most kid’s iPads are wide open.
* Foreign language versus coding? That's apples and oranges.
* It figures Cook would devalue foreign languages -- he doesn't speak any.
* It figures Cook would devalue foreign languages -- he doesn't speak any.
