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Proposal: Raspberry Pi

I wonder whether the 13-year-old lower age limit on Stack Exchange doesn't mean that this proposal is not viable? The Raspberry Pi being aimed primarily at school children.

This is unfortunate, because getting answers out of forums sucks...

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    The fact that the proposal has shot to 150 commitments many of whom have reputation on other stack-exchange sites says that this proposal may be viable.
    – iandotkelly
    May 29, 2012 at 23:39
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    When I was about 10 years old I signed up for an xbox live account and said I was 18 so I could play the "M" games online. If someone younger than 13 really wants to use this resource I'm sure they'll find away ;)
    – Keeg
    Jul 25, 2012 at 16:10

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Not at all:

  • There are many "school children" over the age of 13 who could well benefit from such a proposal
  • I believe that it will find many uses beyond the classroom anyway; in fact for various reasons I can see its main market actually turning into more of a hobbyist area
  • If it does primarily stay as a educational tool, it'll be a great resource for teachers, parents and others helping children
  • There's no reason why a child can't ask a question "through" someone over 13 years old with an account (as in the adult posts the question on behalf of the child.) In fact, under 13 years of age, I'd suggest this is the most likely thing they'd do anyway.
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    I completely agree. Yes, younger children may program the Pi - but they are much more likely to be doing it in a fairly supervised way (parents/teachers etc). By the time kids are programming these unassisted and wanting to find answers on the internet on their own they are likely to be 13 anyway.
    – iandotkelly
    May 29, 2012 at 23:37
  • @iandotkelly - I wouldn't be so sure, any kid who gets into RaPi is likely to overtake their parent/teacher in knowledge very quickly. My father always tells the story about how he spent weeks reading the ZX81 manual before my 11th birthday and that it wasn't even lunchtime before I asked the first question he couldn't answer. *8')
    – Mark Booth
    May 30, 2012 at 9:28
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    @MarkBooth - I was 13 when I got my ZX81, perhaps I am biased :-) ... I do think it is more likely that younger children are more likely to be more supervised and assisted - even if in reality some are certainly able to outstrip their teachers in knowledge very quickly. I just strongly disagree with the proposition that the Age 13 limit 'kills this proposal'. As this answer says - they can ask for help from someone older if they need to post here, and can always search for answers even if they don't want to create an account.
    – iandotkelly
    May 30, 2012 at 14:18
  • @iandotkelly - Sorry, I wasn't criticising the answer (which I'd already up-voted) or your comment, just making sure preconceptions about <13 years olds weren't taken too far.
    – Mark Booth
    May 30, 2012 at 17:49
  • Incidentally @iandotkelly, ZX81+location MI, so Timex 1000 or expat? *8')
    – Mark Booth
    May 30, 2012 at 17:51
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    @MarkBooth - hey, no problem - I did not think you had criticized the answer. Timex 1000, or expat? Good catch - yes expat. I am a veteran of the RM380Z, ZX81, Dragon32, BBC Model B and Archimedes A440 - none of which would be recognized over here.
    – iandotkelly
    May 30, 2012 at 18:08
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Of course children under 13 will use the Raspberry Pi, however, asking constructive questions is a skill most children do not yet posses.

Note: of course they can have good questions, but to formulate that question correctly is a skill rarely found among children of that age.

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I know several people who are much older than schoolboy age who have ordered a Raspberry Pi for themselves. The aim of Raspberry Pi is to engage children. Yet, there is no age limit on who can buy one.

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