young rewired state: white paper
TRANSCRIPT
7/30/2019 Young Rewired State: White Paper
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YOUNGREWIREDSTATE
CODINGABETTER
COUNTRYAscalable,sustainableanswertofosteringyoungBritishprogrammers,aWhitePaper
11/1/2012
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CONTENTSExecutiveSummary...........................................................................................................................................................3
TheUK................................................................................................................................................................................3
YRS........................................................................................................................................................................................3
Changingperspectives.................................................................................................................................................3
Computing..............................................................................................................................................................................5
TheimportanceofComputing...................................................................................................................................5
TechnologyandInequality ..........................................................................................................................................6
Solutions.................................................................................................................................................................................7
Themajorbottlenecktolong-termchange..........................................................................................................7
FixingEducation.............................................................................................................................................................8
Fixingeducationisnotsufficient ..............................................................................................................................9
YoungRewiredState(YRS).........................................................................................................................................12
WhatisYoungRewiredState? ................................................................................................................................13
WhyisYRSagoodsolution? ....................................................................................................................................14
WhataretheindividualbenefitsofCoding? ......................................................................................................17
TheModelandMechanicsofYRS.............................................................................................................................18
HowdoyoufindKids? ................................................................................................................................................18
WhatdoesitcosttorunaYRSHackDay? ..........................................................................................................19
HowisYRSfunded? .....................................................................................................................................................20
Whathappenstotheapps? ......................................................................................................................................21
Whathappenstothekids? .......................................................................................................................................21
Thefuture–howisYRSgrowing? .........................................................................................................................22
YRSinScotland,NorthernIrelandandWales..................................................................................................23
YRSEverywhere............................................................................................................................................................23
Whatelseneedstobedone?Achangeoffocus.Achangeofdirection....................................................24
Achangeingovernmentattitude..........................................................................................................................25
AchangeinBusinessattitude.................................................................................................................................26
PostScript.....................................................................................................................................................................28
Arewereallygoingtoallowourkidstoblindlystumbleintoafuturesoutterlydependent
ondigitaltoolsandproducts,withoutgivingthemthechancetobethedemi-Godswhosit
behindthesethings,tellingthemwhattodo,andtherebytellinguswhattothink? 1
-EM
1EM=EmmaMulqueeny,founderofRewiredStateandYoungRewiredState(YRS),CS=Computer
Sciencehttp://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/teach-our-kids-to-code-e-petition/
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EXECUTIVESUMMARY
THEUK• Future-prooftheUK:Computingisacrucialandaccessibledriverandfacilitatorof
innovation,andthusoflong-term,high-growthindustry.
• Computingunderliesthegrowthofalmosteverycontemporarysphereofbusiness.
• Technologyimpactsinequality:makingcomputingskillsavailabletoeventhepoorestis
akeypartofsocialmobility.
• Weneedtorefocusitonmakingsoftwareaswellasusingit.ICTeducationintheUKisa
“toxicbrand”2thaturgentlyneedsrevolutionizing.
• Educationisthelong-termsolution:itthereforeoverlooksanimmediateimprovement in
thesituation:workingwiththeyoungBritishprogrammerswhohavetaughtthemselves
tocodeinspiteofthehostileandunhelpfulenvironmentthattheyfindthemselvesin.
YRS
• Buildscommunitiesofself-taughtprogrammersaged18andunderatlocal,
nationalandinternationallevelsthrough“HackDays”.
• TheYRSmodelisthemostorganicandscalablewaytoaccessandnurturethis
delicatetalent.
• YRSisbridgingthe generationaltalentgapastalentedyouthsuccumbtothestigmaand
lackofsupportaroundprogramming:stemmingthe“outsourceculture”thatiscurrentlydrainingmoneyfromtheeconomyasregardssoftwaredevelopment.
• YRSrescuesself-taughtprogrammersfromtheisolationoftheStatusQuo.
• InitiativeslikeYRSareessentialtoflourishingcreativepossibilityatthebeginningofthe
mostfertileeraforhumaningenuity –theinternetera.
CHANGINGPERSPECTIVES
• Whynotbuildithere?
• Weneedashiftinfocusfromstimulatingenterprisealone:withoutdeveloperstheideas
generatedwillgonowhere.
• Weneedashiftinbusinessculturetowardsopenness:opendataandopensoftwareare
themostefficientandforwardthinkingwaytoexploitourburgeoningdataresources.
• Weneedashiftinbusinessculturetowardsnurturinglocaltalentinplaceof
outsourcingtoavoidtalentflightandtalentstagnation.
2http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/mar/31/why-kids-should-be-taught-code
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CodinginContext–EconomyandthestateofUKInnovation
Youcan’tjusthavepoliticianspointingatapartofthecountryandsayinglet’sinvent
somethingfromscratch:thathasn’tworkedinthepast,itwon’tworkinthefuture.Thisis
aboutbuildingonsomethinggoodandmakingitgreat.”
“We’renotdoingenoughtoteachthenextgenerationofprogrammers...Idon’tjustwant
peoplewhoareliterateintechnology:Iwantpeoplewhowanttocreate programmes3”
–DavidCameron
• NoGrowthandfallinginnovationintheUKrequireachangeoffocus
Everybodydemandsgrowth,investment,jobs.TheUKstrugglestoremaincompetitiveinthe
modernglobalisedeconomy:manufactureischeaperindevelopingcountriesandtechnologyis
donemoreeffectivelyinotherswhohavealreadybeguntospecialise.Swedenisgreen.
Germanyisautomobile.TheUSisaerospace,Web2.0.SouthKoreaismobiletelecomsand
shipping.IndiaandChinaareengineering,manufactureingeneralandarebecomingdeveloper
hubstoo.TheUKisaserviceeconomywithadwindlingnumberofservicesoverwhichitcan
offeracompetitiveedge.Onedaywewillfinallyadmitthatbutforglobalwarming’sprospects
ofturningtheDevonshireRivieraintoaquasi-Mediterraneanparadise,wehavefewreasonsto
betonourtouristindustryasthefuturesaviouroftheBritisheconomy.
Itiswidelysuggestedthatchangingthewaywethinkaboutinnovationmustbecentralin
addressingthisissue:innovationaccountedfor63%ofeconomicgrowthbetween2000and
20084.Thus,witharguablythebesthighereducationsystemintheworld,itshouldbe
concerninglearningtoreadNesta’sreport:
“InvestmentininnovationbyUKbusinessesstartedslowingin2000,anddecreasedslowly
butsteadilyasapercentageofoutputallthroughthelastdecade.Fixedassetinvestment
wasincreasinglydominatedbybricksandmortar,withlessandlessbeinginvestedinhigh
techkit...
