I'm not a fan because, pedagogically, the structure of how it played out never allowed or helped people actually advance in the craft of it. There are better ways to build a tinker culture where people actually improve over time towards what an experienced EE and such can do. I rarely saw that progression.

What happens as a result of this is that someone spends a lot of time tinkering and then they think they know what they are doing. With that confidence, they might apply for a job or take on a more dangerous project. The job will say they don't actually have the skill, even though they have been putting in the time. And the overconfidence could lead to trying to do more dangerous things than they should on projects.

A tinkering culture is fine, but it needs to have safety and skill progression as its foundation. Most Maker Spaces I have been to have done a good job trying to keep things safe, but ultimately, people are people.

You’re expecting tinkerers to approach the skill level of an experienced EE? Then what is the education and career experience for?

That also seems to have very little to due with the safety concerns you express in your last two paragraphs.

Long fan of Classic VB6. While you are in the happy path, you fly. But if you try something outside that, it's almost impossible.

But there are a lot of real world problems that can be solved with a form and a few buttons, and you look like a magician for normal people.

I still have one project in production, but the compiler is getting harder and harder to install.

Anyway, there is room for beginers tools, in spite they may have a tall second step.

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Is there a good tutorial for upgrading from Arduino to a proffesional microcontroler? (Or you can write one.)

I wonder how many young EEs of today can point to Arduino as their first exposure to electronics. You'll probably have a harder time finding those who don't.

As for "progression", I suppose you're disappointed that very few bicycle owners become professional cyclists.

I don't think Arduino users need to worry too much about safety. Obviously, don't build hobby projects that put lives on the line, but otherwise they're pretty harmless.

Who says a tinkering culture needs to have skill progression? Maybe people just like to tinker. Maybe simple things are still useful.

Let people do things. Let people enjoy things.

> I'm not a fan because, pedagogically, the structure of how it played out never allowed or helped people actually advance in the craft of it. There are better ways to build a tinker culture where people actually improve over time towards what an experienced EE and such can do. I rarely saw that progression.

Did you help establish it?