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How did you get interested in software development?

Diner Das on June 10, 2023

What's your origin story?

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Danny Romero

I learned about affiliate marketing and Wordpress. I eventually wanted to make all the font changes and background images with css and fell in love with it. Took a bootcamp from Nov 2014 - Jan 2015. Got a job in June and it’s been a ride since

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Ben Halpern

Nice! I think Wordpress helped lots of people move from marketing to development.

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Andres Becker • Edited

Geocities

geocities

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Ben Halpern

+1

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Red Ochsenbein (he/him) • Edited

When I was 9 we had a Philips G7000 (Magnavox Odyssey 2 outside of Europe) gaming console at home. My father bought a somewhat strange "game" cartridge: "09 Computer Programmer" and I wanted to see what this game was about. When starting it I was greeted with a blinking cursor. I tried to find out, what it does, so I started typing stuff from the manual... and changing/breaking it... until I was able to write my own little programs. It turns out I learned Assembly along the way.
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Ben Halpern

Besides always having some interest in technology, what really got me fully over the hump was an interest in entrepreneurship after college. Software development has been the best expression of my interest in invention and making my own career.

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Jelil Adesina

After graduating from high school in the year 2003, I decided to live with an extended brother of mine. Fortunately for me, he owned a desktop computer which I later fell in love Mavis Beacon. So I decided to took a course in computer science and the rest is a history.

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Femi Akinyemi

"That's fantastic! It's amazing how a desktop computer and Mavis Beacon sparked your interest in computer science. Taking that course was a game-changer for you. Can you tell me more about your journey since then?"

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Dan Bailey

When I was young, we were living in the American sector of West Berlin, dad was a nerd in the army, and bought himself an IMSAI 8080. I was fascinated. And then when he got out of the army and into civilian life, he added an Apple ][+, which was my real gateway into coding. I quickly tired of the games that were available and started trying to make my own (which were, well, terrible). But from that point on, I was a computer nerd, first and foremost.

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Adolfo Neto

That's a lons story that started at a friend's birthday. He had a computer. A few months later I had a computer too and I learned BASIC.

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Ben Halpern

How much does your knowledge of BASIC affect how you think about the craft these days?

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On Work

I got interested in software development through a combination of curiosity and problem-solving. I enjoyed figuring out how things worked and loved the challenge of creating solutions from scratch. Over time, this interest grew as I learned more about coding and the possibilities it offers. If you need more info then visit this page.

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cloutierjo

Got a small kids laptop with a 4x25 char lcd screen which had a lot of kids game like hangman and other educationnal stuff. But one of the "activity" was called "BASIC". That kid computer came with a 200page instruction manual that in fact only explain how to use the BASIC activity. and after a while, I knew basic development. Later on we upgraded to a commodor64 and I already knew how to build large program and now with many more screen estate :)

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Khuzama Raniya

Many people become interested in software development for various reasons. Some common factors that contribute to an interest in software development include:

Problem-solving: Software development offers the opportunity to solve complex problems and create innovative solutions. This aspect can attract individuals who enjoy analytical thinking and finding creative ways to tackle challenges.

Curiosity and passion for technology: Software development is closely tied to technology and innovation. Those who have a genuine interest in technology, computers, and how software works often find themselves naturally drawn to software development.

Creative expression: Software development is a creative endeavor that allows individuals to build and bring their ideas to life. Developers have the ability to create software applications, websites, games, and other digital products that can have a real impact on people's lives.

Growing demand and career opportunities: Software development is a rapidly evolving field with a high demand for skilled professionals. This demand, coupled with the potential for well-paying and intellectually stimulating careers, can be a motivating factor for individuals to pursue software development.

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Oscar

When I was 10 (ish) I wanted to install Minecraft mods without my dads help. Super basic stuff now, but that took me a good 4 or 5 hours to figure out back then.

Poked around in the CMD for a while after that, and that sparked my interest in programming.