“Theshortfallin2011wasasmuchas£24billion,fourorfivetimeswhattheUK governmentspendsonscientificandtechnologicalresearchinayear.5 ”
Therearemanysuggestedreasonsforthisdecline.Nestapointtotalentdrains:tohigher
salaried,morestablecareerpathssuchasFinanceandRealEstate;totheviciouscircleofless
UKtalentleadingtolessbusinesseschoosingtolocateintheUK,lessbusinessesleadingtoless
jobs;lessapplicantsforcutting-edgecoursesbecausejobprospectsinthosecareershave
dwindledetc.
3http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-156828504http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/economic_growth/assets/features/plan_i 5http://www.nesta.org.uk/home1/assets/blog_entries/plan_i
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COMPUTING
T HEIMPORTANCEOFC OMPUTING
Computationalthinkingisageneralskill,
it’sapplicabletomanyelementsofscience
andthetrainingofourkidstoday.It’snot
onlyprogramming,it’stheabilityto
abstract,tothinkaboutproblemsat
multiplelevelsthat’simportanttoteach
ourkids.Ifwe’reonlyusers,we’llbeunable
tocontributetothedigitaleconomy.
-ProfessorJeffMagee,Departmentof
Computing-ImperialCollegeLondon
It’sthemostcreativethingyoucando:it’s
purelyofthemind.
-DanCrow,CTOofSongkick,aLondon
techstart-up
• Computingisahuge,yetrapidlydecliningBritishandEuropeanemployerand
producer.
• TheUKandEuropewillrequiremanymorehighly-skilledcomputingtechnicians
thanwearecurrentlyforecasttoproduce,andwewilllosesubstantialgrowth
prospectsifprovisiontomeetthisshortfallisnotmade.
• Technologyisprovingoneofthedriversofinequality:wepayhighskills
premiumsfortechnologyliteracy,buttechnologyliteracyiscontingentonstarting
familyincome.
Certainly,oneoftheclearestbottlenecksformakingtheUKaprimedestinationforinnovative
business,andoneofthemostcommentedissues,hasbeenthetotalunder-provisionand
irrelevanceofcomputingeducationintheUK,despitethefactthatcomputinghas,byall
accounts,becomeatrulyintegralpartofinnovation.25%ofallEUbusinessR&Dspendin2007
(excludingStatefunding)wasonICT,twiceasmuchasanyotherindustrialsector.6
Theimportanceofcomputingandcomputerscienceinallofthesciences,foradvancesin
engineeringandmanufacture,injournalismandfilmandevenintheexecutionofeveryday
transactionsforsmallbusinessesisasimpleandinescapablefactof2012andofanyfuturewe
canpredictfromthishorizon.
6http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/BCS_Computing_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Whatis“computing”?
Computingisthestudyofhow
computersandcomputer
systemswork,andhowtheyare
constructedandprogrammed,andthefoundationsof
informationandcomputation.It
isadiscipline,likemathematics
orphysics,thatexplores
foundationalprinciplesand
ideas(suchastechniquesfor
searchingtheWeb),ratherthan
artefacts(suchasparticular
computerprograms),althoughit
mayusethelattertoilluminatetheformer.Itsaspectsofdesign,
theoryandexperimentation
aredrawnfromEngineering,
MathematicsandScience
respectively.1
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ComputingatSchoolssuppliesthefollowingevidencetosupporttheeconomiccentralityof
computing:
• TheUK’sITindustryaloneproducesanannualGVAof£30.6billion,3%ofthetotalUK
economy,withthecontinuedadoptionandexploitationofICThavingthecapacityto
generateanadditional£35billionofGVAtotheUKeconomyoverthenextfiveto
sevenyears.
Employment:
• Another150,000ITprofessionalsintheUKwouldadd£44billioninnationalGVA.• 70,000computerprogrammingjobswereoffshoredintheUSbetween1999-2003.Over
thesameperiod115,000morehighlypaidcomputersoftwareengineeringjobswere
createdintheUS.
• TheEuropeanCommissionpredictstheUKwillneedanadditional500,000IT
professionalsby2015.
• TheCBIannualskillssurveyshowsthepercentageofUKemployersdissatisfiedwith
basicITskillsintheirworkforcehasincreasedyearonyearforthelastthreeyears,in2008-55%dissatisfied,in2010-66%dissatisfied.
T ECHNOLOGYANDI NEQUALITY
Technologyhasbeenakeybattlegroundforargumentsaboutinequality.
Globalisation,exposureofourunskilledworkerstocompetitionfromcountrieswithoutminimumwagerestrictionsorproperregulationofworkingconditionshasmeantfewerjobs
fortheunskilled.Simultaneously,therapidpaceoftechnologicalchangeandourincreasing
relianceonthesebreakthroughshasmeantthedevelopmentofamuchgreaterskillspremium:
scientistsandengineershaveseentheirincomesincreaserapidly.7
ArecentOECDreportputsitlikethis:
“Globalisation...wenthand-in-handwiththerapidadoptionofnewtechnologieswhich
maypenalisethoseworkerswhodonothavethenecessaryskills.Technologicalprogressis
thereforeoftenseenasinherently“skill-biased”.” 8
Intermsofcomputing,forthosewhoaresubjectedtothecurrent,absurdcurriculumsandgrow
upinlowincomehouseholds,developingthesehighpremiumskillsisincrediblydifficult:
withoutaccesstouptodatetechnologyitishardtoseehowtheycouldeventeachthemselves.
7http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jul/16/technology-inequality-policy-change8www.oecd.org/els/socialpoliciesanddata/47723414.pdf p.10
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SOLUTIONS
• ICTeducationisun-engagingandunfitforpurpose
• Thegenerationinschoolsnowoughttobethemosthighly-skilled,technology-
drivencohortever,yetitisheldbackbythecurrent,dullcourse.
• ThishasramificationsforGCSEanduniversityuptakeofComputing,whichin
turnswillmeanmassiveunder-provisionoftheseskills.
T HEMAJORBOTTLENECKTOLONG-TERMCHANGE
UptakeofComputingcoursesintheUKisonthedecline:between2003and2011,UCAS
applicationsfellalmost12%:thepercentageofstudentslookingtostudythesubjecthasfallen
from5%to3%ofallapplicants.9
AndwhilstorganisationssuchastheRoyalSociety,individualssuchasEricSchmidtandDavid
Cameron,haveremarkedupontheinadequacyofthestatusquoineducation,itisoftenyoung
peoplewhoareabletoputthepointmostsuccinctly:
“WeneedtoensurethattheITwhichweareteachingisusefulforus.InthecourseIdid
from2008-2009,Iwasgiven2Asand2A*sfordoingsilly,simpleandratherpatronising
tasks,likeopeningandformattingworddocs,etc.”
