Those of you who have seen The Matrix – and that probably means all of you – have probably wondered what it would be like if it were all true. If we all lived in a world of ones and zeros, a world dominated by artificial intelligence.

European code week (15 – 23 October) is one way to find out, like taking the “red pill” to a virtual reality. This year there are around 50 digital awareness events organized across Bulgaria as part of the initiative. Things may seem quick and easy if you are watching someone else do them, but most of us would find it hard to create an interactive map or an application or even a website.

This year’s code week in Sofia endeavours to teach us how to deal with such tasks with experts demonstrating what technologies it takes to create a web-based game or how to use “open source”. The training is free of charge. The initiative for this belongs to the Sofia Development Association, in partnership with the Sofia Municipal Privatization and Investment Agency, NGO Links, Empire Online and Listen Up. Svetlana Lomova, Director of the Sofia Development Association:

“As with any beginning, public interest at the start was not very strong but any beginning is slow and difficult. But I am glad to say that the people who have been coming are not all young, there are many middle-aged people and over. This is the kind of knowledge and skills that is not just for the young as we tend to think. Sofia is the first municipality in Bulgaria to have started the process of “open sourcing” last year. We have now “opened” many of the various thematic segments.”

Another intriguing and useful initiative within the frameworks of European code week is the special training course in the sphere of robotics. This course helps Bulgarian teachers learn more about programming and digitalization and then pass these skills onto their students. The Robotics with LEGO Mindstorms training course was created for school-goers of all ages and for their parents. After the end of the training course, the young people are capable of creating robots and programming them. As computers are now widely used at home, children no longer find computer classes at school as exciting as they did years ago. So, the initiative has the potential to liven them up and, why not give children fresh ideas for their own future development.

English version: Milena Daynova