GAY Prepare your bert hole...

Duke said:
I got started in 1990. After college, working for Motorola. We were just starting to put IBM 286's out on desktops. A Token Ring IBM network was just put in place, however, almost every computer that did exist still used modems for anything outside locally stored files. Windows 286 was maybe found on 1 in every 20 pcs, the rest using some weird ANSI based interface file management system if they had anything beyond command line at all.

kinda miss those dark ages. Looking back now, I wonder if people today could even function in that world of yesterday.
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DesQview, or Norton Commander?
 
As far as code, the PC thankfully came with a stack of about 20 "home computing" magazines that had code snippet examples in it, as well as the manual which has the basics of coding. I mean, BASIC isnt too complicated, there were only 4 or 5 commands to use in your code at that point, and it was just combining them correctly.

PRINT expression

Prints the result of the evaluation of the expression.

INPUT variable

Prints a prompt (?), reads an integer typed in by the user, and assigns its value to the variable.

LET variable = expression

Assigns the result of the evaluation of expression to the variable.

GOTO line number

Continues execution at the given line.

IF condition THEN line number

Continues execution at the given line if the condition is true.

REM any string


And global, and local variables.
 
My first experiences with the internet was dial-in WAN to the local university. all text based in lynx browers with PINE mail. Used gopher and ftp to get stuff. It was always a new adventure when you found a new public FTP server someplace. I remember one out in california someplace, real big one, Oak leaf... something to do with trees, that had all kinds of ID software on it that I could download even if i couldnt play it.

After i was old enough to get into town on my own, I would camp out at the local university library for hours and hours on end downloading binaries on their blazing T1 connection, and then split those hugeass (20-50MB) files into floppy based sizes using notepad. Id literally open them up as hex, and save off 20-50 1.38MB sized chunks of text and bring home the stuff on floppies. I was ecstatic when i discovered HJsplit, which did this for me automatically.
 
Domon said:
My first experiences with the internet was dial-in WAN to the local university. all text based in lynx browers with PINE mail. Used gopher and ftp to get stuff. It was always a new adventure when you found a new public FTP server someplace. I remember one out in california someplace, real big one, Oak leaf... something to do with trees, that had all kinds of ID software on it that I could download even if i couldnt play it.

After i was old enough to get into town on my own, I would camp out at the local university library for hours and hours on end downloading binaries on their blazing T1 connection, and then split those hugeass (20-50MB) files into floppy based sizes using notepad. Id literally open them up as hex, and save off 20-50 1.38MB sized chunks of text and bring home the stuff on floppies. I was ecstatic when i discovered HJsplit, which did this for me automatically.
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I should know what that was, but the name escapes me.

They used to advertise in the back of Computer Shopper too.
 
Domon said:
As far as code, the PC thankfully came with a stack of about 20 "home computing" magazines that had code snippet examples in it, as well as the manual which has the basics of coding. I mean, BASIC isnt too complicated, there were only 4 or 5 commands to use in your code at that point, and it was just combining them correctly.

PRINT expression

Prints the result of the evaluation of the expression.

INPUT variable

Prints a prompt (?), reads an integer typed in by the user, and assigns its value to the variable.

LET variable = expression

Assigns the result of the evaluation of expression to the variable.

GOTO line number

Continues execution at the given line.

IF condition THEN line number

Continues execution at the given line if the condition is true.

REM any string


And global, and local variables.
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I started playing with PC's with then Apple ][+ came out. My dad bought a subscription to the magazine 'Nibble', which had lots of good Apple articles, but even more importantly, code. Not snippets. Full code, both in basic and assembly, which, when entered correctly, gave you a 100% functional program. I'm kinda upset with myself I didn't stick with programming since it came so easily to me. So much learned from doing that.

However, if the program didn't work, you had to search line by line for where you may have put in a typo. That was a serious pain in the ass.
 
Somehow i missed the whole apple product line. Only experiences with apple were Carmen Sandiego on a performa of some sort in the early 90s.

PC lineup:

Tandy TRS-80
trs80-iii.jpg

IBM PS/2 (dual motherfuckin floppies... awww yiss)
220px-IBM_Personal_System2_Model_25.jpg

Toshiba "portable" computer (played Gorillas and snake for the first time on this! first graphical games)
thm_Toshiba_T1100Plus.jpg

IBM Aptiva (win 95)
266500-10-ibm-aptiva-1994.jpg


After this, I started building my own, everything was custom from this point onwards. Voodoo2 SLI for the very first one, 3d acceleration was amazing.
 
