Thanks for this optimistic reply. You're right, the "hacker spirit" has proven time and again that it can overcome any obstacle. Those who explicitly seek out open hardware will always be able to find it.
My concern is just that the lure of simplicity (and parent's paranoia) will mean that kids will be more likely to end up with a closed system rather than an open one, and consequentially deprived of the ability (and, more importantly, the inspiration) to tinker. But maybe you're right that hacker souls will always seek out systems that allow them to do what they want to do, and it won't make a difference in the end. I hope so!
Yes, I think inspiration is the key here.
I was largely lucky in this regard though, I had very liberal parents who let me have a computer that I could mess around with as well as unfiltered internet etc.
Most people in my peer group at the same time were only allowed limited access to their home computers and often were not allowed to install any programs on them etc.
Really though, I think it is in the governments best interest to make sure that kids are inspired to tinker with things if we want to stay competitive with BRIC countries in terms of creating and innovating.
I can only speak as a British person here but I think that from Alan Turing to BBC Computers (and now raspberry pi) etc , the "hacker mentality" is very much a part of our national DNA and it would be a great shame if that was lost.
My concern is just that the lure of simplicity (and parent's paranoia) will mean that kids will be more likely to end up with a closed system rather than an open one, and consequentially deprived of the ability (and, more importantly, the inspiration) to tinker. But maybe you're right that hacker souls will always seek out systems that allow them to do what they want to do, and it won't make a difference in the end. I hope so!