And
[wecanencouragemorekidstostartcodingby]“Scrappingthesecretary-trainingICT
curriculum,replacingitwithonewhichteachesmoreabouthowtechnologiesworkand
howtomanipulatethem.” (YoungRewiredStateattendees,2012)
Thereisasenseoffranticurgencyandfatalismintheseremarks:itisalreadytoolateformany
studentswhoseliveswillrelyandrevolvearoundthesetechnologies.
Thisskillsdeficitholdsuptheentiresystem.Withoutskilledworkersandyoungpeople
enthusedbythetechnologyneededtopushtheeconomyforward,businesseswillnotdevelop
theirtechnologieshere,willnotinvesthere,smallbusinesseswillbeleftbehindbybetter
equippedinternationalcompetitorsandyoungpeoplewilllackthetoolsneededtoinnovatefor
themselves.Thus,theUnitedKingdom’slong-termprospectsforgrowtharesignificantly
damaged.Computingsolutionsandideasareincreasinglyoutsourced,bypassingthesmallbut
incrediblyhighcalibrecommunityofnativeprogrammersanddevelopershere.
Moreover,thisdeficitcannotbe“solvedbyanyoneorganisationorthoughtleader–itrequiresan
expertandcommittedcommunity,self-drivenandfocusedonspecialistareas...Thisisverymucha
communitything10”.Whilstdisagreementonwhatexactlyistobedoneisrife,itappearsthat
thereisaconsensusthatsingular,isolatedgovernmentinterventionismorelikelytodamage
anddisrupttheproteantechnologyinfrastructuredevelopingintheUKthantohelpsolvethe
challengesthatitfaces.
9http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-1591667710
EmmaMulqueeny-http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/codingforkids-evening-barcamp/
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F IXINGE DUCATION
• Injectfundsintosourcesofinnovation:placesofeducation,schemesproviding
skillsextra-curricularly
• Public-Privatepartnershipsidentifyingtheexactsyllabusthatisneeded:raising
moneyandinvestingtogether• ICTaspartofcompulsoryprimaryschoolsyllabus
Itisclearthatthesolutionmustbemultilayered.Atthemacroeconomiclevel,Nestapointsto
lacklustrefinancialarchitecture;thedifficultyofhiringtalented,specialiststaffbothintheUK
andfromoverseas(duetocomplexandintractableVisalaws),thegovernment’slackof
commitmenttofundinginnovationthroughpublicfundsanditspropensitytoinvestin
infrastructureforshort-termpoliticalbenefitsratherthanlong-term,sustainableeconomic
growth.
Atthelevelofcomputing,theNextGen,RoyalSocietyandBCSreportsmadeitclearthat
computingmustbecomepartofthenationalcurriculum.ThisisunderwayfollowingTheOfsted
reportonICT,2011,thescrappingofICTasacompulsorysubjectfrom2014andthe
recognitionbyMichaelGovethat:
“ComputerScienceisarigorous,fascinatingandintellectuallychallengingsubject...andis
mergingwithotherscientificfieldsintonewhybridresearchsubjectslikecomputational
biology...WewillcertainlyconsiderincludingComputerScienceasanoptioninthe
EnglishBaccalaureate11 .”
AfurtherdevelopmentintheformofBehindtheScreen,apartnershipbetweengovernmentand
industry,isanefforttoaugmentthispushwiththeobjectiveofcreating
“anewcurriculumanddeliverymethodologywhichwillputtheUKaheadofits
internationalrivalsintheeducationofyoungpeopleforsuccessinthee-enabledfuture
economy 12.”
11
MichaelGove’sspeechatBETTJanuary2012
12http://www.behindthescreen.org.uk/about-bts/
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F IXINGEDUCATIONISNOTSUFFICIENT
Whileyouhaveyourdaytomorrow,andeverydayfromthenon,rememberthatweare
livingthroughthegreatestrevolutioneverseeninthepotentialforhumanachievement
andhumanconnection.Wecanruinitatbirth,orwecannurtureit.Andoneday,indecadestocome,we’llbeaskedabouttheseyears,andwhatwedidatthebirthofthe
internetera.13
-BenHammersley
“seniorschoolsarenotthemostmalleableoforganisationstoeffectimmediateand
affectivechange,regardlessofgoodintentandrecognitionofaproblem.14”
-EM
Tryingtosolvethisproblemwithatop-down,managerial(half-hearted)crytothrowopen
thedigitaldoorsinYear8andforcechangeineducationandinterestisgoingtobealong
andbloodyprocess.Ifthisisthewaywechoosetogo,thenacceptthatitwilltaketime,
money(lotsofmoney)andthatitwillaffectthewholeoftheeducationsystem,notjustICT
reform.15
-EM
Iseeyouandyourconsultancyrevenuebasedorganisations,andIraiseyouanetworkof
100sofkidsthroughYRSwhowillnotbefooled 16
-EM
• Thecurrentstrategyisalong-term,top-levelapproach.
• Failuretoeffectimmediateactionwillloseanentiregenerationofprogrammers,
designersandtechnology-literatescientistsandbusinesspeople
13http://www.benhammersley.com/2011/09/my-speech-to-the-iaac/
14http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/open-education-and-freedom-to-teach-computing/ 15ibid16http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/paragraph-seven/
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ThecompletionoftherevolutioninComputingeducationisclearlyalongwayoff.Thereare
multiplemajorobstaclestoanadequatecurriculumbeingestablishednationwide.
1. Examinations.Theconstructionofexaminationsthatcancopewithcreativityanda
supportingsetofpeoplecapableofmarkingtheresultsarerequired.
2. Teachers.Ideally,ITandcomputingwouldbetaughtbyComputerSciencegraduates;
teacherswithasufficientlyspecificanddeepexpertiseincomputingtoallowthemto
keepabreastofadvancementsinarapidlychangingfield.
a. Ifimmediateactionwastaken,thecurrentgenerationofCSgraduatesmightbe
incentivisedtoteach,andexpertsinthefieldbroughtintoschools.
b. However,withthediminutivenumberofCSgraduatescurrentlyinstock,this
wouldbeatbestasmallinflux.
c. Afullcycleofgraduateswouldberequired,withteachertrainingincluded:we
cannotexpecttohavesufficientteachersforanewcourseatanythinghigher
thantheEnglishBaccalaureatewithin5years.
3. Coursetextsandcourseresources.Aneffectivesyllabuswillbeinherentlylaconic,
requiringfrequentupdatingforanythinglessspecificthangeneralprinciples.
