K-12 CS Efforts Earn Microsoft CEO Ringside Seat For State of the Union Address

theodp writes: When President Obama delivers his final State of the Union address on Tuesday, the White House reports that the inspiring individuals seated with the First Lady will include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "Microsoft has been a leader in expanding access to computer science in K-12 classrooms," explains the White House, perhaps unaware that the company reportedly struck a deal to kill BASIC on Macs in 1985 and stopped including BASIC on PCs after Windows 95. Ironically, Microsoft now laments that girls began to stop seeing themselves as coders after 1984, which gave rise to the need for today's Microsoft-led national K-12 CS intervention. "Girls don't see other girls programming," Microsoft explained in 2013, "so they just don't know that it's available to them." So, is there such a thing as corporate Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Comments

K12 CS efforts for girls only

[Anonymous Coward]

Let this be known that nasty little boys regardless of their skin color will be unable to pursue any such training. Because that's progress! /sarc

The most condescending, sexist statement...

[MikeRT]

I've seen in a long time:

"Girls don't see other girls programming," Microsoft explained in 2013, "so they just don't know that it's available to them."

I think any commentary I add is likely to just detract from the awesomely stupid essence of that last quote. They don't know it's available to them? What the hell does that even mean?

Let it go already

[wonkey_monkey]

perhaps unaware that the company reportedly struck a deal to kill BASIC on Macs in 1985 and stopped including BASIC on PCs after Windows 95.

Perhaps the author is unaware that those events were 30 and 20 years ago respectively.

seems rather myopic of microsoft.

[nimbius]

"Girls don't see other girls programming," Microsoft explained in 2013

One word: Adafruit. hell, all you have to do is hit twitter to see people like @aloria (infosec engineer) fully participating in programming. Please stop focusing on why gender isnt part of programming and start focusing on the fact that, with the help of the DMCA, you've effectively crushed any attempts at hacker culture that might interest kids in technology and programming. The governments insistance that a clock is a bomb certainly isnt helping young hackers. And while you're at it, proprietary software is a huge hinderance to the type of hacker/programmer culture of sharing code.

Re:seems rather myopic of microsoft.

[U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M]

Boys can keep themselves amused for hours on something very small...

Well, it's not that small.

Re:BASIC? Give me a break.

[wonkey_monkey]

GOTO hell!