[plt-scheme] Perplexed Programmers

Matthias Felleisen wrote:
> As a conservative person, I strongly believe in the responsibility of  
> the individual. This includes
> 
>  -- the student, but he's the least trained so the least to blame as  
> long as he works hard
>  -- the teacher, who is a multiplier of 'thoughts' and 'training'  and 
> thus has a large responsibility
>  -- the programmer, who, like a surgeon or car mechanic, is  ultimately 
> responsible for the product
>  -- the manager, who has the responsibility to fit all pieces  together 
> and think long-term

Is anyone familiar with studies of the proportion of working programmers 
with a formal education in programming?  I see plenty of e.g. arts 
majors in programming.  The part of the education system that teaches 
computing can't be blamed (very much) for the behavior of those it 
didn't have the opportunity to teach.

> So I reject the idea of blaming an anonymous 'system' instead of the  
> participants. 

Isn't "the system" just a way to talk about all those factors you 
haven't yet isolated?  E.g. managers are often not rewarded, and may 
even be punished, for thinking long-term.  To address that, we have to 
drag shareholders, board directors, fiscal policy authors, politicians, 
and voters into the equation, at least.

Anton