SEVERAL YEARS ago we wrote a great deal about BECTA, which was responsible for making the next generation of British adults just a bunch of Microsoft robots. Outside the UK we confront a similar type of situation. Particular government officials decide to teach children Microsoft, not computing. Bill Gates contributes towards this catastrophe, but he hides his tracks better.

I have noticed that as the years have gone by there are less and less computer savy people around. Sure they know how to "use" computers and electronic equipment but they do not know how to make the computers do what they want. They are more of a "monkey see, monkey do" mentality. This is not from people who wore long shorts when televisions were black and white. This is from people who have never known a life without computers.

These people who have all the opportunity in the world to take control of their technological life are not doing so. From what I have read around the tubes and heard as well as seen with my own four peepers the interest, indeed ability in manipulating the guts and goo of computers is rapidly declining. So much so that a Florida university is shutting down it's computer research lab and some bloggers are calling for more to be shut down.

I have heard a complaint or two that these types of courses are turning out to be not much more than how to use microsoft products, rather than how to control a computer. I am wondering if this unfortunate state of affairs should be put squarely on microsofts shoulders.