4 ms·

It was also a pure accident that I started programming at all. This was 2007, I had inherited an old Windows 95 computer that was recycled from my Mom's law off

by vesche 7y ago

It was also a pure accident that I started programming at all. This was 2007, I had inherited an old Windows 95 computer that was recycled from my Mom's law office where she was a paralegal. She let me rig it up in my bedroom as a teenager and I somehow discovered it came with QBasic 1.1 installed on it. I didn't know anyone who coded or programmed, and I learned everything from browsing around Pete's. I later discovered Python from the same forum, and well- I'm still coding 12 years later.

ashleyn 7y ago
How I got started: the "big kids" at school showed me how to play Qbasic Nibbles on our school computers, circa 1999-2000. I remember the first things I did was try to add "cheat codes" to Nibbles, and then use PRINT/INPUT to make a joke DOS prompt. About three years later I get a hand-me-down Windows 95 machine with Qbasic on it, and I set out to make my own "operating system". This was actually a pretty popular thing to do at the time...here's an entire website full of 'em, where I published my own MS-DOS GUI as a teenager: http://qbasicgui.datacomponents.net/ http://qbasicgui.datacomponents.net/ Today, I do very well as a senior developer wearing multiple programming hats at my company and I'm close to cashing in some of that stock to develop my own video game. It all started with Qbasic.
- vesche 7y ago
  That's awesome. It seems that Qbasic inspired many, it being included with 95, 98, and Me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QBasic#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QBasic#History I'm a senior cyber security engineer and also a polygot :) Video games sound more fun, I still make some in my free time.
  - suff 7y ago
    Yes! A lot of us got our start with QB. After all, we're all alike. I was immediately off to the races when I discovered Excel VBA is 98% QB. Promotions and raises soon followed, from automating massive amounts of work. Now I am very senior in the field. (intentionally vague)
- mysterydip 7y ago
  I know this is old news now, but I never knew this stuff existed! I wanted to make something similar back in the day. You've given me a rabbit hole of nostalgia to peruse, thanks :)

by vesche 7y ago

ashleyn 7y ago

How I got started: the "big kids" at school showed me how to play Qbasic Nibbles on our school computers, circa 1999-2000. I remember the first things I did was try to add "cheat codes" to Nibbles, and then use PRINT/INPUT to make a joke DOS prompt. About three years later I get a hand-me-down Windows 95 machine with Qbasic on it, and I set out to make my own "operating system". This was actually a pretty popular thing to do at the time...here's an entire website full of 'em, where I published my own MS-DOS GUI as a teenager: http://qbasicgui.datacomponents.net/ http://qbasicgui.datacomponents.net/ Today, I do very well as a senior developer wearing multiple programming hats at my company and I'm close to cashing in some of that stock to develop my own video game. It all started with Qbasic.

vesche 7y ago
That's awesome. It seems that Qbasic inspired many, it being included with 95, 98, and Me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QBasic#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QBasic#History I'm a senior cyber security engineer and also a polygot :) Video games sound more fun, I still make some in my free time.
- suff 7y ago
  Yes! A lot of us got our start with QB. After all, we're all alike. I was immediately off to the races when I discovered Excel VBA is 98% QB. Promotions and raises soon followed, from automating massive amounts of work. Now I am very senior in the field. (intentionally vague)
mysterydip 7y ago
I know this is old news now, but I never knew this stuff existed! I wanted to make something similar back in the day. You've given me a rabbit hole of nostalgia to peruse, thanks :)