Ask HN: How did you get into programming?

[pythonboi]

I just read the article on the Neopets website and read many comments on HN about how many members of the community later became Software Engineers because of Neopets.

So I am asking you, how did you get into programming?

I got into programming in my freshman year of high school. I always messed around with TI BASIC on the TI-84 calculator. I eventually wrote basic programs that would handle basic formulas that we had to remember in Algebra II and Trigonometry. Eventually, I had to take a Java programming course in my Governor's School program. I learned a lot but felt a bit jaded by my teacher so I never pursued programming much after high school. It wasn't until I transferred from my community college to a 4 year school that I gave programming a go again.

[leed25d]

When I was in the Army, in 1971, there was a computer in our supply warehouse. The programmer was rotating home and there was no replacement. I was assigned to the task. I got two weeks of OJT from the programmer before he said "Good luck" and went home.

I was left with a few manuals and a few file cabinets full of programs punched on 80 column cards. The computer was a Univac 1005, an ancient card processor with 4K core, yes core, memory and a few peripherals (card reader, collator, card punch, line printer).

After a few months, I decided that I wanted to learn more about computing. When my service was over, I went to college (UMASS, Amherst) on the GI Bill and graduated in 1974. I had very little student debt it was paid off in about a year.

I have been programming ever since I graduated, I work mainly in Python nowadays.