On Mon, 2 Aug 2004, Teo Zenios wrote:
> > That's pretty much the same siutation with most electronics surplus
> > stores. It's a sad fact: kids are, indeed, not building anything anymore.
> > We're raising a nation of end-users, thanks to a number of factors, all
> > boiling down to selfish indifference.
>
> I think there are alot of kids designing websites, programming, hacking, and
> making the occasional virus. The fact that they put away the soldering iron
> and took up the keyboard doesnt mean they are selfish or not creative, they
I wasn't talking about the kids. The kids are all right. It's the adults
that bother me.
> my other hand was on the keyboard, ESD), equipment was expensive. Today if a
> pc card breaks its cheaper to chuck it and get a new/used one then it is to
> even think of looking for the parts to fix it, same with all other
This is the biggest aspect of the problem. But if that's all it was, it
would be easy to solve. The main issues are that we have a) dumbed-down
school and educational requirements, b) stifled creativity in ways too
numerous to mention (i.e. kids being arrested for writing fantasy essays
about killing other students, teachers, etc.), c) have gotten so busy in
life that we have little spare time for hobbies, d) removed the hands-on
science classes from school because of budgetary reasons, e) generally
de-emphasized do-it-yourself and supplanted it with "Collect all 8! BUY
ME NOW YOU MINDLESS CONSUMER!!"
I'll bet an electronics surplus store would be very successful in a
third-world but emerging country like China for instance. India for sure
I'd imagine (John?)
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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Received on Mon Aug 02 2004 - 14:25:42 BST