After years of being told that the only secure windows PC is one that is turned off, they listened.

They released a update that broke the boot system.

What could go wrong?

  (too lazy to link every single letter in that sentence a different oracle security and or biz fail, so use google)

7, sure, 14 no. Anyone who tried that shit with me when I was that age, was not only held out of the loop, but what ever measures they took were bypassed. I had physical access and was less than stupid. Mu linux + direct access to the router + mac spoofing = end around what ever you thought you were doing to prevent your kid from browsing porno or meeting a digital Buba. You would do far better just talking to your kids, and realizing that they aren't the stupid fragile things everyone thinks they are. Schools have a excuse, if they say something the parent disagrees with, they can be sued. YOU DONT. TALK TO YOUR FUCKING KIDS.

There is no such thing as a ticket to a long-term, stable, happy job. I mean, I certainly wouldn't want to be a doctor in the United States -- you go through ten years of school to spend all your time juggling HMO paperwork, paying for malpractice insurance, and giving people advice to which they never listen.

Oh, and if you screw up majorly, you can kiss all that hard work goodbye. Sure, you're paid well, but that's not the sort of thing I'd want to deal with.

As far as some kid who tinkers being better than a fresh-out-of college grad, you're partially right, until you want him to do something. My general experience with the 'self-educated, don't need no stinkin' college' crowd is that, while they are very bright, they are also very arrogant, and not inclined to do dirty work -- they want to play with the shiny objects, not slog through miles of digital mud.

Before you tar me as jealous, understand that I *am* one of those tinkering kids -- started programming in grade school, have built my own primitive computer from components (transistors, resisters, diodes, plywood, protoboards), and generally love tinkering with technology. I also had the attitude when I graduated high school that college was mostly a waste of time, so I enrolled in community college just to keep my parents happy.

Worked full-time for about five years taking night classes, and you know what I came to realize?

All my 'talent' and 'intelligence' meant jack in the employment world; they don't care that I've got brains -- they want me to use them. I had to learn, in a hurry, that the majority of working in the computer industry consists of dealing with mundane crap.

College definitely helped with that, because there's a lot of mundane crap that you do as an undergrad.