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Benny Alexander

During my college days (late 80s), I was denied access to a computer lab in my college when I wanted to accompany my friends who played chess for the college team and practicing with the computer. That hurt much and I decided to do learn computers. I joined a computer course the same day evening, and started learning MS Dos, BASIC and Pascal. That made me to go ahead further to post graduations with a computer degree and joined as a programmer in a US based company.

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Millicent A. Obwanda

I've always had this burning curiosity about how things work, especially when it comes to technology. One day, as I was tinkering with my first laptop, I found myself completely fascinated by the inner workings of the programs and wondered where they all came from. Although I had used websites before, I had no clue about the magic happening behind the scenes through coding and programming.

In my quest to uncover the mysteries, I stumbled upon an article that introduced me to the captivating world of software development. As I immersed myself in its words, something inside me clicked. It was like the article was speaking directly to my soul, and I couldn't ignore the strong conviction that this was the path I was meant to take.

With that newfound excitement, I dove headfirst into learning and practicing programming. Step by step, I absorbed knowledge, honed my skills, and pushed myself to new heights. It has been an incredible journey, and I'm proud of how far I've come.

If you're curious about my work, I invite you to explore my GitHub repository. There, you'll find a collection of projects that reflect my growth and passion as a software developer. From web applications that push the boundaries of creativity to elegant algorithms that solve complex problems, each project tells a story of my dedication and love for this craft.

But I don't want this journey to be a solitary one. I believe that collaboration is where the real magic happens. So, I warmly extend an invitation to you to join me on this adventure. Let's explore new possibilities, exchange ideas, and create something truly extraordinary together. I can't wait to see what we can achieve!

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Charles Campbell

When I was younger, I had a bit of artistic talent and so when my guidance counselor called me on the phone in the summer of 1996 and suggested I take a Pastel class to fulfill an elective my Junior year of H.S. (1996), I didn't think much of it and agreed, figured it'd be an easy A. Given I was loaded up on AP and Honors courses already, the thought of a less challenging class was an easy sell for me. Fast forward a few months later, when I walked into class the first day, the teacher started talking about computers and programming languages and I was utterly confused, but I didn't say anything, because I also was extremely inthralled. Finally she writes on the board the word "Pascal" and I quickly realized I totally misunderstood what my guidance counselor had suggested over the phone. But after that first class I was hooked on the idea of being able to control computers using programming languages and was inspired to pursue a degree in Computer Science when I got to college.

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Jenuel Oras Ganawed

I'm addicted to video games when I was a kid. I played games that I didn't realize I am also learning how to operate a computer, then I got curios about how games and software's are created, then started searching how to do it.

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Stefano Canepa

One day, my father bought a Spectravideo MSX computer. My brother and I started playing with it, but at one point, my brother lost interest in those simple games, and I began writing my own BASIC programs.

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On Work

I got interested in software development when I started tinkering with computers and realized how much I enjoyed solving problems and building things from scratch. It all began with a simple project—creating a small app to automate a repetitive task. Seeing how a few lines of code could make a significant difference was incredibly motivating. Over time, I took more formal courses, joined developer communities, and started working on various projects, which deepened my passion for the field. The continuous learning and creativity involved in software development keep me engaged and excited to explore new technologies and challenges.

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Azim Bialiev

When I was 7 years old, my mother gifted me my first computer.
It was an Intel Pentium 3 with 512mb RAM.
I really heated using the computer, it was too complicated, until I discovered
videogames on PC.
When I've got a copy of GTA Vice City from a friend, I really fell in love with the technology.
I became really curious about how the game was built and what was the purpose of the game files on the CD.
Now I'm 27 years old and I'm a developer since 23

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San D.

Found Visual Studio back in 2016 moving to version 2017. I'm still a beginner.

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Bora Karaca

I started with old vBulletin forums and FileZilla trying to create my forum site. It sucked pretty bad, but it got me interested in tech.

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Jon Randy 🎖️

ZX Spectrum 48k

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ShrimpandGits

web development and marketing got me playing with features on the settings tabs of websites. From there I just kept leaning in.

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Sherry Day

I took some computer courses in High School, and just took to it.