3 ms·

>I should think so. There are all sorts of interesting SoC Why would kids want to play with such things? I got into computers because that's where "the intern

>I should think so. There are all sorts of interesting SoC Why would kids want to play with such things? I got into computers because that's where "the internet" was, where pirated video games were, pirated mp3s and movies, so learning some technical stuff came with the territory. But today kids have all that one touch away. They don't have to leave that comfort zone. Back then there were no comfort zones. If you wanted (free) entertainment on the PC you had to put in the work.

LeFantome 2y ago
I am old, so this comment is pretty hilarious. You got into computers “because that’s where the Internet was”. I got into computers two decades before that and had to create stuff myself because I could not afford everything. I had to save up for Z80 books and wait for a family road-trip to buy them. When “the Internet” came along, suddenly everything was everywhere and free. Why would anybody need to learn anymore? It was all just “one touch” away. Except you did learn. And the “kids today”’still are. Except they are building a Proxmox homelab running Linux containers and Tailscale networking so they can host a Minecraft server. And they are using CAD to design their own custom fit ( to their finger-length ) macropad and programming the microcontroller themselves. They are running Jellyfin to stream the content their parents don’t subscribe to. They are doing video editing and 3D rendering that would have been Science fiction in the 90’s and learning about audio and video codecs to do it. They may be running Steam on Linux. They are also jail breaking their phones and overclocking their hardware. Hardware much more complex than what we grew up with. Some of them are even learning a bit of Python or Typescript and creating virtual AI assistants from free APIs or Open Source models. Trust me. Kids are still putting in the work. They are just putting it into different things.
- LtdJorge 2y ago
  Slow clap
- Cumpiler69 2y ago
  >they are using CAD to design their own custom fit ( to their finger-length ) macropad Who is this "they" doing all of this? I never heard of kids doing this. I'm sure a couple around the world are doing it but definitely not the majority. Meanwhile when I was growing up, almost everyone knew to tinker with Windows internals to get pirated games working. Almost everyone knew what an IP address was. How many today know this? You're generalizing a generation from a small niche of tech kids.
  - hiAndrewQuinn 2y ago
    It was always a small niche of tech kids. Today, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 40. I went to a good school in one of the tech capitals of the US and I was the only person I knew who ran desktop Linux in high school. Tech will always be the domain of smart, ambitious nerds, almost by definition - that's who you have to be to have a shot at pushing the envelope. If you want to expand the number of kids doing it, you'll have more success expanding the number that fit that preceding definition.
    - Cumpiler69 2y ago
      >Tech will always be the domain of smart I wasn't talking about tech but more on general tech know-how. Back then almost everyone had to have it to use a computer. Now you don't need it, so people are less likely to find themselves going it it the weeds and falling in love with this as a hobby.
      - phaer 2y ago
        But "back then", thinking about the late 90ies and early 00ths here, far less people had to use a computer at all. So in absolute numbers there are most probably still more kids with "general tech know-how" today.

LeFantome 2y ago

I am old, so this comment is pretty hilarious. You got into computers “because that’s where the Internet was”. I got into computers two decades before that and had to create stuff myself because I could not afford everything. I had to save up for Z80 books and wait for a family road-trip to buy them. When “the Internet” came along, suddenly everything was everywhere and free. Why would anybody need to learn anymore? It was all just “one touch” away. Except you did learn. And the “kids today”’still are. Except they are building a Proxmox homelab running Linux containers and Tailscale networking so they can host a Minecraft server. And they are using CAD to design their own custom fit ( to their finger-length ) macropad and programming the microcontroller themselves. They are running Jellyfin to stream the content their parents don’t subscribe to. They are doing video editing and 3D rendering that would have been Science fiction in the 90’s and learning about audio and video codecs to do it. They may be running Steam on Linux. They are also jail breaking their phones and overclocking their hardware. Hardware much more complex than what we grew up with. Some of them are even learning a bit of Python or Typescript and creating virtual AI assistants from free APIs or Open Source models. Trust me. Kids are still putting in the work. They are just putting it into different things.

LtdJorge 2y ago
Slow clap
Cumpiler69 2y ago
>they are using CAD to design their own custom fit ( to their finger-length ) macropad Who is this "they" doing all of this? I never heard of kids doing this. I'm sure a couple around the world are doing it but definitely not the majority. Meanwhile when I was growing up, almost everyone knew to tinker with Windows internals to get pirated games working. Almost everyone knew what an IP address was. How many today know this? You're generalizing a generation from a small niche of tech kids.
- hiAndrewQuinn 2y ago
  It was always a small niche of tech kids. Today, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 40. I went to a good school in one of the tech capitals of the US and I was the only person I knew who ran desktop Linux in high school. Tech will always be the domain of smart, ambitious nerds, almost by definition - that's who you have to be to have a shot at pushing the envelope. If you want to expand the number of kids doing it, you'll have more success expanding the number that fit that preceding definition.
  - Cumpiler69 2y ago
    >Tech will always be the domain of smart I wasn't talking about tech but more on general tech know-how. Back then almost everyone had to have it to use a computer. Now you don't need it, so people are less likely to find themselves going it it the weeds and falling in love with this as a hobby.
    - phaer 2y ago
      But "back then", thinking about the late 90ies and early 00ths here, far less people had to use a computer at all. So in absolute numbers there are most probably still more kids with "general tech know-how" today.