4. Stigma,prejudiceandinequality.Thisisperhapsthelongest-termissuethatComputing
faces.
a. Abrilliantcomputingcoursewhichisoptionalwillattractonlythosealready
convertedtothecharmsofthesubject.Whilsttraditionalsubjectssuchas
English,MathsandSciencesarewidelyendorsedbycorporations,universities,
themediaandparents,Computingfacesunder-exposureandalackofrole-
modelsandchampions.
b. Computingiswidelyandincreasinglyperceivedasa“male”subject.Thisis
unacceptableifprogrammingistoplayamajorroleinthefutureoftheUK
economy.
Whatismore,manyoftheseproblemsare“chickenandegg”typeproblems:theycannotbe
solvedwithasinglereform,butareheldbackbycollectiveactiondilemmasandother
circularities.Forinstance:
1. Stigmawillnotstarttodissolveuntilthereisamorewidespreadawarenessofwhatit
entails.
2. Yetsocietywillonlycometothisunderstandingpiecemealwithoutitsmembersbeing
educatedaboutitandexposedtothetruthsofthediscipline.
3. However,thiskindofeducationrequires,atleastinpart,thatthestigmasurrounding
Computingisdissolved,sothatitsbasicprinciplescanbeinstitutedaspartofcompulsoryeducationandcanbeconsideredwithanopenmind.
4. Butthestigmawillnotstarttodissolveuntil...
Similarlywithteachers:
1. Inordertoinspireanewgenerationofdevelopersandcreators,weneedmorepeople
whoarebetterqualifiedinITtoteachandpropoundthestrengthsofthesubject.
2. Inordertogetmorespecialistteachers,weneedmorepeopletofirststudyComputer
Science,andanaccompanyingsetofincentivestotraintobecomeaspecialistITteacher.
3. InordertoinspiremorepeopletostudyComputerScience,weneedspecialistteachers
inschoolstoinspirestudents...
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Teachinschool&
younger
ClubsandTaster
SessionsBe7erResources
Teachgamedesign
Don'teventry;
they'llcometoitthemselves
It'sArt,notMathsBe7erHeroes
MoreKidsCoding
Allofthisisnottosaythattheseproblemsarebeyondsolution,butrather,thatsome
intermediatesolutionisrequiredinordertoeffectsignificantchange.
Thispaperpositsthatonepossible,immediatesolution:themodeldemonstratedbyYoung
RewiredState,istoemploygrass-rootsviralitythatcanspreadfromtheexistingkernelof
peoplewhoarepassionateabouttheirskillandcounteractthedeclineininterestin
programmingthatoccursbecauseoftheexistinglackofsupportinschools.
Weputforwardthatthismodeloughttoenjoywidersupport:shouldbemoreextensively
adoptedandreplicated.
17
17YRS2012internalsurvey
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YOUNGREWIREDSTATE(YRS)
“IthinkthemostinspiringthingthatI’veseenishowgivingkids,oranyoneforthat
matter,thespace,theopportunitytocreatethings:whatthatgenerates,justgetting peopleinthesameroomandgivingthemtheresourcestheyneed.”
-AralBalkin–YoungRewiredStateJudge.
• Thereisanurgentandimmediatelackofresourcesandsupportforyoung
programmers.Theywillstopprogrammingwithoutsupport.
• Schoolscanexpandknowledgeandawareness,butyoustillneedpeopletohave
theresourcesandmotivationtousethatknowledge.
• YRScreatesanenvironmentandfindsthedeveloperstoputinit:thedevelopers
dotherest.
• YRSparticularlyhelpsthosefromleastadvantagedbackgrounds,providingthe
highestcaliberofmentoringandsoftware:itistheseyoungpeoplewhowould
otherwisemostloseoutduetoskillspremiumsfortechnology.
YoungRewiredStateisaneasilyreplicatedandleanintermediateanswertothelackofsupport
thatyoungprogrammersintheUKexperience.Theprojectaimsatthosewhohavetaught
themselvestocode,drivenbypurecuriosityandthedesiretocreate.Itiscompletely
unthinkablethatthesepeople,theoneswhohavehadthewherewithalandingenuitytoteach
themselvesentireesotericlanguagesintheirowntime,areeitherignoredorabusedbythe
mechanicsoftheeconomy.
Thesearethemostcreativeandentrepreneurialthinkersofthecurrentera:pioneerswhoare
capableofbreakingthefront-linesystemsofthetechnologicalageandbuildingsomethingnew.
Theseindividualsaremarooned;maltreatedbytheirpeersandtheirdistinctivetalents
unrecognisedbyteachers.
Forthelastfouryears,YRShasbegunthepainstakingtaskofseekingthemout,uncoveringevery
self-taughtcoder fromtheirvarioushidingplacesandprovidingthemwithasupportnetwork,a
viableroutetodeveloptheirabilitiesandfashionthemintoCV-readyentities,toactuallymeet
andlearnfromlike-mindedindividualsandtostarttheirownbusinessesandcareersin
computing.
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W HATISY OUNGREWIREDS TATE ?
• Under18yearoldswhohavetaughtthemselveshowtoprogram
• Broughttogetherforaweektocreatethingswithextensivelocal,nationaland
globalguidance.
• Weldedintoadynamiccommunitythatspanstheareathattheylivein,thecountryandtheworld.
Itworkslikethis.Severalhundredyoungpeoplescatteredacrossthecountryarechallengedto
builddigitalproductsformobileandweb,usingatleastonepieceofopendata.Forexample,
previoushackdayshavefocusedonusingatleastonepieceofopendata:suchasUKpupildata
temporarilyreleasedbytheUKgovernmentforthepurposeoftheevent.
Theygoto“centers”,spaceswithWiFiandthenecessaryequipment,alongwithYRSmentors
andalumni,equallydisparatelylitteredacrossthecountry,identifytheproblemstheywill
attempttosolveandstartbuilding.
Thesecenterseachhostateamforaweekandhelpstimulatetheideationandcreation
processes,sharingtheirexpertiseandguidance.
OntheclimacticFridayoftheweek,everyoneheadstowardsasinglelocationintheUK.Thisis
the“FestivalofCode”:presentationsinfrontofapanelofesteemedjudgesandtheawardingof
prizes.
Thefestivalinvolvesfood,drinkandspeechesfromgenuinethought-leadersbeforesomeofthe
YRSersgotosleepandothersspendthenightfinishingtheirprojects.
Prizesareawardedaftertworoundsofpresentationsandhaveincludedsuchmischievous
categoriessuchas“mostlikelytoannoyagovernmentofficial”aswellas“codeabettercountry”
and“bestinshow”.
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W HYISYRS AGOODSOLUTION ?
(diagramdemonstratingYRSasanintermediatefacilitatorofpeer-to-peerlearning(P2P))
YRSfacilitatesfivekeychannelsofinteraction.
