5 ms·

This, unfortunately, is the truth. But that begs the question: what are 11-year-old computer nerds doing now? Modding games? Building complicated machines in

This, unfortunately, is the truth. But that begs the question: what are 11-year-old computer nerds doing now? Modding games? Building complicated machines in Minecraft?

f1shy 3y ago
There are lots of things to do. Lots of programming things mixed with other domains like music. Just one example: https://sonic-pi.net/tutorial.html https://sonic-pi.net/tutorial.html There are tones of SBC, plus arduino. Calliope and others. Scratch for little kids, lego mindstorms. I know boys between 11 and 13 learning Python, programming some simple games. There are also lots of robots and HW. What there is not (or I do not know it) is something like the microcomputer of the 80s. That is a little computer which can do graphics, sound, little games, and even control peripherals with a very simple language. I would really have something like that.
- seanthemon 3y ago
  Frankly what you're asking for in your last sentence is just a Pi
  - f1shy 3y ago
    And with which SW? I mean, I can do “anything” with C++, but doing what I did in Basic in 100 lines would need 1000, plus downloading libraries and frameworks and reading several 500+ pages manuals. If your kid is not an english native speaker, you have yet another hurdle.
    - mharig 3y ago
      MicroPython. On any hardware it runs. RaPi ist not the worst choice.
    - tepitoperrito 3y ago
      maybe check out PICO 8. It's basically a VM (self styled fantasy game console) that runs on a bunch of devices and an active community. https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php A similar project that I'm eager to hack on (or maybe try my hand at implementing something similar in WASM) is the UXN platform. https://100r.co/site/uxn.html https://100r.co/site/uxn.html And if we're already talking VM platforms to explore, there's no reason that someone who doesn't want to do software professionally can't get a lot of enjoyment from some basic syntax knowledge and making modifications to software they use every day (whether that's writing a userscript in your browser or exploring your favorite game via mods)
boringg 3y ago
Robotics is my guess

This, unfortunately, is the truth. But that begs the question: what are 11-year-old computer nerds doing now? Modding games? Building complicated machines in Minecraft?

f1shy 3y ago

There are lots of things to do. Lots of programming things mixed with other domains like music. Just one example: https://sonic-pi.net/tutorial.html https://sonic-pi.net/tutorial.html There are tones of SBC, plus arduino. Calliope and others. Scratch for little kids, lego mindstorms. I know boys between 11 and 13 learning Python, programming some simple games. There are also lots of robots and HW. What there is not (or I do not know it) is something like the microcomputer of the 80s. That is a little computer which can do graphics, sound, little games, and even control peripherals with a very simple language. I would really have something like that.

seanthemon 3y ago
Frankly what you're asking for in your last sentence is just a Pi
- f1shy 3y ago
  And with which SW? I mean, I can do “anything” with C++, but doing what I did in Basic in 100 lines would need 1000, plus downloading libraries and frameworks and reading several 500+ pages manuals. If your kid is not an english native speaker, you have yet another hurdle.
  - mharig 3y ago
    MicroPython. On any hardware it runs. RaPi ist not the worst choice.
  - tepitoperrito 3y ago
    maybe check out PICO 8. It's basically a VM (self styled fantasy game console) that runs on a bunch of devices and an active community. https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php A similar project that I'm eager to hack on (or maybe try my hand at implementing something similar in WASM) is the UXN platform. https://100r.co/site/uxn.html https://100r.co/site/uxn.html And if we're already talking VM platforms to explore, there's no reason that someone who doesn't want to do software professionally can't get a lot of enjoyment from some basic syntax knowledge and making modifications to software they use every day (whether that's writing a userscript in your browser or exploring your favorite game via mods)

boringg 3y ago

Robotics is my guess