Duke said:
I started playing with PC's with then Apple ][+ came out. My dad bought a subscription to the magazine 'Nibble', which had lots of good Apple articles, but even more importantly, code. Not snippets. Full code, both in basic and assembly, which, when entered correctly, gave you a 100% functional program. I'm kinda upset with myself I didn't stick with programming since it came so easily to me. So much learned from doing that.

However, if the program didn't work, you had to search line by line for where you may have put in a typo. That was a serious pain in the ass.
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Yeah, the basic magazines had full program code too.

The code was so linear though, it almost self debugged. So with some understanding you could see where the program stopped, and go to that line of code (which you were very familiar with because you just spent 4 hours typing the whole damn thing in)
 
Domon said:
We didnt have any peripherals at all either, what the machine came with is what we got. So I made do. Any tape deck could be used to store data I figured out, it didnt have to be the Tandy branded one. Making it work was a matter of getting the timing right on pressing record, and getting the hookup right. Some brands just didnt work, some did.
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The only thing I did with a tape recorder was phreak. I never made the connection between different mediums of magnetic storage as a kid. I was thrilled when my parents got me a 20mb (!) HDD for my IBM PC XT. I used that thing well into the mid 90's with a CGA monitor. I still have my Epson LX-80. Still works too, I have it on an old jet direct box. Noisy as fuck, but it gets it done like a trooper. Easily 15ppmin draft quality.
 
Good bike ride. 5.15 miles
Fun until the back tire sprung a leak and ended up half flat

Anywho

CletusJones said:
In today's world there are only 2 groups. IT people and everyone else.
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Even this needs clarification. What is an IT people? Is the goober at the help desk who only knows how to tell someone to power-cycle their equipment IT people?
That's what I'm talking about, you have to clarify what parameters you're looking at.

Duke said:
You just did a great job of proving my and cletus point. You really don't know what the fuck you are talking about here. Many of us here have actual real world experience in this. At least a decade or more. You are applying some BS you caught in one of your recent classes that has nothing to even do with the topic and treat it like it's relevant.

You know nothing Jon Snow.
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"My experience" is not quantifiable and repeatable until you can back it up with solid data
Someone with your exact qualifications, but with a different viewpoint will have a different experience than you.

And while I'm not currently taking any sort of statistics, math is still math. So long as the answer is valid anyone that can follow the formula can get the same answer.
Domon said:
15 years ago was 1998, just for the record.

I know it seems like 1990 or 1992 when you say that, but its not. That was 20 years ago
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My truck is 20 years old, and I was 9/10 years old in '93. I know how many years back it is
Duke said:
lol, you have pulled this lie before. Except i think it was 'I have class to attend'.

We all know this is your way of backing out of something you never should have gotten into in the first place, but you are, as usual, incapable of admitting it.
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Hi! back again.
I'm sorry my health is more important than an inane argument with you, but I was letting you know where I went, that's what I get for being considerate :(
CletusJones said:
Back the shortbus up sparky. It has nothing to do with math AMD everything to do with the human factor.

Making the assertion that technology is more commonplace today results in more savvy users is ridiculous. Most people who consider themselves savvy are clueless morons who cannot accomplish the simplest of tasks. They assess themselves as savvy based on their knowledge compared to their peers. If their peers can't turn on a TV they assume they are awesome because they can. In general, the average savvy home user knows only enough to cause extensive damage to whatever they touch.

You're not even touching on 90% of the population. Most people aren't tech savvy and don't have certs. If you have a cert that's great but it doesn't automatically render one intelligent; I've met plenty of certified retards over the years.
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I covered this a little bit.

It isn't ridiculous. Every business out there has at least one computer they use for record keeping, inventory, bill collecting, communicating with customers, or whatever. Even if that company is not big enough to have an in house IT Dept it will still have some individual or company that it turns to for IT services, even if it's only to connect to the internet. That growth directly relates to more computers and more computer jobs, to fill those jobs you have to have more tech-savvy people*. (check out the growth of hosts from only '93-97. 12.5x growth in hosts, someone has to manage them)
And I'm not talking about whether an individual finds themselves to be tech-savvy or not, I mean people that are in the IT world would consider tech savvy. If it's not something you can measure then how can you categorize it? That's why I went with certifications despite the fact that even I know that anyone can have a certification without having any actual knowledge (and if I knew the business better I might have chosen something different to measure.)

In the context of this discussion, 90% of the population aren't really relevant (and 15-20 years ago that percentage would be even higher), so why should I touch on whether they know anything or not?

You have to compare like to like, if you don't you're not comparing anything useful. That's why I initially said the answer would depend on the parameters.




*For the record, when I say tech-savvy people, I mean the definition I give in the section after this paragraph
 
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