When it comes to computers, I was lucky to have a mother who was technically oriented and excited about technology. We got our first computer when I was very young- of course, it was command line only, and to do anything interesting with it, you had to learn to program. My mom took up the challenge, and programmed the computer to quiz me on my spelling, among other things. When the mac came around, my mom just had to have one of those as well. It had an interesting program called HyperCard, which my mom was quite fond of as well. I learned from my mom that a computer isn’t just something you buy that does things for you- you can manipulate it, program it, use it to do new things.
I wonder if kids today, those that grew up with Windows and Mac OS’s – ones that don’t really facilitate exploration and tinkering – aren’t at a disadvantage when it comes to computers. They can run circles around us when it comes to IM and SMS and social networking, but sometimes simple things can throw them (like how to get a virus off a computer or, better yet, avoid getting one in the first place.) This is part of the reason I LOVE the OLPC- the entire thing is tinkerable. You can change the programs, you can view the code and make alterations. And I have no doubt that some kids will do amazing things with the machines. It’s quite likely that the next programming genius will come from the ranks of OLPC owners.
Photo by  isforinsects