It is absurd that there are not simpler ways for non-programmers to make computers do what they want.

I used to go off about hypercard a lot.

It was a tool, scarcely more complicated than Powerpoint, that enabled anyone who chose to to make programs that do things.

Today, I know a lot of business people who do the kinds of things I would write software for using Excel or Access and macros.

But it's mostly boring business stuff.

My mom used to weave batch files and sidekick databases in to something resembling a computer program.

In the 80s, my aunt (a child) and my grandmother (someone who, today, can't even effectively operate her Television) wrote a series of computer programs from which they ran my grandfather's business.

They generated invoices and printed them, scheduled jobs, kept a list of customers, etc.

They did it all with an Atari 8-bit computer, and the included BASIC.

Part of the problem is one of approachability.

BASIC still works, you know? I wrote programs in FreeBASIC as a kid.

Python is out there, and is fairly easy to get started with, and there are plenty of good guides and tutorials.

But they are not *approachable* you know?

And then there's the whole issue of GUIs.

I have never written a graphical application using a UI framework.

I've started some, but working with UI frameworks sucks. I can't imagine starting with one for my first application.

I've done web UIs for years, and they aren't *easy* but they're way easier than working with modern UI frameworks.

Which, I guess, is why Electron is so popular.

There can be a better way.