Kids might be turned on by computers, games and the
Internet but they have little or no interest in getting a job with a dotcom when they grow up.

That was the sad and sorry conclusion of a careers briefing delivered by Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of lastminute.com, Neil Sansom, marketing director of Freeserve and Sortis Damianos, marketing director of avatar community Cycosmos.

The chat - hosted by Channel 4 TV personality, Phil Gayle - was delayed 25 minutes because a handful
of kids only bothered to turn up to hear the pep talk.

Trouble is, the more the organisers waited for the crowd to increase, the more the kids who'd turned up on time got bored and walked out.

Frankly, it was a disgrace.

"These are huge massive important people," said the poor woman trying to drum up support for the event.

And as she became more and more agitated she finally reached the end of her tether.

"COME ON TAKE YOUR SEATS NOW," she shouted.

"WE NEED A REALLY BIG CROWD. THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT PROMINENT PEOPLE."

And she was right, but that didn't appear to make any
difference to the kids milling about at the Tomorrow's World Show in London today.

In the end, Ms Fox et al addressed as many
empty seats as full ones. And when Gayle asked who
wanted to work for a dotcom when they grew up, only
four or five of the 70 children stuck up their hands.

Which is a shame, because what Ms Fox, Sansom and
Damianos had to say was positive, inspiring and
enlightening. They described what it was like working
for a dotcom - and what skills were needed.

They discussed the risks involved openly and honestly
but applauded the freedom and creativity offered by
the dotcom world.

Above all, agreed all three, unbridled enthusiasm and
hard work were key.

Not that the kids took any bloody notice. No, here
were some of the top people in the dotcom world and
these youngsters just walked out on them in mid
sentence without a by your leave.

But I suppose that's kids for you. No respect. No
respect at all. I mean, you do everything for them,
you lay it on a plate, give them access to some of the
best minds around and what do they do? They chuck it
back in your face. Kids today. Tsk. When I was a lad...
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