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Comment by Dilpil | Hacker News Reader

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Dilpil·

One click install java IDE and compiler.

One click install C IDE and compiler.

One click install Erlange IDE and compiler.

And so on and so forth.

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It can be complicated for a non-techie to even set up an apache server on their computer. We'd probably have a couple more good programmers in this world just by breaking down that barrier.

Indeed let me add:

One click web development IDE.

You don't think there are enough idiots who shouldn't be programming using php and javascript?

Hence MAMP

I would argue that someone destined to be a good programmer would have the ingenuity and drive to install a freakin' compiler and IDE. It isn't exactly rocket science.

"We'd probably have a couple more good programmers in this world just by breaking down that barrier."

Couple more mediocre/bad programmers.

Everybody starts somewhere.

Some people should never start. It's hard enough to tell the good programmers from the ridiculously bad programmers as it is.

I have mixed feelings about the sentiment, but mostly I feel like making setting up a development environment confusing probably isn't the best way to weed people out. Besides, a recent CS graduate who can't install Eclipse on their own is one thing, but a bright kid with books about programming from the public library that wants to move from QBASIC to C is another thing entirely.

This is an excellent idea! Anything that lowers barriers to accessibility is a good thing.

Horrible horrible idea. If you can't install an IDE(Why are you using an IDE anyway), and compiler, you're probably not going to make a good developer.

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