How much computer illiterate were you when...
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
My first programming language was Pascal way back in the days. I remember writing my programs when i was about 5th grade eh the old Program p; Back then we had to use dos compiler and that alone was pretty scary for me and the things i was fighting was the . and ; after the end in the different cases. And don't forget mod and div i still call the c++ operators that way :laugh:. For 5th grader that was preety scary :P
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
Define Computer Literacy. When I wrote my first program I could plug the Commodore 64 into the TV, turn it on, get to the bit to type in the code and then run it. There wasn't a lot else to do, I could also put the tapes for the games into the tape player to load and then start the games.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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My first programming language was Pascal way back in the days. I remember writing my programs when i was about 5th grade eh the old Program p; Back then we had to use dos compiler and that alone was pretty scary for me and the things i was fighting was the . and ; after the end in the different cases. And don't forget mod and div i still call the c++ operators that way :laugh:. For 5th grader that was preety scary :P
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
Yeah I had NO idea. PDP-8 at school in the late 70s. I got to "10 print \n20 goto 10" pretty quickly. The big reveal was adding the ';' character to the inside of the string which would suppress the crlf (which, on the wide-carriage screenless terminal really was "carriage return, line feed". It's all been downhill from there.
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
Very, very, very. I didn't even see a computer until about six months after I started coding - we used punch cards in those days - being able to use a terminal and even an editor (poor by modern standards as it was) was a brilliant revelation! "Turning the computer on" had to wait about another year and the 5th computer I used: a PDP8. And starting that box was a bit harder than today:
Turn key to POWER.
Set all switches to 0
Click on EXTD
Set switches to 0x0018
Click on ADDR
Set switches to 0x0DE3
Click on DEP
Set switches to 0x0A19
Click on DEP
Set switches to 0x0080
Click on ADDR
Click on CLR
Verify HALT and STEP are up
Click on CONT(I cheated and checked the exact values, but I remembered it pretty well: only one digit error!)
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Define Computer Literacy. When I wrote my first program I could plug the Commodore 64 into the TV, turn it on, get to the bit to type in the code and then run it. There wasn't a lot else to do, I could also put the tapes for the games into the tape player to load and then start the games.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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Literacy as in knowing basic user operations before going to programming. For instance, knowing what left and right click is. I, for one, had no clue when I wrote programs for first few months.
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Argonia wrote:
mod and div
Isn't that what they are called? At least I call them that since it is more related to mathematical terms.
In english maybe, but i didn't know that back then. :laugh: After all programming is good for your brain it teaches you english better than the textbook. Noone can make me spell break or switch wrong ;)
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
I knew nothing of computer when I got my C64 and started to do some basic and assembly (I got a book with)... I learned side-by-side about how to use and how to program.
I'm not questioning your powers of observation; I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is. (V)
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
I was quite knowledgeable of computers when I started programming in C++ back around 1999. I had already been writing basic JavaScript, plus I grew up around computers. I didn't "know it all", but I definitely knew how to operate one and how to get around. But then again, I was also intrigued by hacking, though I never pursued it on a malicious level. Once I started programming, I learned so much more about a computer though, I know.
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
Well, I guess thats the benefit of starting coding way before WIndows rolled along. It was a Spectrum I first wrote programs on, just for my own use, and actually really enjoyed it. It wasnt till much later that I startrd a career in programming, and that was on DOS, which again is simple. Now I write WIndows drivers mostly, as well as LInux, and I am fully aware of the complexity of the OS, and how hard MSFT make it by producing junk code themselves ans almost useless documentation.
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Yeah I had NO idea. PDP-8 at school in the late 70s. I got to "10 print \n20 goto 10" pretty quickly. The big reveal was adding the ';' character to the inside of the string which would suppress the crlf (which, on the wide-carriage screenless terminal really was "carriage return, line feed". It's all been downhill from there.
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
Mine was in VB copying and pasting a tutorial for a whack a mole game, which I then replaced the mole with my friends head. As for my computer skills, I think I did the head picture by cutting it out in paint, I knew a tiny bit about ms dos but literally nothing compared to the vast overwhelming knowledge I know now. Which will be literally nothing compared to the vast super overhwelming knowledge I'll know in five years etc etc.
