[geeks] Kids and computers...

[Geek]

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I have no kids, but I do have a nephew, currently 8, and I am trying
to get him into using the computer by himself. I have a highly
restricted username for him on Coyote(486, Red Hat 6.2, no net
access) on which I am trying to teach him to use command line tools
as much or more then GUI tools, but sadly he gets too annoyed with
it. Hell, he gets annoyed with Windows because it is not quick and
pretty enough for him. 

I sometimes think he would prefer using the computer if he could only
use a Super Nintendo or GameBoy controller. I think he would love XP,
and has no patience for anything that looks like plain old text, like
the simple html I am trying to teach him. He is, I think, the kind of
user that Microsoft has been trying to create for years. This makes
me sad. I used DOS a small bit, but for the most part used Windows in
my early years(I *am* only 24) and have had a hard time learning the
CLI tools that come with Linux. 

My brother recommended learning the CLI exclusively in Linux, while
maintaining a Windows box to do normal stuff on, and I have done
this, but I still spend almost all of my time in front of the Windows
box, for a lot of unrelated reasons, so I fear I am falling into the
same trap. I like the idea of Linux, BSD and other more liberal OSes,
but there are a good number of tools that I use that there is no
acceptable Linux replacement. Also, I have tried to use Linux full
time, but sadly it had more problems then my Windows machine,
including not being able to get online to seek help. 

This leads me to the point that I honestly do not thing that Linux is
ready to replace Windoze in the household, at least not completely.
If I do not have one reliable system, and Linux is not currently
reliable I am saddened to report, then how do I know that when, not
if, my Linux boxes crash, though not likely to all crash at the same
time, how will I get online to look for a solution? 

Back to the original topic of the thread, and my post, I think that
if we continue to point the kids to the PS/2 or the X Box in the
house, and tell them to stay away from our technology, we will show
them the road to Microsoft, and make them resentful of real software.
Yes, your machine should be your machine, but get your kid started
early on Linux/Solaris/BSD and try to keep them from touching a
Windoze box until they are well on their way to the title of Linux
Guru. Don't keep the kids away from the computer, buy/build them
their own at a young age. 
Dwight Wallbridge, 
Webmaster, Geek, Blogger.

Geek Blog online http://blog.geeksworld.net/
Hacks of an Abnormal Geek http://hacks.geeksworld.net
Comments, Statements and Arguments http://comments.geeksworld.net

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter L. Wargo" <pwargo at basenji.com>
To: <geeks at sunhelp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 9:56 AM
Subject: [geeks] Kids and computers...


> I spent a good chunk of time last night on the pne with my sister
> in  NY.  One of her sons had installed AOL Instant Messager on
> their iMac,  and had roasted it but good.  He thought that there
> wasn't enough room  (untrue!) so he trashed a goodly amount of
> stuff.  We finally gave up  and reloaded from the restore cd,
> wiping everything out.
> 
> I think I've convinced her that her idea to buy an iBook is a good
> one.   Then, she has a 'puter that she can keep her stuff on, and
> the kids  can't touch.  Plus, if they f**k up the one they are
> using, THEY have to  learn to fix it.  If they can't, then they
> need to learn to read a  manual. :-)
> 
> This incident brights to light something I've said many a time to 
> people: Why do you let your kids use your computer?  I had a
> co-worker  who really wanted a Mac, but was worried that the kids
> couldn't continue  to sign out games from the library and run them
> at home.  I told him  that was GREAT!  Get 'em a playstation!
> 
> It's funny how parents today seem to be afraid to tell their kids:
> "This  is mine, you cannot play with it."  My folks had stuff that
> was 
> hands-off to us kids, and we knew the results if we violated that
> rule.   Now, as grandparents, my folks have told the grandkids:
> "No, you cannot  play on our computer.  We use it for work (they do
> genealogy, as well as  other stuff), so it is not a toy."
> 
> I'd be interested to see how those of you with kids handle the
> situation  at your home.
> 
> -Pete
> _______________________________________________
> GEEKS:  http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/geeks

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