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Are you arguing that lack of motivation is the root cause of homelessness, rather than poverty and mental health issues?

• vajrabum 13y ago
  No, learning to code requires motivation. Turning down $100 in favor of coding lessons indicates that the person is motivated to try and learn to code. That's borne out by the fact that he's (maybe with some assistance) delivered an app to the marketplace.
  • felipe 13y ago
    So if I go to an upscale neighborhood and offer $100 at random, would that mean that anyone who refuses my offer is motivated enough to code? Of course not, that's silly. We are discussing within the context of homelessness, in which the guy is playing a game with a vulnerable individual by offering an amount that is far higher than a change, but far lower that any developer (even junior) would consider an offensive offer for a mobile app.
    • vertis 13y ago
      'far lower that any developer (even junior) would consider an offensive offer for a mobile app' I don't think you have the story straight. Patrick didn't get free labor, he taught Grand so he could create his own app (and maybe profit).
• jnbiche 13y ago
  Not at all, why would you think that? I'm arguing that learning how to code while living on the street is going to require a spectacular amount of motivation, and only a certain percent of people will be able to pull it off (not sure I could). Since $100 has a higher marginal utility for a desperately poor homeless person than most people with adequate shelter, the fact that someone turns it down shows an uncommon amount of motivation. But really, if you're going from what I said to "root causes of homelessness", I can't help but feel you're just looking to pick an argument.