Web Hosting Talk : Other Forums : HostingCon : Kid Section at HostingCon

[jerett]

I mentioned it in another post I made regarding the growing concern of kids running companies that are illegal in some since. It sparked an idea that I think would be amazing for HostingCon to head up.

I am suggesting in the future to open an area of HostingCon to the kids. Have it a yearly event and offer invites to the city to those interested in learning how networking works, etc. You could even provide some hands on training and awesome lectures from guest speakers. I am sure many would devote some time to see this happen.

Kids are the future and many are hungry about the technology age and are already looking to work in this industry. Why not provide some great training to all levels (beginners to advance) from the industry itself.

You never know - one day it could become an after school center where kids can come to continue to learn. Big dreams - but why not right? They deserve an out lit.

Just a thought.

[The Prohacker]

I like the idea of opening the conference up to younger people (younger than the current attendees ) but I think it would be better to invite some of the local technology classes to attend the exhibit hall, and maybe have a special lecture about the hosting industry. You could feature talks on careers, the future, etc. I think the number one issue most people have at HostingCon is explaining to everyone else just what they do

[jerett]

I agree. Anything is better than nothing.

[Tina J]

There are two aspects of running a hosting business. There's "hosting", which kids seem to have a decent (although not great) grasp of. The other aspect is "business", which the kids seem to fail miserably at. I think it would be a really good idea to get it pounded into these kids heads that the business part of running a hosting company is so much more important than knowing how to follow a Linux for Dummies manual.

--Tina

[jerett]

my suggestion here isn't so much as to teach them how to be a web host but more so constructive lectures and tools that could help them learn more about networking and how the hosting industry utilizes the technology that is available today to make the industry run.

It would be educational to those interested in learning.

It is like when I wanted to learn how to improve my golf game back when I was 10 y/o I was able to go to clinics to learn some very important skills as well as learn more about the game.

I have also been to design type clinics that weren't about trying to teach you how to run your own ad agency - but were geared towards providing kids with a vision on how the design industry ran and what jobs were available and a few tricks of the trade.

All I am suggesting is (we as an industry) with all of our knowledge and tricks of the trade come together to meet once a year at hostingcon could really use this collective knowledge to something for the kids that are interested.

[Jamie Harrop]

Excellent idea Jerett, and great follow ups from Mat and Tina.

I'm loving this idea Jerett. We all bark on about how kids are screwing the hosting industry, but there are those little gems among those who are screwing the industry that know what they are doing (I believe I was one of those back in the day, when I was hosting sites at 16, and apparently, doing a fine job of it).

I'm imagining a teenage guest speaker, who is already working in the industry and who is managing their own business. Heck, I would volunteer myself to speak if I had the chance. I've considered going in to local schools and talking about self employment after education to 16 year olds in the past. My lack of time meant it didn't go anywhere, but this would be right up my street.

[TRIBOLIS]

This is quite big step for kid section at HostingCon and good idea to train them incl more info about business.

If kids are not in Las Vegas or need to travel there, looks like they need parents or supervisor to come along if they are 11-13, don't they? You know what parents are like.. Protecting children and keep them safe. I just can't see myself how can 11yrs old kid can travel alone...

Jen

[IRCCo Jeff]

HostingCon is a conference for adult professionals, not an after school program for kids to learn how to start hosts with their allowance money.

No, i'm not trash talking. I started BLCC as a proprietorship when I was 16.

HostingCon currently allows those age 16 or order to attend. If they reduced that any more I would not attend.

[Jamie Harrop]

I think we're talking more about inviting one class of teenagers to listen to a guest speaker or two and chat with them, Jeff, rather than allowing kids full run of the conference hall.

I would agree with you if we were talking about lowering the age for full attendees of the conference, but I don't think we are.

[Sinai-Hosting]

if you want to do somthing like that you could use "workshops" with more experienced people showing the younger generation how that and this is done and what to expect etc. But to me sounds good but i couldnt imagine seeing alot at it.

[Apoc]

Just wondering, when you say kids, what age range are you referring to? 12-18?

[Jamie Harrop]

Personally, I'm thinking no younger than 15. I'm not sure what the age ranges are in US schools, but here in the UK, 15/16 is the time when schools start to talk a lot about a career after school.

[Funkadelic]

16 should be the limit. Any younger then that I think they would be too immature to really continue to be interested in it or even understand the full physics of it. Most kids go into it looking for a quick way to get money, they eventually find out that it's a lot more then what they bargained for and thousands of kiddie hosts go poof each year.

The hosting industry isn't something that you need advertised

[James-Fagan]

Sounds great! Hmm... with the age it can depend on the country. Because of schooling, kids can mature earlier than others. But i'd say 13+ maybe? There's simular sessions going on at a Tafe but it isn't aimed straight onto "hosting" but onto there more technical sides like networking etc.

[macdonaldp]

Originally Posted by Funkadelic

16 should be the limit. Any younger then that I think they would be too immature to really continue to be interested in it or even understand the full physics of it. Most kids go into it looking for a quick way to get money, they eventually find out that it's a lot more then what they bargained for and thousands of kiddie hosts go poof each year.

The hosting industry isn't something that you need advertised

Yes that's right. 16 is the current limit at hostingcon, as you can see from their website. And I do believe 16 should be the limit. Anything younger wouldn't be right.