• Communities.Itrapidlyandsustainablysynthesisesvirtualandphysicalcommunitiesof youngprogrammersbothwheretheyliveandacrossthecountry.
• Sustainableandscalable.Ittherebyrevealsyoungpeopletotheirlocalprofessional
programmingcommunity,creatingorganic,sustainableandultimatelyscalable
foundationsforBritishprogramming.
• Rolemodels.Throughjudgesandmentors,keynotespeechesandcenters,alayerofrole
modelsisgraduallycreated.
• Global.Itallowsyoungpeopletotapintoa global poolofexpertisethroughthe
#YRSHelpTwitterhashtag,creatinganinternationallycompetitivelevelofqualityand
showingthosewatchingexactlywhatunder18sintheUKarecapableof.
• Data.Lastly,itshowsthoseinpossessionofdatathepotentialoftheirdataandbeginstheprocessoftransformingitintosomethinggenuinelyusefulforsociety.
Thesefivechannelseachplayslightlydifferentroles,thoughthereissomecrossover.
1. Firstly,thenetworksofyoungpeopleallowpeer-to-peerlearninganddevelopment:theymake
learninghowtocodeandcreate,anexplosiveandcollaborativeprocess.Thishappensonbotha
“hyper-local”scale:throughthecenters,andatanationallevel:whentheyconvergeatthe
FestivalofCode.
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Thetypeofbondingthatoccursinboththelocalcentersandthenationalfinalecannotbe
replicatedthroughvirtualnetworks,cannotberecreatedintheclassroom.Itisa7dayprocess
ofintrepiddiscovery:fromisolationtotherealisationthattherearepeoplewhereyoulivewho
thinkinthesamewayandarepassionateaboutthesamesortsofthings.
Thisisoneoftheparticularlyoddthingsaboutcodingtoanoutsider:someformsofplagiarism
areseeninapositivelight 1
.Thisisperhapsoneofthereasonsthatopensourcesoftwarehascometobeseenasmorallynormal–mostsoftwareismadeupofatleastsomeelementsthat
havebeenexplicitlyandproudly‘borrowed’fromotherconstructions.Thisnecessaryfacetof
thenatureofprogrammingisperhapsacorereasonforYRS’ssuccessanditsintuitiveappealto
manywhoworkintheindustry.
Thisisauniqueandhighlyscalablewayofcreatinglastingandsolidifiedrelationships:
relationshipsthatarecrucialtothetypeofinnovationanddevelopmentthathascometomake
HackDaysareveredresearchanddevelopmentmethod,andthatarecrucialtokeepingthese
kidscoding.
2. Secondly,throughtheattendanceofalumni,mentorsandprofessionaldevelopersateachcentre
frustrationsarecoachedoutofthepictureandthetalentoftheYRSersisbestrealised.
Furthermore,thegroupsforgedunderthesepressurisedcircumstancesoftenstayincontact,
linkingyoungnetworkstomoredevelopedonesandcreatingasustainableandlocalchainof
supportthatwillsurvivebeyondtheevent.
Lessobviously,exposingmentorsandcompaniestotheenergyandunrelentingcreativity;the
sheerandcompellingambitionofYRS,remindsthemoftheun-realisedpotentialvestedin
nascentprogrammersandgivesthemareasontoinvolvethemselvesinrevitalisingand
reinvigoratingthisbase.
3. Thirdly,byassemblingtalentedpanelsofjudges,bycollectingenthusiasticprofessionalsand
bringingbackYRSalumniasmentorswhoareeloquentinsupportofprogramming,YRS
curatesananswertothemainstreammedia’slackofattentiontotheverypeoplewhoshouldbe
rolemodelstosubsequentgenerationsofprogrammers.Thisisacrucialpartofreversingthe
stigmathatcloudscomputing:ofcreatingacultureofinnovationandhigh-techenterprise.
4. Fourthly,theconvergenceofcreativemindsanddeterminationtomakethingsthatmanifestsat
theseeventsisfurtherstokedandstimulatedbytheinputofthehundredsofexpertsworldwide
whofollowthe#YRSHelphashtagonTwitterandinjectpartsofsolutionsintotheprocess;bothdevelopersattransnationalcompaniesandgeniusindividualssilentlycodingforthemselves.
5. Lastly,theinexorableriseofopendatarequiresasimilarlysubstantialgrowthofthecommunity
availableneededtousethatdatatoitsfullpotential.
Rawdataonitsownisvirtuallyuselesstothevastmajorityofpeople;itrequirescreativeminds
andproblem-solverstomineinandcarveusefulsolutionsoutofthisinformation.Opendatais
arguablythethingthattriggeredthecreationofYRS–abundantdatabutscarceyoung
developers.OpenDataisnowthethingthatinspiresandfeedsthecreationsoftheunder18
yearoldswhotakepartinthisevent.
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ExamplesofAppscreatedthroughYRS
SeebelowexamplesofappsthathavebeencreatedthroughYRS:
Humap,a“humandirectionmapapp”.Anintuitivedirectionsapplicationthatgivesyou
directionsbasedonspecificlandmarksratherthanstreetnames.
WhyWasteaVote,asiteaimedatteenagersandnewvoters,educatingthemaboutthepolitical
systemandtheuseofvoting.
WaytoGo.Thewebappusescrowd-sourceddatafromwheelchairuserstofigureoutthebest
placesthatarereadilyaccessible.
SmartMove.ThewebsiteletsyousearchforareasofLondonyoumaymoveto,accordingto
specificcriteria.Dependingonwhatcriteriaaremoreimportanttoyou,itwillreorganiseyour
resultstomatch.
Where’smyTrain.Usesdataabouttrainarrivals,topspeedanddelaystoestimatethepositionofatraintobeplottedonaGooglemap.
NorwichBlocks.Mapsbroadbandconnectivityinamoreaccessibleanddetailedwayusinga
threedimensional,interactivemapbasedonsoftwarebytheGamescompany,Mojang.
UniMatch—Helpsfindauniversitythatisrightfortheuser,usingdistance,fees,UCASpoints,
nightlifeetc.
Urbani—Apedestrianheatmap,showingthebusiestpedestrianareasinLondon.
myNHS—ConnectspatientstotheNHSonthebasisoffourcriteria:location,GPs,prescriptions
andbookings.
Lifestyle—Anappthatquicklyinformsyouaboutyourneighborhoodbypostcodeintermsof
Education,Crime&Lifestyle.
FoodforThought —AnappthatusesdatafromtheFoodStandardsAgencytoallowusersto
findoutthehygieneratingsoffoodoutlets.
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W HATARETHEINDIVIDUALBENEFITSOFC ODING?
