How I got my start with Computers?

[DB]

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.

[MeganC]

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. 

[Cyber Liberty]

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. 

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

[DB]

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...

[Cyber Liberty]

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.

[DB]

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...

[DB]

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.

[Bigun]

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.

[corbe]

   My earliest memory of BAUD Rate was 14.4, I soon jumped to 36.6

[Cyber Liberty]

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!

[Bigun]

These guys are all just pups!

  

[roamer_1]

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  is history too. 

[roamer_1]

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

[Kamaji]

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.

[Bigun]

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.

[DB]

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...

[Bigun]

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!