| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Barefoot Andrew |
Computer programming for kidsI was looking sommat else up when I came across this site:-Java for kids. I've not really studied it but it could be a good starting point for young uns interested in getting technical. A. |
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| orangepippin |
When I was growing up in the 70s, we all had early computers (BBC Micros and Spectrums) and we all spent ages keying in program listings from magazines. One of the consequences was that a generation grew up knowing about programming, and many of the early games software companies were UK-based. Sad to say, but the next generation is more interested in consuming rather than creating software. Amazingly, programming is still not taught in schools. So anything that encourages young people to get into programming must be a good thing. | ||||
| jema |
Those were the days 
Okay I could program already, but the BBC-B honed the skills. It was a good time for programming, I recall kids at school used to play my starship game on the schools research machine in the breaks It was a dead simple game where you both had an enterprise like ship displayed on screen and you took it in turns to move your ship, fire (by entering 0-360 for the direction) and then raise one of 8 shields.
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| Barefoot Andrew |
I suspect most if not all of Downsizer's techie people learned their trades as teenagers. I certainly did 
And we were all so content with the most humble graphics
A. |
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| marigold |
According to Wiki Micros and Spectrums didn't come out until 1981 and 1982 respectively  . I started my computing career in 1980 on a training course run by American Express. Prior to that the existence of computers had barely registered on my consciousness. If fact, barmy as it seems (even to me) now, when I applied for the training course I thought it had something to do with learning to be a manager because the course was called the Management Services Training Scheme  . To my astonishment I passed the aptitude test, got through the interviews and found myself learning computer programming at nearly twice what I'd earned in the call centre. Totally accidental career for me . I shall never cease to be grateful to my manager in the call centre who encouraged me to go for it.
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| tahir |
So you're a techie too? Well I never.
My problem is I'm soooo not a techie but end up doing all sorts of techie jobs. Maybe that's why I'm so crap at them? 
And the first time I touched a computer was in my late 20s, and it wasn't till I started abusing the accounts depts recently retired Tandy Deskmate 2000 that I realised what HD, RAM etc were. Ahh Dos 3.3, things were so much simpler then, luvverly. |
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| marigold |
Was, not now really (and I've never made a secret of it!). All my tech knowledge is so out of date it's the equivalent of steam engines .
You might be better than you think  . Knowing your limitations is valuable.
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| marigold |
Re: Computer programming for kids
Incidentally, every time I click on that link in Firefox my broadband session dies. Seems OK in Safari though. Strange .
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| orangepippin |
You are right, well it was a long time ago! |
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| oldish chris |
I'm old enough to be able to start off by pointing out that in my day we had proper programming languages, (I cut my teeth on Algol back in '73) none of this 4GL stuff, certainly nothing as awful as BASIC. (Or Visual Basic which was invented to teach you how not to write programs IMHO) My advice would be to go for something like "C" (what we used to call a "structured" programming language). Java looks, at first sight, like a sensible option.
A feature of proper programming languages is you have to know quite a bit, and have done some program design, before you can write the first line of code. |
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| marigold |
I'm not sure that the actual programming language matters as much for potential programmers as understanding concepts like thoroughly understanding what the programme you are writing is supposed to do, documenting the code, having meaningful (and standardised) error-handling routines, testing your own work thoroughly... | ||||
| Barefoot Andrew |
Is it time for another coding standards discussion?
A. |
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| vegplot |
I though Lego Technics was a good way for children to start. | ||||
| Jamanda |
Bet no one else here was expected to programme in Aberystwyth Basic
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Is it possible to spell 'print' and 'input' without any vowels? A. |
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| jema |
I think 4gls de-skill the job to the point where a lot of programmers no longer have need to access anything at a nitty gritty algorithm level. I have not written or even explicitly used a hash function in probably 5 years, languages these days do all that for you. This does not lead to programmers being good programmers, and does not lead to efficient code 
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| Barefoot Andrew |
I've made a hash of a function a few times
A. |
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| shopgirlsue |
Bet my OH can - that's where he did his computer studies degree a million years ago
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| Jamanda |
Oh, Lord. Not another one! When? I graduated 1988. |
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| shopgirlsue |
Don't worry you won't have met him - he's a golden oldie - graduated in about 1975/6. We're both ancient IT geeks - paper tape anyone 
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| Jamanda |
We had a computer at my school that took cards with holes in. Not sure how it worked.
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| orangepippin |
Did you read "The C Programming Language" by Kernighan and Ritchie - almost a work of art, as well as a programming manual. |