Codingiscreation.Thisappealstodifferentpeoplefordifferentreasons:someseeitasamode
ofself-expression.Itisanartisticandchangeablemedium,clearlyanalogoustoarchitecture:solvingproblemsinthemostelegant,efficientandrobustmannerpossible.Andyetitoffersa
greaterdegreeof freedom thanarchitecturebecausethesolutionsthataresoughtcanbeto
problemsthatthecreatorsthemselvesdevise.
Othersenjoythechallengingflavourofthoughtthatcodingrequires,citingitsdeep
requirementsuponthecoder’slogical faculties.Wheremathematicsallowsalsoelicitsthese
thoughtprocesses,codingcombinesthemwiththesatisfactionandlastingproductsofunique,
personalisedsolution.
Moreover,perhapsironicallyforsomethingsostereotypically“artificial”,theallureofcoding
alsocomesinpartfromitsappealtointrinsichumancuriosity–manypeoplearedrawntocode
simplybecausetheyfeelcompelledtounderstandwhatprocessesandstructuresunderliethe
furnitureofmodernexistence.
Thereareother,lessunexpecteddriverstocode:thedriveforfriendship,forjobprospects,for
profit.Codingisawayofcreatingabusinessfromscratch.HackDaysandforumslinkeach
codertoalike-mindedcommunity.Thesecommunitiesarecompletelycrucialtothesurvivalof
codingintheUK;theyarefedbyselflesshoursofcontributionandco-operation,mentoringand
development.
Creangand
accomplishment
ProblemSolving
Freedom
Curiosity-
understanding
howthings
work
The
ChallengeLogicality
Art&self
expressionProfit Social
Whatdoyoulikemostabout
coding?
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THEMODELANDMECHANICSOFYRS
H OWDOYOUFINDK IDS ?
Withoutasignificantbudgettospendonpublicity,andwithoutareputationtobuildon,finding
peoplewhohavetaughtthemselvestocodeisachallengingplacetostart.
Inspiteofthis,2012hasseenapromisingincreaseinawarenessoftheissue,inpartthankstothesuccessofpreviousHackDaysandPRworkbyEmmaMulqueenyandherteam,butalsodue
tohigh-profilecommunicationsfromOFSTED,TheRoyalSociety,BCS,CaS,BehindtheScreen,
MichaelGove,DavidCameron,EricSchmidt,StephenFryandtheBritishpress–especiallythe
Guardian.
YRShasbeenabletogainmomentumthroughrecommendationsandtheburgeoningnumberof
centerswhoparticipate.Yet,thisissimplynothighprofileenoughandfailstogivetheissues
involvedduesincerity.Whatisrequiredisachangeinfocus,achangeindirection.
50100 100
423
800
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
(projected)
Parcipants
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W HATDOESITCOSTTORUNAYRS H ACKD AY ?
Inthefirstyear,themajorityofattendeescamefromhighlydisadvantagedbackgroundsand
throughoutthedevelopmentoftheevent,thishascontinuedtobeafactofYRS.Forthisreason,
alargepercentageofthecostsarehardshipfunds;helpinggetYRSerstotheevents.Thefirst
eventprovedtobethemostexpensiveperchild:themoneywenttowardspayingfortrain
tickets,foodandplacestostayovertheweekend.
Thecostoftheeventincreasedsignificantlybetween2011and2012duetotheincreasedlength
ofthefinale:fromonedaytoanentireweekendandtheadditionalfactthat400peoplewastoo
manytorelyonthedonatedspacesforthefinalweekend;itbecamenecessaryhireavenueand
equipmentfortheweekend.
Otherconsistent,essentialcostsincludefood(pizza–LOTSofpizza),prizesandtravel.
£23,000 £20,000£9,000
£120,000
£200,000
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
(projected)
Cost
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H OWISYRS FUNDED?
“Theideaisthatthisthingwillbebuiltandwillgrowandgrowandgrow,goodnessknows
whereitwilltakeusallbutIwouldstillliketobedoingthiswhenIam90”
-EM
• YRSisanot-for-profit,philanthropicproject
• Itislargelysupportedbythegenerousinvolvementofsponsors:thisvariesfrom
offeringtheirbuildingsfortheFestivalofCodetoprovidingtheirsoftwareanddatafree
fortheparticipantstouse.
• Sponsorsgainbrandadvocatesbysupplyingsoftwareandfamiliarizingkeyusers.In
thepast,sponsorshaveincluded:
SAP
Mozilla
• Independenceandfreedomiscrucial–theorganizationwillneverbeforprofitand
needstoflexibleenoughtosupplywhatisneededmostinthisareaofsocietyandthe
economy.Thereforeventurecapitalcanneverbeanoption.
• Theaimistofindasingle,mainpartnersponsor.
• FundsfromRewiredState–profitsfromthecompanyRewiredState,ofwhichYRSisthe
philanthropicarm,supporttheevent.
• Communityfunding–www.peoplefund.it –“Soasmuchaspeer-to-peerlearningiskey
rightnow,soitseemsispeer-to-peerfunding18”
• Grants(e.g.ShuttleworthFoundationFlashGrant)
18http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/get-in-funded-by-the-people/
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W HATHAPPENSTOTHEAPPS ?
• Itisnotaboutthedevelopmentofapps,it’saboutthedevelopmentofthe
participants
• MonetizingtheproductsofHackDayswouldbecomplicated,morallydubiousand
counter-productive.
ItiscrucialtonotethattheactualprototypesofYRSHackDaysarenotthemostimportant
outcome:themostimportantoutcomesarethelearningandcommunity-buildingtowhichapp-
buildingissimplyameans.
Asyoumightexpect,itisparticularlyproblematictomonetizesoftwarecreatedthroughthe
jointeffortsofagroupofunder18yearoldsofmixedabilities.Despitethis,someprojects
survivethroughthecontinuingindividualeffortsoftheparticipants;somearetakenforward
throughpartnershipswithgovernmentandothersocially-mindedorganizations.Allofthecode
enduresontheinternetasatestamenttothecreativeeffortsoftheircreators.
Evenifcommercialexitsexistedfortheprototypescreated,introducingaprofitmotivewould
betraythetagline“Codingabettercountry”.Themotivationforeachandeveryappisproblem-
basedratherthanprofit-based.YRSerslearnhow,facedwithaspecificproblem,itismost
productivetogoaboutbuildingasolution.
Thisbroadframeworkcanbemappedontocommerciallyviableproblemstoo,however,with
thegeneralaimofdevelopingthetalentsofprogrammers,thiswouldbeunnecessarily
restrictiveandmoreimportantly,amorallydubiousactivitytoinvolvechildrenasyoungas7in.
W HATHAPPENSTOTHEKIDS ?
