Yes, there should be easier ways for learners to experiment with AWS without risk. In general, people should be made aware of how much something could cost them before they can agree with it. We have regulations towards this end when it comes to investments. Huge unexpected bills used to be a big problem with phone companies, and it took a lot of effort to move past it. I hope the cloud industry can make progress in this direction.

What I'm going to say next should not be taken to detract from that in any way.

(And I know you don't want to hear it, and I could just save everyone some trouble and not say it. But I'm going to say it.)

When I read this:

> please help I made a ticket and called support but i really need to make sure this is dead please Im 20 i really dont have $200 for them please help

I honestly did a double take when I got to the "20". If you'd put a blank in there and asked me to fill it, I would have said "13". I'm still not 100% sure that the blogger didn't alter the age to obfuscate personal details.

I don't mean to single out this person as especially immature, quite the opposite: the interesting thing is that they assume that a 20 year old is obviously a smol bean who could not possibly be expected to figure out AWS billing or come up with $200, _and we agree_. The notion didn't stand out as surprising to the blogger, or to any of the other commenters on HN so far.

I'm not saying they're wrong! I just find this a remarkable signal of how far we, as a culture, have gone in extending childhood well into college age.