

My Life With Tim - hhm
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/mylifewithtim

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maxklein
When I read such articles, or I see biographies where everyone started
programming on their Atari when they were 6 years old, I wonder - was I the
only one who started using a computer after they were 18? Are the majority of
hackers people who grew up using computers, understanding them and being
around them?

~~~
startingup
I touched my first computer at 19, but that was just one mandatory college
class in programming, after which I never touched a computer for several
years. I didn't become a programmer until I was 26 and even then, it was a
chore I had to do as part of my regular job - it took me a while to actually
like it. I had no interest in software until I was 28-29.

I am 40 now, and have had a fair bit of success in software (enough to be an
occasional angel).

So don't worry - there are lots of slow learners like me!

~~~
prakash
So, what changed at 28-29? Was it the choice of programming language? The
advent of the Internet?

~~~
startingup
I suppose that was when I got interested in starting a business. I realized
software is one area where you don't need much capital. So I decided to fall
in love with software ;)

To be honest, I hugely enjoyed it, though it was a kind of marriage of
convenience at first.

~~~
prakash
Out of curiosity, which prog. language did you start with?

~~~
startingup
C++ (which a colleague taught me)

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defen
This was a fun essay. However it also contains one of the really annoying
aspects of aaronsw's writings, when he calls DanC's "socially conservative
politics" one of DanC's flaws.

~~~
hhm
I thought he was specifically speaking of extreme positions such as that of
intelligent design.

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queensnake
This guy's going to commit suicide someday, I sense it.

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pius
Beautiful essay.

