>My first language was zeroes and ones on an IBM 705II, but Fortran captivated me as soon as I saw it.
>And yes, the program was on punched cards.
>I was managing a data center at the time and I used Fortran to forecast the running time of tape sorts- disc wasn't around then- depending on the number of inputs-about 10 lines of Fortran code.

My only experience with cards was at the college, where we had a Varian 72. Don't know whether I saw the actual machine more than five times. The card punch was a cranky old box, and anyone wearing a ballpoint pen in shirt pocket would be welcome to donate the spring from it - the technicians always needed those. Various places in the contraption required regular replacements.

It was very sensitive to variations in voltage, so there was a special gadget which kept it within one permille of the desired level. It was also sensitive to static electricity, so there was a copper web under the carpet, grounded. The following dialog actually happened*:

girl: are we allowed to get in there?
my roommate: depends... what's your underwear?
girl: white...
roommate: if it's synthetic then better don't go in, may cause a malfunction.

And yes, we coded on those paper forms, with grid preprinted in some light blue, red or green lines, and hoped that the operator won't make too many typos.
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* at first I wrote 'took place' but then realized that the area of place taken is imaginary