[hackerspaces] Children in hackerspaces.

[quemener.yves at free.fr]

----- "Nick Farr (hackerspaces.org)" <nick at hackerspaces.org> a écrit :

> On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 21:10, Donald J Ankney <dankney at hackerco.de>
> wrote:
> 
> > Assuming that insurance reasons are an underlying motivation
> > and not a rationalization is the first one. I voted against kids in
> > the Black Lodge because I don't want to be a babysitter.

To add on this : 
I personally go to the hackerspace to hack with people, to share advanced knowledge. 
I go to another non-profit to organize science activities for children. This is not the same activity.
Sometimes one want to hack and quickly get something working. In that case, yes, this is elitist, but I prefer people who are already knowledgeable about the subject. For education there are conferences.

The problem with kids are usually not with kids but with the parents : "my kid will help you ! He's so smart ! He codes in BASIC". The kid is fine. But a smart and advanced kid is not what makes a hacker. Go find other people of the same level, go learn a bit more, come make small robots with me at the non-profit for youth science and come back to the hackerspace once you want to go further. 

Both activities are honorable, but they are different, in my humble opinion. They can happen in the same place, but understand that by mixing them, none of them will work efficiently.