Some of these questions are plants and some were actually asked. If you've got any questions you'd like answered about the project, why don't you go pose them in the wiki.

1. Why actually give physical machines? Why not just give shell accounts?
   That's certainly an avenue worth exploring and many of the tasks would work fine that way, but I want to also extend the tutorial into box administration tasks that can't be done on a machine that's not yours. Also, I think that physically giving someone a computer with a puzzle in it, is more curiosity inducing than a shell account.
2. Why do we want kids to become hackers?
   When I say hacker I'm using the preferred definition. The bad people are best called crackers
3. Can I have one of the computers?
   I'm mostly just giving them to youths I know at this point, but email me and maybe we can figure something out.
4. How do I get past task X? Is there a walk-through?
   All the answers can be found in the design wiki, but you'd almost certainly be better off if you would ask the person who gave you the machine. They might be able to give you a good clue that helps you to find the answer on your own.
5. Why do you assume the command line is better than graphical?
   I'm not saying it's inherently better. I have a mouse on my desk, and I use it at least once a day. The understanding one gains while learning to use a command line and exposure to the exhilaration of discovery are the real goals. Command line UNIX is just a means to that end.
6. Why not Xxxx (operating system, shell, computer, etc.)?
   Mostly because I'm working with what I know. The actual tasks should remain fairly constant across any UNIX. I'll probably put Debian or Red Hat on the boxes because all distros are basically the same once you get past the religious wars.