The Two Cultures of Computing (2013)
Apprentice comes into the workshop and the master carpenter performs mysterious steps to make things.<p>Apprentice is baffled by what appears to be difficult and says, &quot;I was wrong about wanting to do this, if this is what it is.  I&#x27;m going to Ikea, who&#x27;s with me?&quot;<p>Is it the master&#x27;s job to persuade the apprentices to stay?<p>This &quot;wait, come back!&quot; reflex is understandable.  But even if we could make &quot;conversing&quot; with the computer <i>look</i> easy, it would still <i>be</i> difficult (since, as Alan Turing himself pointed out, anything routine should be automated).  Would you feel differently if students were bolting (or merely appalled) when they hit those inevitable, real challenges?<p>I completely agree with the OP that interaction has not fundamentally advanced since the 1960&#x27;s (<i>edit</i>, well, I&#x27;d say 70&#x27;s, but still).  As others have pointed out, the examples could have been better, but it doesn&#x27;t change the point.<p>Improving interactivity is <i>our problem</i>, especially since we spend the most time with computers.  And it&#x27;s (still) one of the most interesting problems in computing.  I would tell students that if you&#x27;re not satisfied with the state of the art, you&#x27;re not alone.  And if you are satisfied with Ikea, then why are you here?<p><i>edit</i> moved side comment to a different post.