Poll: How long have you been programming? • Hacker News Board

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#251

Post by kstenerud » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:07 PM UTC

super_mario wrote: post #150

I started with BASIC on Commodore 16 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16 ) and shortly after MOS 6502 assembler back in the mid 80s when I was in my early teens. Commodore 16 had a monitor program build in, all you had to do is type MONITOR and you were able to edit memory directly in machine/assembler code, save it, run it etc ( http://www.commodore16.com/php/images/books/downloads/Tedmon... ). Later, I got…

I remember the Commodore 16, especially their TV ad that used Ringo Starr's "You're 16" theme. It seemed like a weird move since they already had the C64...

I also went the Commodore route. I still remember when I got my A501, giving me a whopping 1MB of ram!

I used Lattice C, and GCC to a lesser extent. Later, after finding out how hard it was to get ahold of the 3000/UX version of UNIX, I installed NetBSD on my regular A3000. Fun times...

I liked the M68k series so much I eventually wrote an emulator for it, which is used in MAME to this day.

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#252

Post by HackR » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:08 PM UTC

ethereal wrote: post #249

How quickly time flies . . . I started programming on paper, writing programs for PIC12 microcontrollers. I would have been seven at the time. Never actually programmed one of the devices, but the experience taught me to logically think through a task, break it down into discrete steps, etc. I quickly progressed to writing QBasic programs on paper, reading through some textbooks my parents borrowed from the local Uni…

Good sir, are you human?

This is incredibly awesome! At age 12, I probably didn't even know what programming entailed.

I really wish I did though.

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#253

Post by rjurney » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:26 PM UTC

I rootored my mom's uterus and hacked my way out early, son! In Ada!

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#254

Post by davepeck » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:38 PM UTC

Started in 1985, when I was 7, with BASIC on a TI 99/4A. Guess that makes me part of the old guard 'round these parts. ;-)

Sad truth: I think that, until I got my TI, I was a normal well-adjusted kid. After the TI: I'm certain I wasn't.

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#255

Post by grandalf » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:40 PM UTC

I started with BASIC at age 8 and then 6502 assembler around age 10. Sadly I failed to optimize those years of ample spare time, but I did come away from it with a sincere love of code.

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#256

Post by indiecore » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:42 PM UTC

Where is 6 years?

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#257

Post by blindhippo » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:47 PM UTC

I answered the poll talking only of years I've spent programming being a major part of my life (ie: employment, education) - about 5 years.

But I first learned to "code" back in 1987 on a Tandy color computer my grandfather bought me, and continued to tinker randomly for the next 15 years. So if you count that, my programming started over 20 years ago. Moved through basic, pascal, c, c++, visual basic, java, .net, php, PERL, ruby...

God damn, when did I become so old?

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#258

Post by johnny99 » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:49 PM UTC

I've been programming for about 30 hours straight now, I'd say.

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#259

Post by shriphani » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 6:54 PM UTC

I was in an accident that left me unable to walk for 6 months. I was in a bad shape mentally (since this had nuked my high-school performance). Picking up a machine and being able to build something was my release.

Re: Poll: How long have you been programming?

#260

Post by pcowans » Mon, Apr 02, 2012, 7:04 PM UTC

tallpapab wrote: post #209

DamnYuppie wrote: post #184

The number of programmers drops more then half between 10 and 20 years, and drops again between 20 and 30 years. I am wondering if this is due to people leaving the field or companies not wanting to hirer older developers?

It may also have something to do with the availability of computers and software. It was very rare before about 1980 for people to have home computers that their kids could learn on. Before about 1970 it was rare for anyone outside a university or large business to get access to computers. There just were not as many programmers back in the day. Now you can't turn around and spit without hitting one.

It also could be simply a function of the demographics of HN readers.