My mum was a self-professed luddite - as in the traditional term where she hates technology. However, knew I was good at maths and could see how computing was going to be a big part of the future. So she'd buy me every book on computing she came across in second-hand book stores. It didn't matter what they were on, she'd get them for me (still does too). So back in the pre-internet days and even before I had my own computer I'd read and re-read them constantly. And I'd try my hand at writing programs on paper and tracing them out in my head.
My grandmother bought a brand new Commodore 64 because she could afford it, and played some games but not much else. She did however show me how to run BASIC. So whenever I went over she'd let me on there, and I'd transcribe my programs into the computer and finally get a chance to run them and see if my thinking was right.
My mum was a self-professed luddite - as in the traditional term where she hates technology. However, knew I was good at maths and could see how computing was going to be a big part of the future. So she'd buy me every book on computing she came across in second-hand book stores. It didn't matter what they were on, she'd get them for me (still does too). So back in the pre-internet days and even before I had my own computer I'd read and re-read them constantly. And I'd try my hand at writing programs on paper and tracing them out in my head.
My grandmother bought a brand new Commodore 64 because she could afford it, and played some games but not much else. She did however show me how to run BASIC. So whenever I went over she'd let me on there, and I'd transcribe my programs into the computer and finally get a chance to run them and see if my thinking was right.