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Author Topic: How I got my start with Computers?  (Read 21450 times)

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Offline DB

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #100 on: February 22, 2026, 10:38:29 am »
Quote from: roamer_1 on February 21, 2026, 11:54:31 pm
FreeBasic is great! Though the only thing I use much is the compiler. I don't use the IDE on any of em, and libraries are just examples for me... Like I said, I tend to write my own libs/mods to keep em super trim.

But I use a text editor for writing - ConText for general use (probably my favorite) or PSPad sometimes, for a big project that requires a workspace - It will open and position multiple things, so it's handy.

That's pretty much it. That and a compiler. All of my dev platform is otherwise custom written. I'm a weirdo that way, I guess. If I need a tool, I'll write it and put it in my toybox. Libs and mods... I have been doing this a long time, so I probably have something in the tree already that I can reuse or modify.

The only thing wrong with it all is when I need to update/upgrade... That is my particular hell. And it's coming on time to do it again... One more time.

I use the compiler but not the IDE. I did a long time ago but moved on. I use UltraEdit for that. I also use Visual Studio Code a lot these days but not for FreeBASIC. I do use the FB libraries for DLL interfaces for various operations like SNMP (winsnmp.bi) and the zlib.bi compression functions to create PNG graphic files.
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Offline MeganC

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #101 on: February 22, 2026, 04:52:05 pm »
In 2008 my mom bought (stole?) me a laptop and I got online using a neighbor's open wifi. I had a short experience with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Yahoo Groups. Then I grew up.  tipping hat!!
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Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #102 on: February 22, 2026, 05:52:20 pm »
Quote from: MeganC on February 22, 2026, 04:52:05 pm
In 2008 my mom bought (stole?) me a laptop and I got online using a neighbor's open wifi. I had a short experience with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Yahoo Groups. Then I grew up.  tipping hat!!

You started off with Wifi!  Dang, you're a whippersnapper!!
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Offline DB

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #103 on: February 22, 2026, 06:04:30 pm »
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on February 22, 2026, 05:52:20 pm
You started off with Wifi!  Dang, you're a whippersnapper!!

Dial up (starting at around 14.4 kbps and migrating to 56 kbps over years), ISDN (128 kbps) for years and then finally a cable modem... Now 1 Gbps cable modem...
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Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #104 on: February 22, 2026, 06:51:02 pm »
Quote from: DB on February 22, 2026, 06:04:30 pm
Dial up (starting at around 14.4 kbps and migrating to 56 kbps over years), ISDN (128 kbps) for years and then finally a cable modem... Now 1 Gbps cable modem...

I started off with a Commodore C64, acquired a 300 Baud telephone dialup to a Gofernet connection. Immediately found a schematic diagram to upgrade to a blazing fast Hayes 1200.  The rest is history.
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I don’t owe tolerance to people who disagree with my existence.
I will NOT comply.
 
Castillo del Cyber Autonomous Zone ~~~~~>                          :dontfeed:

Offline DB

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #105 on: February 22, 2026, 07:03:20 pm »
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on February 22, 2026, 06:51:02 pm
I started off with a Commodore C64, acquired a 300 Baud telephone dialup to a Gofernet connection. Immediately found a schematic diagram to upgrade to a blazing fast Hayes 1200.  The rest is history.

I signed up to an ISP in 1996. I was late to the game...
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Offline DB

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #106 on: February 22, 2026, 07:05:43 pm »
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on February 22, 2026, 06:51:02 pm
I started off with a Commodore C64, acquired a 300 Baud telephone dialup to a Gofernet connection. Immediately found a schematic diagram to upgrade to a blazing fast Hayes 1200.  The rest is history.

I did some bulletin boards before the Internet came along. In fact, BofA Home Banking started as a bulletin board service before the Internet. That's how I started doing electronic banking.
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Offline Bigun

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #107 on: February 22, 2026, 07:12:53 pm »
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on February 22, 2026, 06:51:02 pm
I started off with a Commodore C64, acquired a 300 Baud telephone dialup to a Gofernet connection. Immediately found a schematic diagram to upgrade to a blazing fast Hayes 1200.  The rest is history.

I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I finally graduated from 300 baud to 1200.

I lived on Usenet BBS.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2026, 07:14:05 pm by Bigun »
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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline corbe

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #108 on: February 22, 2026, 07:19:04 pm »
   My earliest memory of BAUD Rate was 14.4, I soon jumped to 36.6
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Offline Cyber Liberty

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #109 on: February 22, 2026, 08:37:26 pm »
Quote from: Bigun on February 22, 2026, 07:12:53 pm
I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I finally graduated from 300 baud to 1200.

I lived on Usenet BBS.

These guys are all just pups!
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I don’t owe tolerance to people who disagree with my existence.
I will NOT comply.
 
Castillo del Cyber Autonomous Zone ~~~~~>                          :dontfeed:

Offline Bigun

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #110 on: February 22, 2026, 08:41:57 pm »
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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline roamer_1

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #111 on: February 22, 2026, 09:10:37 pm »
Quote from: Cyber Liberty on February 22, 2026, 06:51:02 pm
I started off with a Commodore C64, acquired a 300 Baud telephone dialup to a Gofernet connection. Immediately found a schematic diagram to upgrade to a blazing fast Hayes 1200.  The rest is history.

Well, to be fair, all that  pointing-up is history too.  :whistle:
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #112 on: February 22, 2026, 09:14:50 pm »
Quote from: Bigun on February 22, 2026, 07:12:53 pm
I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I finally graduated from 300 baud to 1200.

I lived on Usenet BBS.

Been there done that. I remember dialing into individual sites (like colleges) that hosted repositories/usenets
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Offline Kamaji

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #113 on: February 22, 2026, 09:28:42 pm »
Quote from: Bigun on February 22, 2026, 07:12:53 pm
I thought I had died and gone to Heaven when I finally graduated from 300 baud to 1200.

I lived on Usenet BBS.

I remember those days.  For me, heaven was when my best friend's father got a home terminal from the NRL, and my best friend got a low-level user account.  Poking around on what was arpanet back then.
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Offline Bigun

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #114 on: February 22, 2026, 10:05:40 pm »
Quote from: Kamaji on February 22, 2026, 09:28:42 pm
I remember those days.  For me, heaven was when my best friend's father got a home terminal from the NRL, and my best friend got a low-level user account.  Poking around on what was arpanet back then.

Lots of fun and learning by brail in those days. One of the hardest lessons I learned along the way was to NEVER allow an AOL instillation disk in the same room with you computer.
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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline DB

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #115 on: February 22, 2026, 10:30:45 pm »
Quote from: Bigun on February 22, 2026, 10:05:40 pm
Lots of fun and learning by brail in those days. One of the hardest lessons I learned along the way was to NEVER allow an AOL instillation disk in the same room with you computer.

LOL! It was a virus...
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Offline Bigun

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Re: How I got my start with Computers?
« Reply #116 on: February 22, 2026, 10:34:30 pm »
Quote from: DB on February 22, 2026, 10:30:45 pm
LOL! It was a virus...

Damn right it was! A bad one in fact!  I've had to wipe hard drives and reinstall everything in order to get rid of that s&^t!
« Last Edit: February 22, 2026, 10:47:13 pm by Bigun »
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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien
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