[LINK] Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomorrow?

[Michael Still]

grove at zeta.org.au wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Jan 2008, Janet Hawtin wrote:
> 
>> It feels like we are optimised as a culture of consumers.

I feel that way especially when governments talk about me that way. For
example, why would reducing my mortgage bill cause me to go and
immediately spend more at some retail chain? I feel sometimes like the
government would rather I was a cow or something.

> I think you're right.   And things like DMCA do not help. The "hacker
> mentality" is now readily equated with terrorism.
> 
> Chemistry sets are now sold so as to be practically inoccuous as possible.
> Hacking a modern car engine is not the same due to use of sealed electronic
> modules and most of it being "on a chip".

You're confusing two issues here me thinks. Chemistry set changes == war
on terror gone wrong. Car complexity == understandable progress. The car
manufacturers didn't change the implementation of engine management to
annoy you -- they did it to make a better engine. Oh, and you can buy
debug cables for most of them online that let you plug in like a service
person would.

Mikal