It seems that "the average Joes" who frequent Starbucks (be aware of the bias introduced in this sampling!) have concluded that programmig is not for them, and "... this was something way above them, and very dry... Nowadays what gets promoted as programming is too hard, and it's no surprise that people don't want to do that."
http://basicprogramming.blogspot.com/2008/03/think-programming-is-too-hard-or-boring.html
Although this article makes a case for old-school BASIC, we in the newLISP community know that programming by "the average Joe" can be easy and fun while incorporating more modern style and conventions.