My grandfather saw that computers were going to be important. So, he got me a Commodore64. Inflation adjusted, that was probably a $600 gift for an 8 year old. I tried copying the code from the magazines. But, it didn't click until that same grandfather sent me to a summer camp that was mostly sports, but also had a class in LOGO (TurtleDraw). Thanks, Grandpa!
In high school, the IT guy got bored and started a class teaching Pascal. The whole class timeshared a Linux 386 via amber Wyse terminals. He also had a follow-on class that taught C. But, his attitude was "If you made it through the first class and came back, you're cool. Here's a book on C and a compiler. Go make up your own assignments and I'll be busy teaching Pascal to the new kids over there." I've been programming C/C++ for over 25 years now. Thanks, IT Guy!
In high school, the IT guy got bored and started a class teaching Pascal. The whole class timeshared a Linux 386 via amber Wyse terminals. He also had a follow-on class that taught C. But, his attitude was "If you made it through the first class and came back, you're cool. Here's a book on C and a compiler. Go make up your own assignments and I'll be busy teaching Pascal to the new kids over there." I've been programming C/C++ for over 25 years now. Thanks, IT Guy!