David Brin misses the days of kids learning to program with [BASIC].

• I don't agree that languages like PyThon create some horrible wall of abstraction. And I think PyThon is much better structured. And you don't even need to worry about Object Oriented stuff. (I agree that languages like [Visual Basic] that depend a lot on wizard-generated code are a bigger problem. Or various Domain Specific Language variants for artsy stuff, like Process Ing or AlIce.) (Various commenters point out that Java Script may be a good learning language that's de-facto available with every browser.)

• I'm also not very sympathetic to the [Paradox Of Choice] argument, with the lack of "standard" for a teaching language. I even bet that a lot of [BASIC] calculation code could be turned into PyThon really easily by a kid.

• I do think that a stumbling block is that the GUI output models have gotten so much more complicated. That's not about [BASIC] vs other languages, it's about [MacOS]/Ms Windows vs DOS/[AppleII] crap. So what we need is something like Wx Windows only for [Wx Dos Console]. (Personally, when I learned [BASIC] it was on a paper-based terminal, so I never got to learn video output stuff.)

In his Comments area, David reinforces that his key points are (a) you need a standard (and simple) language so that everyone can push it, and (b) Ms Windows needs to include a compiler for it. Actually, he says he supports the Bundle Many Runtimes model in one place. But he still really wants a standard (de-facto imposed by Micro Soft as the 800-lb gorilla) so that math books can count on it.

I Commented that the OLPC (which he mentions in passing) will have PyThon in it.

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