Today I went to this article from the Drudge report website. At first I read it with some amusement then a bit of trepidation and finally anger.

http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost...05260000b.html

In a nutshell you have an 11 year old boy who sneaks back into his classroom and changes 5 grades on his teachers computer and saves it. The school is talking about suspending him for 10 days and possibly expelling him while the prosecutor is prosecuting him for a 2nd degree Felony and is talking about years in juvenile hall.

What is this country coming to? Are we so hackerphobic that any "crime" that involves a computer is prosecuted more severely. This kid didn't even "Hack" into the system, it was open to him and he merely typed in different numbers. I mean wake up, this is an 11 year old kid who cheated. Sure, he should be punished. Maybe a suspension (10 days?, I could see one or two), I would be more inclined to give him detention after school for a week (1/2 hour a day) and notify his parents. Honestly how many people cheated when they were that age or even older. I won't admit that I did because with these kinds of punishments they might come and take back my engineering degree for possibly cheating on a 4th grade math test (note I have said possibly and this should not be taken as an implication that I actually did cheat on a number of 4th grade math speed multiplication tests at Mark Twain Elementary School).

Personally I think being handed over to the Sherrif and going through booking and waiting at the station for his dad was probably more than enough punishment. I believe that would certainly put things in perspective for him. Now to threaten him with Juvenile hall? What is that going to teach him? How is that going to help? He could meet new friends like the12 year old murderer, and the 11 year old crack dealer. These would certainly provide a more positive learning atmosphere than staying at home and going to school (well maybe better than going to his current hypocritically led school).

This type of over reaction really concerns me. A kid who attempts to cheat gets treated worse than a kid with mental problems who hurts others. Just like the girl who got suspended for bringing a knife to school. It was a butter knife which she brought to cut the brownies she had to share with her class on her birthday. I am sure that in both these cases a serious life in crime is being averted by the system using the law rather than a bit of common sense. Personally I think the kid should get a slight pat on the back after his punishment. After all he formulated a plan, manipulated things to gain access back into a restricted area, and carried out a potentially successful attempt at cheating in a fairly new and unique way. Planning, initiative, thought, and action are all traits we want to teach kids. He is punished because he got caught something we are certainly teaching him, and others, to be more careful about in the future.

My final comment is that part of the reason this seems to be blown way out of proportion is because it involved a computer. SO WHAT! As stated previously he didn't hack into the computer nor into the mainframe. He changed what the teacher had left open. In the same way as someone might erase and change their grade in a standard paper ledger. I believe the real criminal here is a prosecutor and a principal who are so eager to cover their own butts and make headlines that they would persecute an overzealous but otherwise normal 11 year old.

The only positive thing is that this kid, if he does get sent down the river can come out and write a book about how to manipulate teachers so they give you an opportunity to change your grades.