Citizen developers is a word coined after the founding of no-coding. It refers to people who develop software without learning how to write a single line of code.
Recently, the no-code software are attracting larger groups of people spanning from ordinary students to enterprises trying to fill in the talent gap.
As the users of no-code platform begin to span a larger group, questions concerning its reliability are arising among news platforms such as CSO security news of International Data Corporation, a Massachusetts registered media. Also, a number of online press such as IT World Korea also has questioned how no-code technology relate with coding education.
Smart Maker is a company that created a no-code platform mainly for application development. The software, which is also named Smart Maker, replaces the area of coding with ready-made codes that users can apply with a click, and an automation process with artificial intelligence as in the logical alignment of functions. Kim Gil-oong, the Chairman of Technology Office of Smart Maker, shared his perspective on the role of no-code platforms in education, and its security of no-code platform derived services.
“The purpose of mandatory coding education worldwide lies not in raising as many elite developers, but service makers who are able to utilize newly arising technology for the expertise of some other area,” Kim said.
He explained that schools, including universities, need to separate coding education into two parts; one for raising elite programmers and the other for software service creators who only need to know how to use appropriate technology for certain purposes.
Kim demonstrated that the education system of raising software service creators should discard learning coding languages and turn to no-code platforms.
“Learning how to use Smart Maker better fits the overall purpose of the current mandatory coding education,” Kim added. “A separate system is required to raise people who can create original technology.”
Furthermore, Kim mentioned that services via no-code platforms can ensure security.
“Codes concerning security such as login systems are built in our platform made by our professionals,” Kim commented.
Professor Yeo Hyeon from Schar School of Policy and Government in George Mason University shared a legislative perspective with no-code platforms. Yeo believes no-code platforms can largely increase the number of service providers, and that the government should support the phenomenon.
“Korea is already a lot behind other countries concerning original fourth-industrial revolution technology,” Yeo said. “While supporting already-existing research groups on software, it is a better choice for the government to focus on raising service providers, which the existence of no-code platforms aid.”
In contrast, Professor Cho Dong-sub from Computer Science and Engineering of Ewha showed different opinion on current coding education.
“Teaching non-software major students how to code is to have them understand how to manage data of their own expertise,” Cho said.
Additionally, Cho thinks general coding education also aims for students to understand and practice logical thinking, which is possible via learning code structures. Thus, he believes that the current coding education methodology should remain.
Cho also pointed out the inevitable vulnerability of no-code software, or services provided by no-code platforms. According to him, this accounts for low-coding environment, which involves little coding.
“Service creators can’t avoid malware that is possibly planted within the platform, because they do not know their app’s infrastructure,” Cho said.
Cho further commented that services derived from no-code or low-code platforms are limited to readily systemized processes such as the airport system, which consists of clearly separate, single purpose tasks.
“For other cases, a constant need for additional solutions is expected.” Cho concluded. “However, if the creator does not understand the inner structure of one’s application, adding crucial components into it becomes very difficult.”