Clint Edmonson called me out on this trip down memory lane and, since I want to use up as much of his Google juice as I can, I thought I would jump in.Initially, this very much reminded me of those "Surveys" that go around in chain e-mails and (gasp!) MySpace pages, but this idea quickly caught my interest.
Here is the current link(ed) list:
Michael Eaton (post) —> Sarah Dutkiewicz (post) —> Jeff Blankenburg (post) —> Josh Holmes (post) —> Larry Clarkin (post) —> Brian Moore (post) —> Denny Boynton (post) —> Clint Edmonson (post) —> me
How older were you when you started programming?
I must have been 9 or 10. Like most people in this chain, I started off programming BASIC on the Commodores, VIC-20, C-64, and the C-128. I remember typing in, number-for-number, all of those DATA lines on the last 30-or-so pages of BYTE magazine that was supposed to yield this amazing game. I think the best app was Lemonade Stand, which I promptly saved to my cassette tape (comma-8, comma-1) since the Commodores had no storage capability.
What was your first language?
BASIC - I can't even describe the feeling of my first Hello World! application. The door was open. This is what I was going to do.
What was the first real program you wrote?
Gosh, I wrote a LOT of code as a kid, but nothing that lasted longer than my C-64 could keep in it's memory. I tried several times to write my own video games, but so many of those times the games ended up looking like a pixelated Jackson Pollock.
What languages have you used since you started programming?
My first passion (and nemesis) was Borland C++, which quickly transitioned into Microsoft Visual C++, sitting on top of MFC, using COM/DCOM methodologies. I used to scoff at VB programmers, calling it a "prototyping" language, until VB6 came around and I realized the glory of it all. VB6 became VB.NET with the introduction of the .NET framework, and C# came pretty far behind. I still prefer VB over C# any day, and I'm sure the commenters to this blog will voice their opposition and ridicule. Bring it on.
What was your first professional programming gig?
Wow. I guess I was in college was when that went down. I was asked to build an Access database for an auction that was taking place in my town. I had to design the database schema, build the UI's, code some business logic, and generate reports for printing receipts at the auction. Results: crash and burn. I forgot to configure the database to allow more than one user, so the other 5 "checkout" stations at the auction locked up, and we were forced to funnel all 500 auction attendees through one terminal. That is the first time (and certainly not the last) I wept over an implementation gone wrong. I hope this admission doesn't affect any future job opportunities.
If you knew then what you know now, would you have started programming?
You betcha! I love problem-solving. That's what keeps me going every day. I love looking at a problem, designing a solution, and tackling it head on (apply directly to the forehead).
If there is one thing you learned along the way that you would tell new developers, what would it be?
"Run away!" Just kidding. Seriously, it would be "plan ahead". Without a design plan for your implementation, your code will get way out of control very quickly. It's one thing to just sit down and start renegade-coding, but without a thorough plan of attack, you'll be lost in the weeds. This is advice that I still have to remind myself to follow to this day.
What's the most fun you've ever had... programming?
Most recently, I would have to say it was our April Coders 4 Charities event in Kansas City. We spent a weekend providing free software implementations for local non-profit organizations. There was a ton of food, a ton of Rock Band, and a ton of coding.
Who am I calling out?
Lee Brandt
John Alexander
Jeff Julian
Becky Isserman
Tim Hibbard