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Thursday, September 14, 2006 12:00 AM

Why Johnny can't code

BASIC used to be on every computer a child touched -- but today there's no easy way for kids to get hooked on programming.

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  • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 09:49 PM

    so true - and not only in the software...

    but also in the hardware! indeed, in the last few years, with the disappearance of the lowly parallel port from almost every computer you can now buy, we now have the absurdly frustrating situation where you can have an insanely powerful computer in your lap, and yet be unable to do the simplest possible logical operation with it. I speak of simply wishing to use the computer to control a single bit in the outside world; to use the machine to either supply +5 volts or not; to control an external device by a 1 bit electronic signal. You cant do it any more. Now, to do this you are forced to know about USB controllers, or firewire, or other things that should simply not be needed just to SET A SINGLE BIT.

    Forest. Trees. And all that.

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