8th graders don't think you're cool

peterchen

I do see a change here: Our parents complained that we cared about the wrong things, and didn't care about the right ones (though things were a bit different here anyway). But now it seems carign about anythign at all makes you an outcast.

Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server.

Dan Neely

And what is it that put America in the forefront of the nuclear nations? And what is it that will make it possible to spend 20 billion dollars of your money to put some clown on the moon? Well, it was good old American know-how, that's what. As provided by good old Americans like Dr. Wernher von Braun.[^]

3x12=36 2x12=24 1x12=12 0x12=18

Lost User

Yes, rocket scientists back then may have come from Germany, but they easily became Americans or Russians, no questions asked. Especially no question asked what kinds of things they were involved in apart from rocket science.

A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.

Lost User

Does 7th grade count too? That's when I stumbled over my first TRS-80 and had to convince my poor parents of getting me a computer.

A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.

Duke Carey

Those lines sure sounded familiar. Now I need to go find my old Tom Lehrer recordings and listen to them again! A local theater group did a show called Tomfoolery about 15 years ago - a musical presenting probably 2 dozen of his songs. They did a darned good job of it, too.

Andrew Rissing

;P I had to provide context for my pun. :cool:

El Corazon

I don't stop in much, but I I still get the code project newsletters so I had to see what this one is about. I strongly disagree, with reservations. First, few at that age know what a programmer is, usually, but they do know the market areas they would like in 8th grade. And one of those areas is games. They want to make games, but they don't know that is programming. I regularly attend career day events from middle school to college and I am always one of the most talked about presenters. Why? Games. I don't actually write them, but everything I do is related to games and I present it as such. I've written a few small ones that were never marketed, but for the military I produce just shy of flight simulator and commando 3D style graphics. Physics and explosions go hand in hand, a 6th grader last year asked his teacher to come over and find out EVERYTHING he had to learn to write what I do. He wanted a laundry list to become my twin (or successor since it will be a while before he comes to the market). I come armed to these events with a laptop, joystick and the ability to shoot missiles at things and blow them up. Middle school, especially, love the special effects. The fact that each particle is controlled by math and physics begins discussions about what it takes to write stuff like this. But 3D graphics catches the eye, and the mind. Programming most kids don't recognize as a career, but making games they do. What most don't realize is, until much later, that is programming. Now off to my cave again!

_________________________ John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." Proudly folding for Team Code Project!! and Keeping "Team Lavaboy" at bay since 2009-02-04

Lynn Wallace

Did you try pointing out that the cell phone in your pocket, or their Wii at home, or the car Daddy drives (or that drives itself, if it's a new Toyota), are all computers, or contain a bunch of computers? I think that would make a difference, but haven't tried it myself.

skydvr

"Once zey go up, who cares where zey come down? That's not my department," says Wernher von Braun.

Lost User

That's ok with me. There are already too many people in this industry that really should not be here in the first place.

lianimator

Air Force Pilot?? I wanted to be a fighter-jet pilot! And now I'm a computer science student and a intern-programmer.

patbob

We were cool once? Dang, I must have blinked at the wrong time.

patbob

Matthew Barnett

Interestingly(?), more people died making the V-series flying bombs and rockets (slave labour) than died at the receiving end.

BrianK

I've done a middle school career day a few times, but I slanted it toward robotics programming. One year I had a small robotic arm controlled by a computer. Another year I had a 120 lb. 5 foot tall robot from a first robotics competion that shot foam balls. The kids loved that. So I had pretty good interest. The other presenters where things like printer, pharmasist, artist and "golf course designer". I did another one for a college and I was talking about programming a digital archiving system using a tape robot, and had to follow a guy that worked on the space shuttle. Tough act to follow, but I still got some questions. Maybe if you slant it toward things like facebook, etc. Kids could make the connection. Brian

jimd1968

Of course its associated with being a geek and thats probably one thing most eigth graders do not want to be known as. Maybe if you said you programmed video games it would have sparked interest.

jim norcal

However, as best I can determine from limited empirical evidence, you are no longer cool. Certainly not in the eyes of the up and coming generation

Hell, it would appear that we're not so cool in the eyes of the current and former generations either! I got into this business because I thought it was cool and I think others did too, but that was 14 years ago and now a days, everyone seems to look on us IT people as a bunch of janitors that clean up bits of data rather than bits of crap and so we aren't much different from janitorial staff to the others that aren't in IT. There really isn't much respect for IT types anymore and it's very frustrating. Of course, my observations are probably just limited to the three different places (and three completely different types of businesses) I've done professional full time IT work for over the last eight years. Perhaps the jr high students you speak of (oh wait, it's middle school students now ... damn I'm old!) are smarter than all of us combined!

Sterling Camden independent consultant

Hipster. When I was in 8th grade, the only people using computers were in secret rooms with raised floors. I never even saw a computer until I was in college. It was love at first sight.

Gary Wheeler

Phht. That's why you have a minion drive the Merc separately to the airport to carry your luggage.

Software Zen: delete this;

Gary Wheeler

F***in A', man. :-D

Software Zen: delete this;

EricLindros

When we were kids we could be wierd and we were just wierd. Kids these days get a diagnosis. They are ADHD or Aspergers or whatever and so they need treatment. Pump them full of drugs and cure them of their wierdness.