Get my nephew interested in computers

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alex.barylski
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Get my nephew interested in computers

Post by alex.barylski »

I have tried many times in the past, but today I tried again...I introduced him to the world of HTML...

And had his interest for about 5 minutes...

For me it's impossible to understand how and why he can't be interested in computers...especially something as trivial as HTML...

By the time I was his age I was writing some pretty complicated code...and I would have killed to have someone so close in the family act as a mentor...someone to bounce ideas or questions off...

So for him to not even be interested...I dunno it bugs me :P

So as silly as it sounds I ask...

Anyone know of a good way to get a kid interested in HTML?

Perhaps if I could get him interested in making a web page...then he'd start using WYSIWYG editors and progress into HTML written by hand and lead into JScript, PHP, C++ and so on...

What do some people create web pages? What is the purpose?

I seriously cannot answer this question as every web page I have ever built was likely due to some kind of finanacial ROI...which is a good motivator...

He's really into gaming...so I figured making him see the light would be a snap...but obviously I was wrong :)

Should I try and make him create a game web site on geocities or something???

What would be the point behind such a web site??? Unless you knew you could make money off adverts, etc.???

Cheers :)
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Todd_Z
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Post by Todd_Z »

I've tried to get people into programming too, i would kill to have a friend who is into this stuff... but unfortunately I have failed all attempts. I think in some way not having a mentor has helped me develop - it forces you to figure everything out for yourself.

Dreamweaver would be the best bet for a wysiwyg editor - I'm sure hes in a clan or something - have him make a site for them
alex.barylski
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Post by alex.barylski »

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot force it to drink I suppose :P

I've tried on numerous friends in the past, but this is my nephew...I kinda figured he's be more suseptable to influence :P

Ultimately I just want someone in my family to compli(e)ment my skillset so we can perform magic :P

Meh... :)
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Todd_Z
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Post by Todd_Z »

i hear that.

I've got a doctor for a father, two lawyer sisters and a third in advertising....


If they can successfully boot up the computer, its a miracle :wink: :cry:
alex.barylski
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Post by alex.barylski »

Todd_Z wrote:i hear that.

I've got a doctor for a father, two lawyer sisters and a third in advertising....


If they can successfully boot up the computer, its a miracle :wink: :cry:
If they are Doctors, Lawyers and Advertising executives...

And can't figure out how to boot a computer...or at least require devine intervention...we got serious problems :P

Just kidding...

Seriously though...how did you end up becoming a software developer when your siblings and parent are of such academic prestige?

Cheers :)
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tr0gd0rr
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Videogames?

Post by tr0gd0rr »

My little brother was addicted to video games. Simple games and animations got him into programming in his pre-teen days.

I've also learned that many people have different motivations for work and creativity. There are five basic motivations:

Code: Select all

Challenge
Freedom
Security
Balance
Advancement
The example would be if your boss came to you at 4pm on Friday and said "I've got a new project for you."

Before hearing about the project, what would your reaction be? Of course everyone is motivated by more than one thing, but the primary reactions are below:

Code: Select all

Challenge => "I hope this project will be interesting and challenging, stretching my problem-solving skills."
Freedom => "I hope I will have a lot of creative license on this project.  I'm not interested in taking orders or following group decisions."
Security => "I hope this project will make me more valuable to the company and make my job more secure."
Balance => "I hope I'll be able to go home at 5pm today... and I hope that this project won't require extra hours."
Advancement => "I hope this project will help me on my way to a better position or managing more employees."
In my situation, I am strongly challenge oriented--sometimes to a fault. For example, sometimes I find myself shoving aside top priority coding because it is mundane.

But anyhow, the thing I find interesting about these orientations, is that Challenge is and Freedom are the only things that strongly apply to kids, or really anyone not working for a living.

I've noticed that application design is very focused on problem solving and creativity. If your nephew is not really jazzed by problem solving or creativity, you may have a timing problem on your hands. If his interest is piqued by problem solving and creativity, maybe just find out what type of stuff floats his boat.

It is quite an interesting problem. I remember looking up to my dad at an early age and wanting to write programs like him. He showed me DOS and Basic when I was 7-8. He tried to get me interested by teaching me, but I was more interested in Freedom at that time. I didn't really gain interest until he got out the function and syntax manual for Basic, set it in front of me, and walked away.

So I guess what I'm saying is that everybody is different, but everyone has things that really get them going. You just have to find them.
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Todd_Z
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Post by Todd_Z »

Hockey wrote:
Seriously though...how did you end up becoming a software developer when your siblings and parent are of such academic prestige?
I literally just laughed. I'm glad that us software developers have established such prestige :D

I'm 17 - I just do the software thing for the fun of it - I have a job for a real estate agency, but thats just to pass the time. I'm going to college next year and getting a degree in Engineering and Business -> comp sci would drive me nuts!
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Post by alex.barylski »

I'm not suggesting software developers aren't perceived as professionals...

