Re: [Slightly OT] Philosophy (was Re: Replacement for Abiword: LyX? Openoffice?)

On Tue, 2003-10-21 at 18:07, Sam Hart wrote:
> * On 03-10-21, Ron Johnson wrote:
> > Why expose children to computers at such a young age?  Shouldn't
> > they be running and jumping, playing with toys, coloring, cutting,
> > riding bike/scooter, etc, instead?
> 
> Ooo, dear, there's a can of worms ;-)
> 
> I would like to say this on the subject, and then will try never to rant 
> again:
> 
> I got my first computer experience when I was 4 years old (PDP-11, no 
> screen, teletype, and FORTRAN... I wrote a program that counted whee!) 
> Later, I got my first computer when I was approx. 5-6 (Atari 400, 16K and 
> membrane keyboard).
> 
> I really attribute my knowledge and aptitute today to that early computer 
> experience. I had taught myself basic C by the time I was 8, and had 
> already exposed myself to what I would later discover to be Algebra 
> because of it. I think that computer experience very young is an 
> /exceptionally/ good thing.
> 
> For one, it helps the child not to be afraid of technology (which is a 
> HUGE boon).

No it doesn't.  How do I know?  *I* wasn't scared of technology,
and I didn't see a computer until 11th grade, and use one until 12th
grade (way back in 1980).

> For another, depending upon /what/ the child has experience with, it can 
> really help out with logic and problem solving. Heck, it can even help 
> teach creativity.

So do coloring books, crayons, toy soldiers, books, etc.  Basically,
almost everything except TV.

> I would also like to point out that some of the most bright persons I 
> currently know in the computer field are people who had such early 
> experience with computers (Bill Kendrick anyone? The guys a coding 
> machine... ;-)

Humph.  Yet again, that's just not true.  Did Kernigan, Ritchie,
Ken Thompson, Bill Joy, RMS, Steve Wozniak, Gary Kildall, shoot,
*anyone* from the MIT AI Lab, the TMRC, Stanford AI Lab, Linux,
Alan Cox, Donald Becker, or even the people who designed and program-
med that PDP-11 or your Atari get exposed to computers at an early 
age?  No.

Thus, early exposure to computer technology is *not* necessary for
someone to go on later and become a programmer.

In fact, it's quite possible that you'd have become an accomplished
programmer anyway.

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Johnson, Jr. [email protected]
Jefferson, LA USA

LUKE: Is Perl better than Python?
YODA: No... no... no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
LUKE: But how will I know why Python is better than Perl?
YODA: You will know. When your code you try to read six months
from now.