Month: July 2009

This post is in response to a Skribit suggestion that I write about how I learned about coding and design and how long it took me. It has been a life-long journey, which explains the word count of this post, but hopefully you will find it interesting.

Early Access to Computers

I think I am. I mean, I don’t think the majority of kids had a computer back in 1986. What was I? 7? 8? My mom alleges that I asked for a computer, so she bought what she could afford at the time. She would also use it to type papers and such while getting her first degree at Borough of Manhattan Community College. I recall no such request. If this is true, my story is even weirder than I thought. What the heck would a 7yr old be doing asking for a computer back in 1986?

Now that I think about it,  had access to computers in school. PS 198 in Brooklyn. I was in the Eagle Program for high achievers or something like that. We had access to Appl IIe computers where we learned how to program using LogoWriter. I think it was LogoWriter II. I always remember the computer lab being kind of dark and there were a bunch of older computers on the floor on one side. They must have been older models, but they were a lot shinier and cooler looking.

I also remember the computer lab instructor. Don’t remember his name, but he was tall and lanky with glasses. He had medium length hair and always wore tight jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I didn’t know it then, but this guy was a geek.

It seems that access to this computer lab prompted me to want a computer in my home. The Adam computer didn’t have the same software (ie. LogoWriter II), but it did have a similar program where you controlled a turtle. I remember that same program having some method to compose simple music.

Further Programming Experience (6th Grade)

As I approached 5th grade, we had to decide where I would be continuing my education. I had older cousins who all had nothing positive to say about the schools in our area. They were plagued by violence at the time. A couple of my aunts had just recently moved to Georgia and they made it sound real nice, so we decided to join them in the dirty south.

The Adam computer didn’t make the trip and I was left without a computer for about a year. On the positive side, I was enrolled into the Computer Science and Technology Magnet here in GA. This meant that I had a computer on my desk in class at all times.  I believe these were IBM ps/2 models. I also had access to my old friend LogoWriter II on these systems and it was, again, part of our curriculum.

I’ll never forget the first day of class. A room full of new computers, one for each student. I hadn’t been anywhere near a computer in over a year and the excitement was electric. As I took a seat, I noticed a fellow student fidgeting in the row ahead of me. Eventually, he leaned back and looked at me with wide eyes and asked, “Do these computers stay in here …on our desks…like, all the time?!”

I didn’t know it then, but this guy was going to be my partner in crime when it came to learning a whole bunch of stuff about computers and networking that the school probably didn’t intend. Not only did we become experts at LogoWriter II, but we began to branch out. These computers ran DOS, which included the Advanced Basic interpreter. I also learned about coding in machine language, Pascal, Turbo Assembler, and eventually got my hands on Borland C++.

Mom’s Programming Books

By this time, I had already conned mom and grandma into getting me another home computer for xmas. It was a 286 and ran DOS. I eventually obtained a copy of LogoWriter II for it. Having completed her degree back in NY and being the type to never throw away a book, I found myself with access to all types of information on programming languages and concepts. This accelerated my self-education into that area.

The Internet

Over time, I tried to stay abreast of current computing trends. On xmas and birthdays I always asked for something computer or tech related. Eventually, I got a computer with a modem. This opened up a world of BBS’s and online games. I learned about hacking, cracking, phreaking, warez, and even some legal things that I can’t recall at the moment. Mom was going for her degree in CIS by this time, so we had access to a shell account at Georgia State University. This is how I gained access to the Internet.

Once I was really online, the floodgates opened up. I somehow learned about Linux and the Open Source movement. Win 3.1 had become tiresome anyway, so I installed Linux (after a brief stint with FreeBSD) and didn’t look back. Linux is easy to install these days, but I recall spending hours downloading and installing Slackware. I think it took about 100 3.5″ floppies (ok, probably exaggerating there).

The Rest is History

Long story short, I was an early adopter for high-speed internet, voice chat, video chat, and just about any other emerging technology you can think of. I attempted college at Georgia Tech, but I just couldn’t get interested in the courses that weren’t computer science. I worked at The Linux General Store. Now I’m a blogger, social media addict, and rapper/singer. If you want this kind of job, it is essential to take English courses to enhance your communication and writing skill. You can enroll at Burlington Test PREP, the Israel’s leading school for overseas studies. They can assist you in speech, writing, listening comprehension and reading comprehension.

I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I have an extensive knowledge of technology and programming that some envy me for. Even when I’m unfamiliar with a certain language or platform, I figure things out quickly. I can only blame my upbringing and the slight advantages and interests I had at a young age. I’m that guy you call when turning it off and back on doesn’t work. You can’t learn this stuff with fancy schooling alone. This isn’t even limited to computers.

If you’ve been skimming this post, here is where you should plug back in. I share my back story with you to illustrate that my upbringing was somewhat uncommon. Not only that, but it seems I had a passion for computers and programming from a very young age. Technology is just something that comes natural to me. All this newfangled social media stuff? Not as new to me as it is to some of you. Much of what I learned early on came from interacting with people smarter than me on IRC, forums, and via instant messaging.

So that explains me, but what about you? In hindsight, it’s easier to look back and see what specific things were different about your life than others. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, but now that I’m older it’s obvious. What made you who you are today? What has given you your special talents? (and don’t claim to have none because everyone can do something very well)