Bruce Pinchbeck, all of 8-years-old, made his first venture into the dotcom world with a free web building programme his father downloaded for him. Two years later, BJ Pinchbeck's Homework Helper received a partnership offer from Discovery (www.discovery.com). Today, the K-12 homework-oriented site receives more than 15,000 visitors daily.

While success stories like these are far from common, kids all over the world are rapidly discovering that the Internet is more than just a tool for chatting and gaming. According to research conducted by GetNetwise, at least 28 per cent of homepages are created and maintained by children under the age of 15, and well maintained at that!

Those who start learning computers while still in diapers now know the Web better than their parents do. Take Kim Bayne from the US, who inaugurated her site when she was four. "My mom did the HTML when I started out in 1996. I picked the jokes I wanted and wrote other sections. I'm doing the HTML now," she says. After a round of media coverage Kim received a call, in 1999, from a book publisher. He liked her jokes and asked if she'd like to be an author. That summer, Kaitlyn released her first book -- The Little Book of Knock Knock Jokes.

Some kids start their sites as class projects, others do it for fun and still others do it to teach other kids what they have learnt. iMac Kid created by five children, all under the age of 12, has loads of information to help kids learn 'cool stuff' using their iMacs.

"I see children and teens like myself as the future of the Internet," says Jeremy. "We have the enthusiasm, determination and vision to keep the World Wide Web alive and growing, so we might as well get a head start. So keep them coming kids, and as Guy Kawasaki said, never let the bozos grind you down!"

Not that the “bozos” (read ‘parents’) are trying. If anything, most parents are more than a little excited about their kids’ projects. Twelve-year-old Sithara, who talks of her love for Hrithik Roshan and details a fascinating history of aliens on her Web site, provides all the ideas, while “mom and dad do the HTML.” Similarly, 'Lady Bug' Allison got her homepage as a gift from her mother; one that’s been the “…best birthday project” the five-year-old ever worked on.

However, even as these sites multiply, GetNetwise has an important warning: "Anything posted on homepages can be seen by anyone visiting the site. If your child has a Web site, it is important that parents visit it often to see what is there. Make sure your child does not put personal information or anything else that could identify him or her, and that there are no phone numbers or addresses. Also be sure that there is nothing on the site that infringes the law or is harmful or offensive to others."

For Kim, avoiding spam is the biggest problem: "My mom filters all my email so I don't see the awful stuff a few weirdos send me. Also, sometimes people email and call me a faker. They don't believe I'm a kid, but that's okay."

The pros outweigh the cons. According to child-psychiatrist Maya Eagleton, when children construct web pages, "they are utilising print-based literacies, engaging in oral literacy, applying problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and employing the multimedia-based language processes of interpreting and composing."

Thought provoking, yes, but tell that to the brat who's least interested in what setting up a homepage forebodes for his or her "future development". Children live in the here and now. "I wanted my site to be about my interests, and a way of letting the world know who I am. It might not make me a multi-millionaire by the time I am 15-years-old," says nine-year-old Kelly, "but the fun I'm having along the way is unbeatable."

And that really does say it all.

More Like This
 -- Kids Games- Six sites your kids cannot get enough of
 -- IT is Kid Stuff - Is Ajay Puri the world's youngest Web site designer
 -- Adults Not Allowed- 6 sites your kids will love to surf
 -- Fear No More - How Olli beat the school bullies