Simon Lee Shugar (Software Developer) www.simonshugar.co.uk "If something goes by a false name, would it mean that thing is fake? False by nature?" By Gilbert Durandil
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
I had nearly forgotten: My Uni course was a "thin sandwich" - 6 months Uni, 6 months industry - and my first industrial training was this the Atlas Computer Division of the Rutherford Labs, a UK government research institution. At the end of the training a report on my work was sent to the college: "Was determined to find out 'all about computers' and showed great ingenuity in doing so" It wasn't a compliment. :-O
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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d@nish wrote:
For instance, knowing what left and right click is.
There was no left and right click. There was no mouse.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
There wasn't even a damn keyboard, half the time! :laugh:
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Very, very, very. I didn't even see a computer until about six months after I started coding - we used punch cards in those days - being able to use a terminal and even an editor (poor by modern standards as it was) was a brilliant revelation! "Turning the computer on" had to wait about another year and the 5th computer I used: a PDP8. And starting that box was a bit harder than today:
Turn key to POWER.
Set all switches to 0
Click on EXTD
Set switches to 0x0018
Click on ADDR
Set switches to 0x0DE3
Click on DEP
Set switches to 0x0A19
Click on DEP
Set switches to 0x0080
Click on ADDR
Click on CLR
Verify HALT and STEP are up
Click on CONT(I cheated and checked the exact values, but I remembered it pretty well: only one digit error!)
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
I am proud to say that i have seen an punch card, never saw the machine (we are not counting the pictures and internet). OT: I have whole 2 boxes full of doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts (we have no other choice here for good doughnuts) but still i am very happy :P Why i am sharing this ? Because when you are sending the lappie sleeve you need to add something extra in good packaging, choco is prefered ;)
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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...you wrote your first program? In my case, I had no idea what operating system is. I did not knew I was using windows. Hell, I could not even start a computer. It was really scary. However, if someone could open the "black screen" for me, I could write C++ programs for them. This was the state for a long time. I was proud of myself thinking I could do anything in C++ but had no clue how to reach that black screen. I say anything as I was easily able to understand concept of pointer and templates and was even able to do graphics code. I thought I was awesome back then in year 2000. How about you? Edit: The sole purpose of this post is to feel young. ;P
I didn't get interested in programming until I had already been using computers for several years. And I didn't even start programming on a PC, I started on a TI-84+. When I started programming on a PC, it was z80 asm, for TI-84+. By the time I finally started writing programs for PCs, I was pretty computer literate, in a Windows-centric way.
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Well, I guess thats the benefit of starting coding way before WIndows rolled along. It was a Spectrum I first wrote programs on, just for my own use, and actually really enjoyed it. It wasnt till much later that I startrd a career in programming, and that was on DOS, which again is simple. Now I write WIndows drivers mostly, as well as LInux, and I am fully aware of the complexity of the OS, and how hard MSFT make it by producing junk code themselves ans almost useless documentation.
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I am proud to say that i have seen an punch card, never saw the machine (we are not counting the pictures and internet). OT: I have whole 2 boxes full of doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts (we have no other choice here for good doughnuts) but still i am very happy :P Why i am sharing this ? Because when you are sending the lappie sleeve you need to add something extra in good packaging, choco is prefered ;)
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
Punched card had big advantages over "Modern" editors and HDDs. They taught you to write concise, efficient programs. Otherwise you needed wheels to move your code around! We didn't have "copy'n'paste", we had "drag'n'hernia"! That stuff got heavy quickly :laugh:
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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There wasn't even a damn keyboard, half the time! :laugh:
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
That was my point, the concept of computer literacy has changed over time as computers have evolved. I could do everything I needed to with my C64, so I was Computer Literate, but I wasn't for the modern definition that was in the mind of the OP. For those of you who started off shoveling coal into the things whilst someone else opened and closed the valves whilst a third operator carefully monitored the weasel levels the question makes even less sense.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
