My first "server" was my dad's old PC, which was moved to the basement and given an 802.11b PCI card so that it could connect to the internet. I pirated a crack

My first "server" was my dad's old PC, which was moved to the basement and given an 802.11b PCI card so that it could connect to the internet. I pirated a cracked copy of Windows Server 2003 from eDonkey to install on it and built an ASP.Net website in VB. I wanted a domain name, so I used a dynamic DNS client to set my .TK domain to point at my home's IP (with port forwarding on the router—running on 8080 since Verizon blocked 80), updating every ten minutes. I learned so much from the experience. If I was a kid today, I'm not sure I'd run a server in my home, though. For as much as I learned, there's far more that you can do and learn running code on other people's computers. I spent so much time trying to get the thing to just _run_ in the first place that I missed out on learning and doing a lot of the things that having the damn thing in the first place would have enabled. For two years, I taught a class of high school students how to make websites. We used Glitch, and I'm still consistently amazed at how much you can do with very little to get started. I can only wonder what I'd have created if I had what kids today have.