Never mind the technology, where’s the learning?

George Hotz, a 17 year old, yesterday claimed the hacking prize of the year by being the first to unlock the Apple iPhone. On his YouTube video, he shows it working with a T-Mobile sim card instead of the offical AT&T:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/tvJ1RGlxe8Q" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Today, he put two of the iPhones he hacked on ebay, and bidding reached $1 million. Even George thought that was too good to be true.

So here are the five things I’ve learnt from technology hacking:

1. Give kids challenges and they will always exceed your expectations. Most hackers do it for the challenge of breaking the rules. Setting the rules as a challenge means they are there to be broken. Create opportunities for creativity, and kids will shine.
2. But it’s not only about the challenge but also the learning. Kids naturally want to learn given the right circumstances. Hacking is also a manifestation of the need for intellectual stimulation.
3. Collaboration through technology IS key to success in the ‘flat world’. George acknowledges he worked with four other online partners dubbing themselves “Dev Wiki” from around the world. If we don’t realise this in our education systems, then the education we provide will be irrelevant.
4. Money is not that important, or at least not as important as your moment of fame. People like a Robin Hood, someone who takes on authority figures and wins. as one comment on George’s blog put it: “Are you definitely going to be on CNN today at 5pm?? If you are, that’s awesome! Your like super famous!” Give kids credit when they excel but also turn their enthusiasm to the good.
5. You can’t condone illegal acts. Despite the idea of the little guy beating the big guys, acting illegally will not get you any friends. George is obviously a bright guy, and when he finishes college, let’s hope he’s recognised for his originality not this moment of fame.

(George did not make $1 million, but traded his unlocked iPhone for a Nissan 350z and 3 8Gb iPhones. The latter he will give away.)