Comments:

1. florian on August 27th, 2011 at 19:54:

   I learned how to program LOGO when I was in 4th grade. Nowadays kids learn how to sign up for a gmail account and browse the web. I think my generation was exposed to computers as a technology that requires programming skills to operate, whereas now kids are taught to use the computer as an appliance and means towards consumer culture. I strongly suspect that there will be a massive shrink in the computing braintrust in a few decades when my generation leaves the tech sphere for mountain tops and nursing homes.

2. Sue W on August 28th, 2011 at 2:40:

   @florian: good point. Mature tech needs fewer technically able people. So what will be the new frontier? Biology?

3. Roland Hesz on August 28th, 2011 at 12:23:

   Genetics, biochemistry looks like a good area. Bioengineering will probably start to improve a lot too – now that will bring back the need for high quality programmers to write the drivers for the hands, feet and eyes of people.
   Or maybe none of this, because there is a kid somewhere or an army somewhere coming up with something absolutely different thing that will sweep away everything.

4. Mark on August 29th, 2011 at 2:25:

   @florian, @SueW:

   I think the decrease in programming isn’t quite as you’ve portrayed it. I see two factors:

   1: Assuming you’re older than I: When you got a computer, you were one of few kids to have one. It was cool, new, unusual; your parents had enough money to buy you a very expensive toy, and were *not* neoluddites. That described every kid who had a computer. They were very enthusiastic about their computer and technology in general, and were encouraged to learn about it.

   I suspect that even more kids are that enthusiastic now. However, they are only a small percentage of all children with computer access – so they seem to be few.

   2: Microsoft has dominated for the past 15 years. For much of that time, a compiler was quite expensive unless you knew where to look on the internet. The free environments were sometimes quite difficult to use.

   Linux is getting easier and easier to use, and hard disks are big enough to handle 2-3 operating systems easily. There are a number of languages that are easy to use.

   I think that the % of highly computer literate children will increase quite a bit over the next decade. So you needn’t worry about getting forced out of retirement, florian

5. Sue W on August 29th, 2011 at 3:28:

   lol…oh ya retardment; I know some old geezers who used to work for IBM in the ’70′s and ’80′s are still in work if they want it. No younger person wants to lose their minds on maintaining that old junk, now in its third or fourth port to a new environment (without any investment in being rewritten).

Comments:

1. Roland Hesz on August 27th, 2011 at 21:17:

   Actually no, that’s more expensive. If you own the workers you have to pay for accomodation, food, utilities, however low standard they are.
   It is better to pay them a low wage and let them worry about their own needs to survive until tomorrow, that way you will get back the money you gave them while they have the illusion of freedom.

2. Sue W on August 28th, 2011 at 2:37:

   She’s a cow, that Sharon-Louise.

3. itspast on August 28th, 2011 at 22:29:

   Actually, she’s right on one point. I don’t know anyone in the Tea Party that is worth minimum wage.