The point of computers from the first electronic iterations has always been the same: solve things faster than humanly possible and render repetitive tasks.
I look back at the days of PET's, Apple's, and Commodore's and clearly see the utility of those devices. At the time, you could not simply purchase an application to solve everything for you. Often the only way to render a solution was to build your own calculator and formulas.
Today it is much harder to develop a "full-fledged" application with an installer and graphics and that takes into account every user's life-style, habits, and literacy. This leads to the conventional shortcoming of "pleasing all of the people all of the time". I'm often not pleased with many modern apps for this reason. I wish to be able to break and tweak apps to better serve me. Alas this would require access to the source code and some programming knowledge might be required.
If I could program fluently, I wouldn't be out to make money. I'd make apps that do whatever task I want and then share them with everybody. This is something that so many users in user-groups (especially the 'nix communities) do. I can think of countless times I've had an idea for a small utility or application that would simplify so much for myself. It's just too bad I'm not that capable.
As I'm diving into Unix and (God help me) C#, I'm wondering what YOU guys do with your programming knowledge.
I'm only learning C# because I have the opportunity to take the reins in a certain position at my work if I can just handle the basics and it turned out to be quite simple. But surely you guys have something you get to put to use on a regular basis all thanks to your computer skills.
Doesn't matter if it was the 70's or 2007. What did you make, why, how, and what would you like to do next?
I look back at the days of PET's, Apple's, and Commodore's and clearly see the utility of those devices. At the time, you could not simply purchase an application to solve everything for you. Often the only way to render a solution was to build your own calculator and formulas.
Today it is much harder to develop a "full-fledged" application with an installer and graphics and that takes into account every user's life-style, habits, and literacy. This leads to the conventional shortcoming of "pleasing all of the people all of the time". I'm often not pleased with many modern apps for this reason. I wish to be able to break and tweak apps to better serve me. Alas this would require access to the source code and some programming knowledge might be required.
If I could program fluently, I wouldn't be out to make money. I'd make apps that do whatever task I want and then share them with everybody. This is something that so many users in user-groups (especially the 'nix communities) do. I can think of countless times I've had an idea for a small utility or application that would simplify so much for myself. It's just too bad I'm not that capable.
As I'm diving into Unix and (God help me) C#, I'm wondering what YOU guys do with your programming knowledge.
I'm only learning C# because I have the opportunity to take the reins in a certain position at my work if I can just handle the basics and it turned out to be quite simple. But surely you guys have something you get to put to use on a regular basis all thanks to your computer skills.
Doesn't matter if it was the 70's or 2007. What did you make, why, how, and what would you like to do next?