DuringandafterHackdays,participantsareinformedoftherisksandbest-practicesofjoining
intoagreementsandcontractswithcompanieswhodecidetoapproachthemonthebasisofthe
event.
[INSERTALUMNIREPORTS]
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T HEFUTURE–HOWISYRS GROWING?
“Theideahasalwaysbeentofindandfostereverykidwhoisdriventoteachthemselves
howtocode,andthisdoesnotlimitustotheUK.”
-EM
• Alongerweekend–theFestivalofCode• MoreParticipants
• MoreCenters
• MoreUKCountries:Scotland,NorthernIreland,Wales
• Moreinternationalcountries:Estonia,Berlin,NewYork,Amsterdam,Kenya
• AGlobalcommunityofyoungprogrammersEverysubsequentyearhasseenthenumberofcentersinvolvedincrease.2013willseethefirst
caponcentersimposedat50,withthesizeoftheeventtendingtowardsthelimitofthe
organizationalcapacityoftheYRSteam.
Asthislimitisapproached,thecurrentfund-raisingprocessbecomesincreasinglystrained,
evenastheimportanceandsuccessoftheeventitselfincreases.
Thelengthofthefinalweekendwasincreasedbetween2011and2012toproperlyallowthe
differentcenterstocoalesce,togivethatcrucialcommunity-buildingthatoccurswheneveryone
comestogethertocompeteandpresenttheirideas,twoentiredaysinsteadoftwohours.
ThemissiontofindeveryBritishself-taughtcodermaybeaself-defeatingprophecy–asYRS
grows,inspiringyoungpeopletoevangelizeprogramming,sothereforedoesthenumberof
Britishcodersteachingthemselvestocode.
14
14
42
50
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
(projected)
Centres
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Butthismodelcanandshouldbereplicatedabroad.ForYRS,globalbarriersmakenosense.
RapidadvancesincollaborativesoftwareandplatformsmeanthatYRSwilleventuallybeableto
effectivelytranscendnationalbarriersandphysicallocations,leadingtotheemergenceofa
globallyconnectedcommunityofyoungprogrammers,mentoredbyworldwidecommunityof
expertsinallfields.Thisisagoalthatgovernmentsworldwideshouldstrivetowards,asit
markstheonlysustainablewayofproperlyutilizingthedatathattheygenerate,themost
forward-thinkingwayofensuringthatprogrammersandcomputingingeneraladvancewithoutrestriction.
AglobalYRSwouldmeanaglobalfocusontheproblemsthatareconsideredwithinternational
datatobacktheprocessup.Youngpeopleworkingacrossborderstosolveworldwideproblems
isanadmirableandrealisticgoal.
YRS INS COTLAND ,N ORTHERNI RELANDANDW ALES
Itisallaboutawareness.Thereareyoungpeoplesilentlyteachingthemselvestocodeinthese
countries,theyjustdonotknowweexist.ThecountriesoftheUKareanintuitivefirststep.The
firstoftheseis:
Aberdeen,Scotland–December2012
HeldatTheUniversityofAberdeen,overtheweekendofDecember1&22012:50
youngScottishcoders,aged18orunder,toattendandbuilddigitaltools:apps,widgets,games
andwebsites-usingopengovernmentdatafromScotland.Theweekendwillbeatraditional
RewiredStatehackweekend,withcodingcontinuingacrosstwodaysandpresentationsof
prototypesonSundayafternoontoapanelofjudges.
YRS E VERYWHERE
2013witnessesthebirthof“YRSEverywhere”,theworldwideexpansionofYRS,startingoff
withAmtersdam2013inAprilorMay,andlookingtorunHackweekendsontheUKmodel,
usinglocalopengovernmentdata)inthefollowingplaces:
• Estonia
• Berlin
• NewYork
• Kenya
ThiswillbethegenuinebeginningofYRSasaglobalcommunity.
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WHATELSENEEDSTOBEDONE?ACHANGEOFFOCUS.ACHANGE
OFDIRECTION.
“Codeisattheheartofeverythingwedointhedigitalworldinwhichweexist.It’snotjust
aboutvideogamesandvisualeffects,it’salsoaboutdesigningthenextjetpropulsion
engine,orfightingcybercrime,orrunningfinancialservices.
Codingisessentialtoeverything,andwithtraditionalmanufacturingindeclineand
financialservicesindisarray,ifthegovernmentwantstheeconomytosucceed,youhaveto
empowerourcreativenationwiththeskillsnecessarytoservedigitalcontenttoglobal
audiencesviahigh-speedbroadband,andcodeisabsolutelyessentialtothat 19.”
-Author,entrepreneurandgovernment-appointedskillschampion,IanLivingstone
• Stemtheoutwardflowoftalentandoutsourcing:useanddevelopBritish
programmingtalent:buildupexecutiontosupplementideation.
• Problemsthatcannotbesolvedwithoutmakingprofitarestillproblems.
Oneofthebiggestproblemsfordevelopingacompetentandvibrantpopulationof
programmersanddevelopersintheUKisthefalseandanachronisticdichotomybetween
“ideas”and“execution”thatseemstobeattheforefrontofbothbusinessandgovernment
mentalityintheUK.Thediscordantrealityisthatvirtuallyallnewbusinessesareunequivocallydependentondeveloperstoprogressfromtheideastage.Developerstellthemwhatispossible
andimpossible,whatareefficientandinefficientsolutions:theveryboundariesanddetailsof
thefuzzyblueprintthatentrepreneurslayupontheirtables.Developersthenactuallybuild
thesesolutions.Andyetgovernmentencouragesandinvestsinentrepreneurstothedetriment
ofthisessentialelement:aclassofbusinesspeoplewhoareutterlyimpotentwithoutgood
developers,completelyincapableofotherwisemovingforwards.
WhatYRSshows,throughthehundredsofuniqueprototypesitcreateseveryyearisthat
developersthemselves,givenspaceandequipmentcansquashthatdichotomy:theyare
problem-oriented,design-thinkers,capableoftakingembryonicideationtorapid,lean
executioninweeks,ratherthanmonths.Properinvestmentinthistalentsectorwouldvery
clearlybeamorefertiledestinationforinvestmentintermsofUKinnovativeproductionand
growth:YRSissolidandunquestionableevidenceofthis.
19http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/interview/2199109/sowing-the-seeds-of-digital-success-an-
interview-with-skills-champion-ian-livingstone#ixzz265CcGjGR
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ACHANGEINGOVERNMENTATTITUDE
HackeventsintheUKhavealwaysplayedavitalroleinhelpinggovernmentbeopenand
transparentaboutwhatitisdoing,anditisessentialthatthisextendstowhatParliamentisdoingtoo. 20
-EM
1. Thepublicgoodratherthanprofit.OrganisationssuchasYRSproducecontentandshapeindividualstofocusonthepublicgoodratherthanonthecreationofprofit.This
tooistheremitofgovernment:tofocusonthepublicgoodratherthanthecreationof
profit.
