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Abstract

d0">Part-time job — in computer lab changing printer ribbons — helping students with projects</p><p id="509c">Part-time job — with Professor on city computer system conversion</p><p id="c3b2">Personal Computers (PC) make their debut — must be self-taught to learn</p><p id="c935">(FYI) Priced IBM PC for a company, 640K RAM, 10-megabyte hard drive, dot matrix printer — $10,000</p><p id="380c">Graduated College</p><h2 id="ed6b">First job</h2><p id="81bc">HP3000 system — COBOL programmer — Batch manufacturing software company (anything in vats)</p><p id="e827">Bought Tandy Model IV TRS-DOS operating system — 64K memory, two 5 ¼ inch drives, dot-matrix printer (speed 1 page a month) Approximately$ 3,000.00.</p><p id="1732">Self-taught learning of PC Basic</p><h2 id="bfc9">New job</h2><p id="5d6a">Part of Bell Telephone 7 Regions — BELLCORE — Operating Systems Department — UNIX OS</p><p id="8cf5">Bought Tandy 1000 IBM compatible computer — 640K, 3 1/2-inch diskette — added 10 Meg hard drive card (yes, a card) approximately $999.00</p><h2 id="b9df">Next Job</h2><p id="b1f4">COBOL Programmer — Mail Order/Phone order software company (no Ecommerce then)</p><p id="4d02">Learn PC languages</p><p id="272c">dBase 4 — database and language — run-time language</p><p id="83c5">Clipper — dBase 4 compiler program — includes exclusive functions</p><p id="5be0">Side job — wrote a Clipper program for photography store for Sports Pictures</p><p id="6630">C language — changed to C++ language — change to C# language — changed to C.Net (AAARRGGGHH!)</p><p id="8a53">Microsoft Access — side job — wrote inventory system for negatives for a different photography company</p><h2 id="99d2">Going Independent and new online companies</h

Options

2><p id="f13b">Had small business clients of software installation, training, etc.</p><p id="3cde">Did contract COBOL programming for HP3000 Mail Order companies</p><p id="8bdc">Bought 1200-baud dial-up modem for online bulletin boards — the first wave of online information</p><p id="c5f7">Joined COMPUSERVE — text-based information company — like a first Google/Yahoo</p><p id="2459">Found first internet provider (local back then) with Netscape browser — Graphics!!</p><h2 id="59a4">Learning the net programming</h2><p id="ea78">Learned HTML — static website — learn CSS</p><p id="a4a8">Now had to learn dynamic websites — learn to set up IIS — link to Microsoft Access databases</p><p id="05c2">Had to learn ASP and then ASPX (AAARRRGGHHH again)</p><p id="7129">Next job — another mail-order company but had to connect to the internet for orders, inventory, etc.</p><p id="6acc">Had to learn Windows-based COBOL with embedded SQL statements</p><h2 id="b2fd">The bottom drops out</h2><p id="6637">I was dedicated to HP mainframes with a proprietary operating system, but then HP decided to end the line to focus on UNIX-based mainframes for more profit. The HP3000 line of computers was too good, and they could not make a lot of money in support and hardware maintenance, so they discontinued an extremely reliable computer.</p><p id="bd34">The company I was with started losing HP3000 customers and I was one of the highest-paid people. I was let go, as companies get rid of payroll expenses first. I was not the only higher-earning person to get let go, so it wasn’t just me.</p><p id="39b9">For all you developers just starting out, I wish you all the luck, and make sure you keep your seatbelt fastened!</p></article></body>

A History of a 30+ Year Programming Career

With a glimpse of the developing world of computers (not just for techies)

Image by Erik Pitti From Wikimedia Commons

Here we are, people from all over the world telling their thoughts, dreams, and life stories on this thing called Medium. It is an amazing accomplishment of technology and people’s desire to have a place for these words that we add every day. But not too long ago, this would not have even been conceived of ever happening…

Trying to keep up with computer technology over the last 30 years has been a challenge. The rapid changes were very hard to keep up with as far as programming. Sit back and have a one-line glimpse into the heyday of the development.

I was mostly a mainframe COBOL developer but tried to keep up with the new languages being developed, but never could do it part-time as I was always working full-time plus side jobs.

So, fasten your seatbelt…

The start

1971 — graduate high school — begin construction job

1981 — quit construction — enroll in college for Computer Science Degree

Only mainframe courses — Basic — Fortran — COBOL — Assembler (machine language)

Basic on a teletype machine with phone coupler — COBOL and Assembler on Punch Cards

Part-time job — backup mainframe for a company at 6:00 AM before classes

Started up a previously defunct computer club

Part-time job — in computer lab changing printer ribbons — helping students with projects

Part-time job — with Professor on city computer system conversion

Personal Computers (PC) make their debut — must be self-taught to learn

(FYI) Priced IBM PC for a company, 640K RAM, 10-megabyte hard drive, dot matrix printer — $10,000

Graduated College

First job

HP3000 system — COBOL programmer — Batch manufacturing software company (anything in vats)

Bought Tandy Model IV TRS-DOS operating system — 64K memory, two 5 ¼ inch drives, dot-matrix printer (speed 1 page a month) Approximately $3,000.00.

Self-taught learning of PC Basic

New job

Part of Bell Telephone 7 Regions — BELLCORE — Operating Systems Department — UNIX OS

Bought Tandy 1000 IBM compatible computer — 640K, 3 1/2-inch diskette — added 10 Meg hard drive card (yes, a card) approximately $999.00

Next Job

COBOL Programmer — Mail Order/Phone order software company (no Ecommerce then)

Learn PC languages

dBase 4 — database and language — run-time language

Clipper — dBase 4 compiler program — includes exclusive functions

Side job — wrote a Clipper program for photography store for Sports Pictures

C language — changed to C++ language — change to C# language — changed to C.Net (AAARRGGGHH!)

Microsoft Access — side job — wrote inventory system for negatives for a different photography company

Going Independent and new online companies

Had small business clients of software installation, training, etc.

Did contract COBOL programming for HP3000 Mail Order companies

Bought 1200-baud dial-up modem for online bulletin boards — the first wave of online information

Joined COMPUSERVE — text-based information company — like a first Google/Yahoo

Found first internet provider (local back then) with Netscape browser — Graphics!!

Learning the net programming

Learned HTML — static website — learn CSS

Now had to learn dynamic websites — learn to set up IIS — link to Microsoft Access databases

Had to learn ASP and then ASPX (AAARRRGGHHH again)

Next job — another mail-order company but had to connect to the internet for orders, inventory, etc.

Had to learn Windows-based COBOL with embedded SQL statements

The bottom drops out

I was dedicated to HP mainframes with a proprietary operating system, but then HP decided to end the line to focus on UNIX-based mainframes for more profit. The HP3000 line of computers was too good, and they could not make a lot of money in support and hardware maintenance, so they discontinued an extremely reliable computer.

The company I was with started losing HP3000 customers and I was one of the highest-paid people. I was let go, as companies get rid of payroll expenses first. I was not the only higher-earning person to get let go, so it wasn’t just me.

For all you developers just starting out, I wish you all the luck, and make sure you keep your seatbelt fastened!