Date   : Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:33:11 +0100
From   : "David Hunt" <dm.hunt@...>
Subject: Re: Basic & BBC Basic

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Majordomo List Manager [mailto:majordomo@...] On Behalf Of
> Fragula
> Sent: 02 April 2006 12:40
> To: bbc
> Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] Basic & BBC Basic
> 
> A.J. Davis wrote:
> 
> 
> >> the IT curriculum consists primarily of Microsoft Word, Access and
> Excel
> >> and very little else of technical merit. They've even phased out Logo
> >> (and the chance to use my Valiant Turtle) in favour of photo
> >> manipulation (although to be fair we do teach with Dreamweaver).  Now I
> >> realise that you can't really teach 6502 any more, but I think kids
> >> should be shown more than Microsoft apps.
> 
> 
> Indeed. Its nothing short of a crime. Children are being subjected to
> the Dumbing Down experience of Windows apps, "taught" the load of
> psychological obfuscation that Microsoft Corp. pass off as though it
> were actually a computer.
> 
> I ask, Nay, I DEMAND that schools be more honest, and stop calling it an
> "IT lesson", and use more correct terminology, like "Microsoft
> Indoctrination Propaganda and Future Consumer Lock In Session".
> 
> No really, our kids are a captive audience to this bullshit!
> 
> Does that sound too extreme? Well, whats taught to most kids has little
> to do with technology, more to do with the proprietary obfuscation layer
> that *hides* the technology. That isn't teaching, its the dirtiest form
> of advertising. (Along with school Assembly, but that's too off topic.)
> 
> I wonder how much Microsoft had to brown-bag successive
> people-in-positions to get away with this. Anyone know?
> 
> No. I really and genuinely think the Model B, and BASIC is what should
> be in our primary schools, followed by BBC B with the lid off and simple
> logic probes out, and assembler, then later Linux (sixth form onward),
> is what we should be teaching for I.T.
> 
> A "de branded" but open-standards (Open Office?) Word Processing,
> Spreadsheet, Database etc. could be *used* in other parts of the
> curriculum more appropriate. This should be written in law.
> 
> If Microsoft then wanted a part of the home education market, they could
>  bloody well make their products compatible!
> 
> My suspicion is that "I.T.", and the old Computer Literacy Project" is
> something that was potentially liberating to the masses. Multinationals
> and governments on the other hand would wish to use technology as a
> means of control and subjeaction of the same masses, and would not wish
> those masses to actually know how the stuff works, but merely to buy it,
> read their SPAM and porn, and be greatful to The Corporations that rule
> here (and in most of the "Free World" for allowing them to be able to
> take out the finance to pay for a new machine every 18 months.
> 
> So for the last 10-15 years or so, it seems to me that the whole
> computer literacy thing is being desperately back-pedalled on, and
> replaced with a sort of consumerist "education" that is more suitable
> for sheep destined for the corporate slaughterhouse.
> 
> there.. and i never mentioned Research Machines once, or asked how they
> hell they managed to say in business.
> 
> Straw Poll? Flame War? Anyone?
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> M.
> 

Is this a Windows laptop user ?

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6td073Y7g2w&search=computers>