Box or Not

A few weeks ago, Bryan Helmkamp got tagged to answer a few questions about how he started programming. As the game works, he then tagged a few other bloggers. Since I didn’t have a blog at the time, I couldn’t be tagged, which I think means I won that game … or something.

Nonetheless, I thought it would make a good topic for a first blog post and persuaded myself that it would in no way obligate me to write a second post. So, without further ado, blog post numero uno.

How old were you when you started programming?
How did you get started programming?

I wrote my first computer program when I was about 8 years old. The program war dialed into a few government computers until I found one with a password of Joshua (N.B. dictionary words and common names aren’t strong passwords). Then I baited it into starting a thermonuclear war with Russia because I was mad at my mom. This story later became better known as War Games.

Ok, ok, you got me. That’s not at all true. I was in fact around that age, but my understanding of the Cold War was pretty primitive then (Russians: bad; Dukes of Hazzard: good)

Bad

Good

and since my family owned a Franklin Ace 1000 and not the W.O.P.R.

My First Computer (Franklin Ace 1000)

Not My First Computer

there was really very little chance that I could become instrumental in that conflict. I blame my parents for this.

But my parents did what they could. We had a small office with a few books and I started poking around. I found a few books from the Choose Your Own Adventure series which had zero influence on my life or writings.

If you choose to learn more about my adventures with computers, Turn to Page 2 below.

If you choose instead to Step into the Void, Click Here …