Ukrainian Computer Destruction Championship

Alien54 writes "Over 300 self-confessed computer addicts have participated in a competition in the central Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya to destroy their own hardware in a spectacular fashion. The event, dubbed the "First Open Computer Destruction Championship", was organised by a local FM radio station with the professed aim of raising young people's awareness of the dangers of spending too much time in front of a computer."

Comments

Folding

[trippinonbsd]

Those computer could have been put to a much better use of folding...

I don't understand -

[FractusMan]

Destroying the computers is suposed to be a symbol of... what? That spending too much time in front of the PC will make you FLIP OUT and kill your PC? Or is this more akin to bra burning? But then, that doesn't make any sense, either. I really don't see how watching people wreck their hardware is suposed to make younger people less addicted.

Re:I don't understand -

[marine_recon]

I think the point of destroying the computers is supposed to be a definitive moment for those who participate. its like the guy who quits drinking and pours all his alchol down the drain. it has nothing to do with flipping out, or bra burning.

Re:I don't understand -

[timeOday]

"Participants told Ukrainian TV that they felt better after destroying their equipment."

"Another participant agreed computers could be cumbersome: 'I am so sick of these computers, all we do is just sit and type on them.'"

"Another added: 'After sitting at the keyboard all day, I needed revenge.'"

You don't identify with that at all?

As for the young people addiction stuff, lighten up, it's just a radio promotion. The "professed aim" isn't really the point.

Re:I don't understand -

[kidlinux]

When I was packin up at home gettin ready for school, I looked around my basement (ie: Command Central) at all the computer junk and crap I had lying around which I wanted to sell but never got around to doing.

I just thought to myself

"I wouldn't mind if this basement just caught on fire and burned everything."

Ukrainians can't afford to do this.

[StarKruzr]

The Ukraine is not the wealthiest country in the world by any means. Every single piece of computer hardware they've got is an extremely valuable commodity and could be very useful in a "non-addictive" setting SOMEWHERE. How about a school? Library? SOMETHING rather than destroying an extremely useful tool?

I hate wanton, frivolous waste.

Re:Ukrainians can't afford to do this.

[Kurin]

I've never seen so many stupid replies for one Slashdot story. Thanks for being the only one that makes sense.

Idiots and the less fortunate

[loomis]

You know, it's things like this that really infuriate me. Rather than destroy these computers for the thrill of it, how about these people donate their computers to schools or to the less-fortunate. This is a country where 4% of the populace in on the internet, according to the article, so the overall number of people who even own computers cannot be that much higher. So rather than destroy these machines in some barbaric rage, these machines could instead benefit a young person etc...

Loomis

You don't understand

[Anonymous Coward]

Rule #1 of being poor (whether a country or an individual) is to waste as much of your money as possible. If they used their resources in an intelligent manner, they wouldn't be poor anymore, would they now? A fool and his money are soon parted.

Anecdotal evidence of this important rule can be seen in America's ghettos, where even the poorest, longest unemployed black people wear bling around their necks, watch cable channels on color TVs, and install $1500 stereo systems in their early-model Caprices that hardly run.

Re:misnamed?

[dissy]

What he's saying is, its the users fault, not the computers.
Its like distroying a gun because its user murdered someone with it.

Re:High road

[Anonymous Coward]

Better technology != more educational

Older computers would actually be better in schools. What can a new computer do that a IIsi can't? Digital video editing? Kazaa? playing the latest 3D games? An older computer can do anything a lower grade classroom would want it to (ie typing, math drills, learning to program in LOGO and BASIC, playing number munchers and path master (educational games made for the apple II sometime in the 80's), etc) High schools might use the added graphics power and newer programming languages for advanced programming, DV editing, or 3D modeling, but there woudn't be much need in grade 5.

In other news...

[rice_burners_suck]

Everyone who owns a television should smash it with a 2x4. This would symbolize the dangers of watching too much television.

Everyone who owns a car should push it off a cliff. This would symbolize the dangers of irresponsible vehicle use.

Everyone who owns an airplane should crash it in the mountains. This would symbolize the dangers of being high in the air.

Everyone who owns a building should jump off its roof. This would symbolize the dangers of being inside a structure built by people.

Everyone who owns a gun should shoot himself. This would symbolize the dangers of irresponsible use of guns.

Everyone who owns a pen should write a suicide note before performing the above activities. This would symbolize the dangers of writing things down. That's all, folks.

Re:High road

[cacheMan]

I don't agree with you. I'm not talking about the latest technology, I'm talking about something that was build with some awareness of the World Wide Web. Don't you think that the internet has the potential to be a good tool in education? I'm not talking about the need for the latest in tech, but IIsi's and similar are about as helpful in education as a typewriter.