I've long argued that spreadsheets are essentially a structured programming tool for people that would never imagine they could or would program. And maybe even a gateway drug in a proportion of cases?
The problem is that spreadsheets are an unstructured programming tool. It's like BASIC with all its GOTOs, index-only loops, etc vs C with proper functions and control structures. You can have a structured spreadsheet but it requires discipline that almost no person (and certainly no organization) has.
Huh, this is a really fascinating article! I really like how she articulates common myths in software development. However, it feels like her remarks are more targeted at the academic CS community, because I think a lot of her critiques (such as lack of integration thinking) are already internalized by project leads of modern software systems.
