"~BD~" <BoaterDave@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2cqdnecnl62jtyHWnZ2dnUVZ8oCdnZ2d@bt.com...
> FromTheRafters wrote:
>> "Ant"<not@home.today> wrote in message
>> news:BNmdnafAKawjAybWnZ2dnUVZ7qednZ2d@brightview.c o.uk...
>>> "FromTheRafters" wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've been computering since 1972. Programming in BASIC, FORTRAN,
>>>> ALGOL,
>>>> and COBOL. No IBM cards involved (did have paper tape though). I
>>>> believe
>>>> Ant has been doing this longer than I. I may claim an earlier date,
>>>> but
>>>> I believe he was "hands-on" where I was via teletype.
>>>
>>> Very much hands on, in fact I ruled the computer room (or thought I
>>> did). An early BOFH, but not so much of a *******! I soon taught
>>> myself Fortran and assembler and tested it on the machines during
>>> idle-time. Then moved in to programming full-time and learnt a few
>>> more languages on the way. These days, I'm mostly into C and x86
>>> asm.
>>
>> Once you have the concept of how computer languages work, you can be
>> better equipped to choose the right one for a project. I started out
>> with a library book on machine language programming, and was
>> intrigued
>> by how assembler mnemonics made it easier to program. Spaghetti
>> coding
>> in BASIC led me to the more structured languages.
>>
>> ...then, due to a small 'inciting to riot' conviction, shifted into
>> electronics technician (ET) instead of data systems technician (DS)
>> upon
>> joining the US Navy. That gave me some hardware experience to go
>> along
>> with the rest. All-in-all, I haven't done much programming.
>>
>>
> What did you do in the US Navy, FTR?

Electronic repair and maintenance of radar, IFF, and *other*
communications gear.

> Did you serve for a long or short time?

Six years.

> What work did you do when you left service?

Worked on a DOD contract for a while, then bench technician, then
installer (car stereos, discothéque lights and sound, intercomm
systems), then came home to care for elderly parents - and became a
grocery store (supermarket) worker (that's where the white frocks and
sharp objects come into play).

....it was time for a change anyway.

> Unlike some, I made a complete change in direction when I became a
> civilian!

I guess that depends on the usefulness of the skill set you came away
with. I would rather repair electronics than have a job where I had to
carry a gun, don't get me wrong, I like guns - I just don't want a job
that requires one (like teaching in school for instance) D