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phil.o wrote: my first computer, a TI99-4A,
Me too! I still have it in the box. My parents got it for us for Christmas during the price wars. While my brothers had no other use for it than the console games, I quickly learned how to write little basic programs to solve my algebra homework. A few years later I went to uni and took several programming classes, but dropped out after just two years when the money dried up. Over 10 years later I got the chance to go back and finish...boy had things changed! 
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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There were no school where you could learn... "that"
Interesting is the option "i created a webpage..." a web...what?
For me, as a child of the early 70's there was no other choice than to see your friend's C64 (when we were 12 or so) and think "i want to KNOW that.. i want to make such a cool game! Imagine! 16 colors! woooosh"
and then buying books about BASIC. and assembler (the next year). then back to basic as assembler was so cruel, no one understands it.
after 2-3 years when the brain had learned and to some degree mastered binary thinking, back to assembler. then it worked.
Then... I think 1987... Turbo Pascal came up. now THAT was a language! No more line numbers. really? FUNCTIONS WITH NAMES? whoooot? omg.
Then... C
of f*** what is this? how do i create that curly ...thing { with my german keyboard? what is Alt-GR ? I really have such a key? Oh yeah.. wow - cooool! { { { } } } all day long 
end-of-story. Now into Kotlin. Still curly. Still cool.
whoooooosh!
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I was good in Maths, loved science fiction, and - well before I'd even seen a computer or owned a calculator - I decided to be a programmer. I had no idea what it involved, or how you did it, but I applied for a Maths / Computer Science course at Uni and found out ...
There I discovered that I wasn't as good at Maths as I thought, dumped the Maths part of the degree and switched to "straight" CS. It was a "thick sandwich" course, with 6 months in Uni, 6 months in the real world over four years, and I worked at two government installations before my final placement at a Terminal manufacturer.
After the course, I accepted a junior programmer role at the Terminal manufacturer - stayed there for 10 years rising in ability and job title ...
Never gone back!
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Similar but different - the basic start was always wanting to be a scientist/chemist.
When I was very very young my elder brother got a small chemistry set: used it up in about half an hour . . . I was hooked.
Then, of course, in the movies it was always the scientist who saved the world from the evil alien invaders and monsters. I wanted to be in on that. The rest is in my 'Simpatico' post in this thread.
Thus was it written - thus was it done.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Quote: I was good in Maths, loved science fiction
Me too! But I wanted to be a lawyer. started reading Isaac Asimov when I was 8 years old. 
I don't know any more, I just don't.
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A classmate said - "Hey, they got computers here!" ... I never looked back.
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Didn't even have a TV at home when I was a kid. So when I saw a computer for the first time, I was so fascinated by it (12-year-old kid).
Did well in school so had the choice to choose from various professional courses which included Computer Science. Didn't think twice. Haven't looked back since.
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found I was good at it. Then went to school for it.
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