However...when compared to a doctor or lawyer...the requirements are quite different...

Unless you really go far with computer science...

I wish I had stuck out school and gone into computer engineering/computer science...

I would totally have majored in NLP and/or OS design...

I'm obsessed with those fields...but hardly have anytime to read up on them as my schedule is stupid busy trying to keep up with current design trends, best practices and writing my own code of interest...or that for clients...

One day...i'll either grandfather into a MSc./PhD degree or goto school for it :P

Cheers :)
alex.barylski
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Post by alex.barylski »

Todd_Z wrote:
Hockey wrote:
Seriously though...how did you end up becoming a software developer when your siblings and parent are of such academic prestige?
I literally just laughed. I'm glad that us software developers have established such prestige :D

I'm 17 - I just do the software thing for the fun of it - I have a job for a real estate agency, but thats just to pass the time. I'm going to college next year and getting a degree in Engineering and Business -> comp sci would drive me nuts!
Sorry, but what does a degree in engineering and business do for you???

Where is the relation? how do they fit togather?
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Post by Todd_Z »

Well how it works is that if you have a BS in engineering, independent of the discipline, you max out at around $75k simply because of the supply of engineers being pumped out of schools these days. With a business degree, you move up above the engineers into the managerial positions, and then I hope to go corporate after I get my MS/PhD. I'm gonna keep comp sci to a hobby, it always comes in handy, but honestly, I dont need to listen to an antiquated geiser telling me about private and protected variables.
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Post by Grim... »

Hockey wrote:You can lead a horse to water but you cannot force it to drink I suppose :P
My mum (who has more horses than I have MP3's) once taught a horse to drink on command just to prove that saying wrong :)
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Todd_Z
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Post by Todd_Z »

thats awesome. just awesome
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Post by savant »

dunno how old your nephew is but
check this out

http://msdn.microsoft.com/coding4fun/co ... fault.aspx

bumped into it when checking out articles at msdn.

i guess you could start him off with this.

maybe he has a reputation to hold. computers, being smart well kids aren't into that are they? :)
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Post by RobertGonzalez »

If this kid does not show any natural interest in it, and hasn't developed an interest in it knowing how you feel about it, it might be burdensome to him to try to force it on him. It is almost like religion, politics or Amway like that. Either he will want to get into it, or he won't. Pushing him on it my push him away altogether.
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Post by Roja »

I'll echo Everah's comments that each person has their own preferences. My Father could not be more sports oriented. He was a body builder, played pro (minor league) ball, coached every type of sports team for kids, and so on.

Yet personally, my idea of bliss is a cool room, with low lighting, a large glass of sugar-free tang, and a computer to express myself with.

We are pretty much night and day in every way, I broke the rule and fell FAR from the tree.

But hopefully there is a lesson in my experience beyond the simple "he might not like it". I developed my love of computers slowly, and over time. I took a logo class as my first exposure to computers. I hated moving that blasted turtle, because he kept listening to my mistakes (more than what I meant).

When I made it to Pascal, it was even worse! Now the blasted hunk of metal and plastic would even argue with me over punctuation. PUNCTUATION! What was this, a perverse technology to make me love english class!?

It wasn't until I got my first Commodore 64, and had it all to myself that I discovered basic. Suddenly, the language was clear, and it let me do something amazing, that I couldn't do before: I could make it do what I *wanted*. Not what I said, not what my teacher told me to do, but what *I* wanted.

It was the difference between knowing "Se habla espanol", and knowing how to fluently speak spanish. I could *communicate* with the machine. Instead of it arguing with me about punctuation, in my first five minutes I made it say "I LOVE YOU MOM!" thousands of times on the screen. It was amazing to me that it didn't argue - it just did what I wanted.

Thats what you are hoping to unlock in the young prodigies. It doesn't matter if its music, band, sports, karate, or computing. It all boils down to the same concept - you want the child to discover that their mind, their body, their ability MAKES THINGS HAPPEN.

Once you figure that out, the world becomes an incredible place, full of potential. The only question becomes what you will put your mind to, and how hard you will try.

For me, there was little value in sports. I wasn't the strongest, the fastest, or even likely to become any of those. On a computer however, regardless of anyone else, *I* could make it do EXACTLY what I told it to do. I just had to learn the language.

So focus on making the break-through with your nephew not in terms of specific technology (I mean, html? Big deal, its a poster on the net!), but in terms of getting him to accept the fundamental truth that he can make things happen - using technology.

Lego's are a fantastic starting point, because deep down, thats the lesson in lego's as well - your imagination fuels them. You can make anything if you put your mind to it. Its the same with computers. Start there. You might find that its beneath his abilities, but the message may be more clear.

Teach him that he can do anything, and in 20 years, he may be earning more than you did at his age, working on a technology you don't understand. Thats pretty much what happened with me and my Father. :)
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