Chris,

Wow.. Interesting story. You don't often run into folks who started as young as you have. I guess not all teenagers are pimply-faced creatures. *gd&rvvf*




>>Chris,
>>
>>Say, where is "The Junction"?
>>
>
>The junction is simply where I work, its kinda like the bit of land between about 4 suburbs that no-one could decide which bit to own :)
>In more general terms though it is in Newcastle.
>
>Before I moved out, closer to work and uni. I was about 40 minutes away at a place called Arcadia Vale, right on Lake Macquarie, Lovely place.
>We were on a corner. Across one road was the bush, across the other was a little reserve then the lake. Its not like out in the country, we had neighbours, but its a long way from any serious form of city.
>High school was at Toronto, about 15 mins away on the bus. (yes there is a Toronto in Australia and Canada ;) )
>
>
>>
>>Not you perhaps but far too many others do. You seem to have taken my generaalization and made it personal. It really wasn't meant that way.
>
>I didnt mean to take it personally, I just started using the 'me' to represent everyone :)
>
>>
>>Wel, I don't like the attitudes of some people though the folks here are by and large the finest you'll find. It's the welfare ticks I have trouble with. Not those who are in genuine need but those who think everyone else owes them.
>
>Yes, we unfortunatley have an entire populace of people that have been brought up thinking they can be this way, and are not being re-inforced in anyway to believe otherwise.
>The problem is that to speak out against, or question this, is racist, due to their being another race. It doesnt seem to matter that we are all Australians.
>
>>
>>Well, unless things are vastly different in Australia than here I dare say that most 19 year olds pretty much think about these kinds of things. <s>
>>
>
>Again I still feel it is what you gauge the estimates on.
>Go ask a teen guy in the street if he thinking about sex, he will prob say yes.
>Look inside his head though, and he probly isnt. He just wants people to think he is, its an image thing.
>
>>>But I dont drink, and I have a girlfriend of 3 years that I live with, so personally I dont waste my thoughts.
>>
>>I applaud you for not drinking. Do yourself a favor - make the committment and marry the girl. If you love her, why not. <s>
>
>hehe, (or wait, should i start using the <bg>...)
>Maybe in a few years. Gotta make sure I can provide for both of us first.
>
>
>>Wow.. Started at around 11/12? Facinating. What languages.?
>
>Well it all started in Year 7 (or First Form if you prefer)
>My brother, 2 years older had started Computer Studies, and they have a small Qbasic component in there.
>He came home, and after much trying to remember and a little look at his work, showed me the PRINT command, quite proud of himself. He attempted to show me an INPUT command that would let him get stuff back from the user, but couldnt work it out.
>I thought that was pretty cool, so I spent a few hours digging into Qbasic help until I could make it input something.
>And it went from there.
>My entire basic skill set of programming was self taught in QBasic. No books, no examples, just the help file and lots of time :)
>Back then, being a programmer wasnt a big interest, I had fun playing around, but didnt think I would like it as a job. I was more interested in Hardware.
>So I played around for a few years in QB, Once I got onto the net, I tried to look at some C/C++, it didnt happen though, I was struggling with OO concepts. But i stumbled on a really good java tutorial, the first bit of which explained OO really really well. So I picked all that up, but didnt really use it again for a while.
>I fiddled with VB, Pascal, Java, all sorts of things, but as I said, I wasnt too keen on a programming job, so nothing got as much attention as the original QB stuff. (I turned out some 20k+ line programs in QB, just for the fun of it, they would hit the 64k limit, so I would have to break bits off into external apps and stuff, it was all good fun)
>Somewhere along the line I realised I had to make a choice, Software or Hardware, this was probly in Year 11, was starting to look at uni courses etc.
>And somehow, Programming won out. But I was busy with the HSC (Aus exams that determin what degree you can get into etc).
>
>Somewhere amongst all this, My brother went away for the weekend, and came back with a gf, who also lived locally and had gone away for the weeked.
>As I was finishing school, she got me in contact with her dad, he was a programmer and she knew I was interested in it. That turned out to be David Bower, and was my foot in the door :)
>
>Ive learnt a load more in the year and half of full time work that Ive done then in all those years before.
>But they were my grounding, and got me started very young on the way of thinking.
>
>Its stories like the one above that let me know I have had a 'lucky' life.
>Sure, my dad died when I was 11, and my mother brought up me and my brother on part time wages, (probly equate to maybe 5k US a year at its peak).
>But she is brilliant, and I couldnt find a better parent. That time lets me appreciate the money I earn now better.
>I like to keep positive.
>I know I was blessed with a natural intelligence that astounds even me at times. And I know have the strange ability to luck into opputunities (like my job).
>So it all evens out somewhere along the line.
>
>And as for now, Im in a job I love, doing work I love. And getting paid too :)
>
>So that turned into a life story.
>Guess Im getting pretty comfortable with everyone on the UT now :)