Computers

There is a reason why I don’t own a video game console. It’s not that I’m a crazed gamer who must have the latest and greatest video games. It’s something far more insidious; if I start a game, I must finish it. Even if the game in question is awful, I will see it through. Considering that the average game probably takes about 40+ hours to complete, it’s no surprise that I’ve learned to inoculate myself by just avoiding the things. This “cold turkey” approach has served me well through all the latest game changing technologies of the past decade or so – even Nintendo did not tempt me with the Wii to go out and buy one. But the turkey is about to go back in the oven.

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In the rush to get ahead, it seems that students have found a new way to improve their scores through hackers that claim they have the ability to access the computer systems of universities and edit student scores. In some cases for as much as RMB 10,000, the illegal service promises to repair academic records by increasing recorded scores. According to one hacker, it takes between one and five working days to break into the system and change a score. Such services are very tempting to college students, who live with the reality that good university scores are essential for employment after school ends.

To read more about the score-hacking businesses that have popped up, check out the People’s Daily article here

According to new statistics, the number of Chinese Internet users (netizens) less than 10 years old has increased exponentially in the past year. The report claims that there are now approximately 3 million kids logging on, raising their percentage from total netizens from 0.3% to 0.9%, while around 80% of primary school students have access to the World Wide Web before the age of nine.

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Watching a two-year-old whiz their way around a computer screen is a sight to behold. For children this young (who don’t even have the fine motor skills to write yet), scooting and clicking around a virtual page is a great way to hone the skills needed to read and write – such as hand-eye coordination.

There is no doubt computers are the way of the communications future, and even if your children don’t end up making a career out of IT, it’s certain they will need computer skills in their every day lives. In fact, many high schools now request their students submit work typewritten on a laptop.

Here are some great websites that can help your child’s IT skills, no matter what their age is. Ten minutes practice each day will see them well on the way to Mastering the Mouse.

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