[geeks] Little Kids + Unix

[Ken Hansen]

--- "William S." <wilby98 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Mike,
> 
> I sometimes think we underestimate kids. We tend to
> throw
> too much graphics and sounds their way just to amuse
> them.
> I would try to introduce UNIX at the console level.
> Maybe load up a text-based game; set up a database
> to keep track
> of records (opps, I mean CD's); Keep track of
> baseball cards;
> Write simple programs. A nice vt220 would be simple
> but effective.
> 
> What 'ya think?
> 
> Bill
> Amsterdam, NL
> (former secondary school science teacher)

BSD Games on a Teletype got me hooked at age 11 IIRC:

   Lunar Lander
   (Hunt the) wumpus
   Trek (OK, on a CRT, I didn't waste all that paper
;^)
   Adventure
etc...

There is also the novelty of running programs on an
"old" computer, like something from the mid-eighties,
like a TRS-80 or Apple II. Restoring one might make a
fun father/son project (and the cost will be quite
low!)...

Ken
(former secondary school student ;^)
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