I never did, but I often wonder if it was due more to a lack of exposure than anything else. Back then, one's exploration was somewhat limited to what resources

I never did, but I often wonder if it was due more to a lack of exposure than anything else. Back then, one's exploration was somewhat limited to what resources the surrounding adults provided you with. And when none of those surrounding adults are "computer people" in a useful sense, you don't get exposed to all that much. The computer itself, and its supporting documentation, tended to just dangle BASIC in front of your face and little else.