>overly complex solutions from the past

This is true. We've simplified and standardized our language, and also made it easier to read with
1. **bold**
2. *italics*
3. lists

and other ``annotations`` to add emphasis, when the ancient greeks wrote in all caps with zero punctuation - not even spaces!

However, this does not mean our language is "easy" to read. It still takes 12 years of schooling to do so. This is simply our expectation of "basic literacy" (for an adult) as a culture. It wasn't always our expectation, back when people lived as farmers in monarchies, but it is now. And now, I argue, we must also form an expectation of "basic computer literacy" as a culture.

>not everyone needs to be able to write a Shakespeare play

But we **do** expect that everyone be able to **write**. Not only to transcribe their words but also to elaborate and compose their words into sentences and paragraphs. And this is NOT an easy skill. It seems easy when you already know it, but just try teaching it to someone else and see how difficult it is to explain or convey.

Writing, too, is something that takes 12 years of schooling to do. Writing, too is simply our expectation of "basic literacy" (for an adult) as a culture.

I think a good role model might be something like Calc Spreadsheet, or MatLab. Both are designed for non-computer people, yet both (ultimately) encourage and expect an ability to understand and write code; even if that code is just an internal domain-specific language.

@z428 @szbalint @carcinopithecus@x0r.be @xj9@merveilles.town @derHennefer@bonn.social