>First, you have to grow up wealthy enough to have a decent education, some exposure to technology, and the ability to choose between options in your life, whic

>First, you have to grow up wealthy enough to have a decent education, some exposure to technology, and the ability to choose between options in your life, which immediately rules out most of the planet. No, all you need is access to a computer and someone to start you going in the right direction. And the latter is really just a nicety. You can get there without it. I'm largely self-taught, with a little push back in Elementary School. They introduced the ideas and taught us to write Apple II BASIC programs. I took it from there. I eventually got a 2-year degree, but I practically slept through the classes. I learned a bit about database normalization, and nothing else. 4.0 GPA. My first job didn't care about the degree at all. They only cared about my actual skill. I stayed there long enough that any other job would know I had skills. And my career was on its way. There's no need for an expensive education. However, you do need to have a head for logic. Passion for logic helps tremendously. And a computer. But who doesn't have a computer these days? I don't know anyone who doesn't have one. And there are charities that help people get computers if they can't afford them. So no, I don't think rich-poor artificial scarcity is what drives the price at all.