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Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:53 pm
by brendandonhue
16

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:08 pm
by Kieran Huggins
I guess I started "programming" in Hypercard... anyone remember Hypercard? I think it was part of clarisworks for OS 7... anyone remember clarisworks??? That would have been about 13 years ago I guess.

I've been programming professionally (full time) for 7 years now.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:19 pm
by Luke
not sure how this turned into a "how long have you been programming" thread but anyway, here's my story:

Does anybody remember those stupid AOL applications like Methodus? Well yea that had an HTML editor in it, and that got me into HTML which got me into computers (used to hate this things) back when I was like 15 (wow 5 years). Then I started using crappy site editors like homestead and the like and then when I grew tired of that crap I really learned HTML which lead to PHP which is now leading to all sorts of other stuff. I was lucky enough to get an internship here: http://echico.com/ doing site layout and sales and that got me a job here: http://sierra-tech.com/ doing web design which in turn got me a job here: http://mc2design.com/ doing web design/layout/editing and web development with php.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:55 pm
by aaronhall
The Ninja Space Goat wrote:Does anybody remember those stupid AOL applications like Methodus? Well yea that had an HTML editor in it
That just jogged my memory -- my first experience with HTML was using AOL's inbuilt web publishing utility. I thought that POS was the coolest thing ever. Ahh, memories.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:56 pm
by Ollie Saunders
Cool Ninja. I'm so glad you are one of the "converted". You hear so many people who just have an unconditional downer on computers in general. I feel sorry for them because they don't know what they are missing. My dad was one of these but, well, he has me for a Son so he just plain isn't allowed :) Anyway he's got into forums recently and dominated tonight's dinner with talk of YouTube. I think he is getting sucked in :D. Whoa just went way off-topic there.

So, my story is: Early fascination with computers from about 5 or 6. My parents bought me an "IBM Compatible" 80386 with Windows 3.1. I mucked around with whatever I could get my hands on. I never really had an interest in programming until about 4 years ago where I started mucking around with DOS commands (cmd actually) and started writing stupid scripts. Around about that time I spent 80% of my free time writing and producing my own music (for about 6 years). I worked on an Unreal Tournament mod and a couple of other failed projects and that was my main career ambition until I discovered my dream job: In-house Sound and Music for Computer Games basically doesn't exist. Game music work is all contract based and outsourced, which doesn't have the team atmosphere I really wanted. Sooo I ended up doing a 2 year course in software development (1 year after finishing school) and tried my luck as a freelance web developer immediately after that! Amazing I landed myself one very very nice client who has continually forced me to get better and better at web development and also allowed me to spend a ridiculous amount of time writing my forms library.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:28 pm
by alex.barylski
First all of...I have you all beat...I was born in "Zie Woomb" holding a mouse and keyboard...I actually programmed myself at birth to be a software developer...Vic-20....before computers were...well...computers...I used a TV screen for monitor....so HA!!!

I (like Ninja) hated computers...I remember telling my dad I would fly DC-9's and 727's for ever because newer aircraft were to computerized...I was gonna be pilot :)

Around the time Flight Simulator 4 came out I started playing that game like crazy...skipping school to fly to San Fransisco...By FS5 I was an accomplished BASIC developer writing little utils using formulas I borrowed from Pilot training manuals, etc...fuel calculators, optimal descent/glideslope, etc...

Then I was introduced to Windows development on 3.1 using VB and I started making flight planners, scenery builders, etc...I still remember the structure of FS5 BGL (Bao Graphical Language) files...I remember the first application I tried to hack was a program called final approach cause I wanted to print an IAP for my home city...that introduced me to hacking and assembly language....then I found a german program call DoDi's VB discompiler...That introduced me to reverse engineering at a source code level, but I could never get it to rebuild, so I gave up and started again on changing bytes until something worked....never did get that working either

One day I decided i would write my own flight planner with an advanced map which read variables real time from FS engine and updated the screen to show me where I was relative to the game. Finding VB to sluggish for fast display (being a relative newbie I wasn't clipping and was using actual Windows controls for navigation aids - which there are 1000's) I asked around and was told C++ was a real tool for anything serious...so naievly I "borrowed & never returned" a copy of Borland turbo C from a friend's dad :lol:

I struggled with that for years as compiling, building, editing C source is light years more complicated than most languages...finally one day I got something and reverted back to a simple hello world and built up instead of tear apart. By that time I think Windows 95 was released and I had the fortune of coming across Borland OWL and my journey began with OOP and continued into MFC about 7 years ago.

27 years of age and the adventure has only just begun...I can't ever see myself stopping...even at great wealth like Gates...I'd still be actively (re)designing software architectures at the very least and coding for the sake of POC...

p.s-I think the median age is about 25...just a gues not actually calculated - if I'm right I swear I'm autistic :P like rain main....maaaaahhhhhh *goes crazy*

Cheers :)

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:28 pm
by ckh
leester wrote:"Boy,

I guess I'm the old fart here"

Sorry, forgot to include my age... 65 :!:
Ahhh, good. I feel like a kid again... :D

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:48 pm
by jyhm
Ah umm eh, :oops:

My very first computer was an Adam Computer made by Atari's early competitor Colecovision!
My sister worked for the company and brought it home one day! :D

Mostly I wrote doc's and played games on it! In order to play games
you had to load a cassette into the deck like you were playing music!

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:46 am
by RobertGonzalez
I got into coding when I saw my father-in-law writing HTML as a job he was doing while looking for a real job. It peaked my interest, produced an idea in me and I haven't looked back since.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:31 am
by mickd
I think i first started programming BASIC when i was about 9. Then moved onto HTML at about 11 but had only very limited knowledge. It was only about 14 that i went serious in PHP and the lot and learnt alot averaging about 40hours of programming per week ontop of attending high school.

Of course, by now that all slowed down :(