HyperCard was a programming tool for non-programmers that inspired much of the design of the early Web. However, the spirit of HyperCard -- the blurring of computer "use" and "programming" -- has been lost as the web has become a mainstream consumption-centric medium. This talk imagines an alternate timeline, where our tools have evolved to empower everyone and not just developers.
This talk uses a similar retro-futuristic gimmick to Bret Victor's The Future of Programming, in which I take on the character of a programmer in 1991 speculating about the impact of HyperCard and its successors in 2016. (The slides are even done in HyperCard!)
It covers some moderately technical concepts around hypermedia, but is mostly focused on our responsibility as programmers to build customizable software and accessible developer tools.
In many ways, its hard to think of a less relevant technology than HyperCard; even running it on a modern computer is a bit of an ordeal. However, the dream of accessible programming is evergreen, and few tools (with the notable exception of Excel) have achieved anywhere near the power or the popularity of HyperCard. Meanwhile, the complexity of web development has grown by leaps and bounds; its hard to talk about JavaScript without bringing up tools fatigue. What would web development look like if we followed the usability guidelines of HyperCard? What -- and who -- have we lost in the professionalization of "webmasters" into front-end developers?