I would definitely never hire someone who's never coded at all. These days it's trivial to install PHP, or even dabble in some browser Javascript.
Then what's the difference between being 5 and being 20?
Seems very elitist to eliminate people based on the fact that they simply haven't been exposed to a field.
The topic outlines the person in question is interviewing for a coding job.
If you come into an office looking for a coding job, but have never attempted to program before, you have not shown any level of commitment to the job of being a coder.
What do you identify with programming potential outside of a hiring context? I've been working with my friends to get them programming (it's the single most valuable skill a person can have in this age). I know that I can help them most by identifying their positive traits (and just pointing these out can reinforce those traits). So what do you think I should look for and "amplify"?
I know several people that got into programming, hated it, but stayed involved anyway solely for the money -- They rarely like their jobs.
With that out of the way, I think the two most important traits are curiousity and good problem solving skills.