YouputmoneyanddataintoYRS,andoutofit,yougetindividualswhohavebeen
stimulatedandorientedtoconcentrateonhowtomakeotherpeople’slivesbetter,
regardlessofwhethertheirsolutionsarecommerciallyviable.
2. SocialMobility.ManyoftheindividualsthatYRSsupportsarefromdisadvantaged
backgrounds.Moreover,“coding”is,inexplicably,highlystigmatisedandsoyoung
programmersoftensufferfrompeer-abuseandridicule.Thisisnotthekindofculturein
whichthemostcreativemindsofthisgenerationoughttoexperiencetheirchildhood.
Totransitionfrombeinganisolatedprogrammingteenagerinyourbedroomtoanemployableandself-confidentadultisatumultuousjourney.Inthecaseofthechildren
involvedinYRS,moreisatstakethanfortheaverageindividual,forboththeindividual
themselves(withoutadequateeducationaloptions,withpeer-pressurerife,manyare
likelytosimplygiveuponthisvaluabletalent),andthecountry(ifweadmitthatICTis
withoutuse,whowillbeinspiredtoteachthenewComputingEbaccifnotthecurrent
generationgoingthroughYRS?)
3. Openness,accountability,involvement.Inrecentyears,wehaveseenthegovernment
openupsectionsofitsdatatofeedhackdays:thisisbrilliantanditiscrucialthatthis
becomesatrendthatextendsthroughoutgovernmentdepartments,ratherthanaone-
offexperiment.Thepropermanipulationofthedataheldbygovernmentisabrilliant
waytoimproveaccountability,toidentifyinefficiency,toextenddemocracythrough
technology:thatyoungpeoplecandirectlyinfluencegovernmentthroughthecreative
useoftheirskillsisapanaceatoapathy:asurewaytoincreaseparticipation.
20http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/parly-hack-2012/
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ACHANGEINBUSINESSATTITUDE
Developersareatalenttobenurturedinouropendataandopensocietyworld. 21
-EM
• Wecanmakeithere.Whyoutsource?
• Codingentrepreneurs:theleanalternativetopureideation
• Weliveinanopensociety:closedbusinesseswillsuffocate
1. Outsourceless:developlocaltalent.
Thisispartofthe“chicken-egg”dilemma.Withoutmoredevelopers,companieswill
continuetolookabroad.Unlessmorecompaniesuselocaldevelopers(andpaythem
properly)jobprospectswillfalterandlesspeoplewillaspiretocareersasdevelopers.
YetYRSallowsBritishcompaniestobreakthatcyclebyconcentratingtheireffortson
thosewhohavetaughtthemselvestocodeintheUK,deepeningthisnationalresource
forfutureprosperity.
2. Thedeveloperiscentral,notsecondary.Trulyleanstartups-buildingwithoutfunding–thetraditionalmodelisdead.
YRSShowsthatdevelopersaremorethanjustworkhorses;ameanstosomeoneelse’s
dream.Itshowsthatgivenfreedomandresourcesthattheyarecapableofbuildingthe
mostincredibleandsophisticatedproductsinamatterofdays.Thisshouldmarkthe
beginningoftheendforthetraditional:idea–funding–development:cyclethatisthe
foundationofthecurrentbusinesshegemony.
Firstly,itshouldpushwannabeentrepreneurstoteachthemselveshowtocodesothat
theycangenuinelyunderstandhowtheirownproductswork,theframeworksupon
whichtheirbusinessesrely.Thiswillopentheireyestothedepthofexpertisethatthey
tapwhentheyhiredevelopers,willleadthemtorespecttheirdevelopersandpaythem
appropriately.Itwillalsomeanthattheyareabletoappreciatethelimitsand
possibilitiesoftheirbusinessforthemselves.Lastly,itwilleventhecommunication
gradientbetweenentrepreneursanddevelopersandallowfasterinnovation,less
misunderstandings.
Secondly,itshouldleadtomoreentrepreneursteachingthemselvestocodeand
buildingtheirownproducts.Theentrepreneurissupposedlytheall-rounderandyet
thisisarealmwhichmosthavenotconquered.Theprogrammer-entrepreneurala
Zuckerbergistherightfulrole-modelfortheUKtechindustry.Learningtocodeisnotan
impossiblechallenge.
21http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/whats-the-point-of-a-hack-day/
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2 2 3 3 3 4
1316
20 21
26
50
Wherewouldyouliketowork?
3. Opensoftware,Opendata,Openbusiness
Closed-doorssoftwaredevelopmentisthemethodofapastera.Mostpeoplewantto
workforcompanieswhohaveallowedanyonetofamiliarizeandmodifytheirsoftware,
advocatesofopen:22
MojangandGooglerightfullyclaimplacesinthetopthreeascompanieswhoallowanyoneaccesstothebonesoftheirsoftware.Ifdevelopersareintroducedtoyour
softwarefromanearlyageandfindityieldstotheirtouch,theywillmorereadily
becomeadvocatesofyourbrand,willmorereadilyconsideremploymentatyourfirm.
Giveyoursoftwaretothesepromisingminds,letthemtestitandinexchangeitwillbe
hometothem.
Butitgoesdeeperthanthis.Thefactthatweliveinatimewhendataistooabundantto
beproperlyutilizedshouldpointtoOpenDataastheprogressiveandmostprofitable
routeforsociety.Ifyouopenyourdatatoprogrammersyouwilllearninfinitelymore
aboutthatinformationthanifyourestrictaccesstothefewdevelopersyoucanaffordto
permanentlystaff.
22YRS2012survey–N.B.Someindividualsgavemultipleanswerstothisquestion.
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PostScript 23
IknowIaminitforlifeandIamgoingtodedicatemyselftomakingitgreatandworldwide.
Youngdeveloperswilltakethenetworkandmakefriendsforlife,buildbusinesses,createthenext
bazilliondollarthing.
Mentorswillbecomeworldwidementorshelpingyoungpeoplefromallbackgrounds,maybeeven
workingwiththemtocreatesomethingworld-changing.
Centerswillfindtheirownlocalcodingyouthandwillholdtheabilitytoshapethatrelationship
andhonethoseskillsforthegreatergood,orfortheirown.
TheRewiredStateteamworktogethertoboldlygowherever,totrystuff,testandbebrave,witha
smallcushion(averysmallcushion)offinancialstability.Itiswhatweallmakeofit.
-EM
23http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/young-rewired-state-year-5-everywhere-and-
hyperlocal/