Alice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Mar 7
what are we even doing here man
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Mar 7
if someone doesn't have experience with arrays, then they don't have enough experience with programming to hire them to program for you. they are still on page 9 of the programming book
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Mar 7
Specifically, this one.
The Usborne guide to Better BASIC: a beginners guide to writing programs (1983)
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Mar 7
See? Page 9. Arrays.
Paul Hennell • DevMar 7
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️

Usborne released a bunch of their old 80s programming books for free a while back, and they're all just a gem:

https://usborne.com/us/books/computer-and-coding-books

Mar 7 at 7:20amWeb
Show threadDaniel DurransMar 7
@foone I learnt everything I know from Computer Fun… I still have the book.
Show threadIan K TindaleMar 7
@dan @foone I learned everything I now don’t know anymore from this book (which I had)

archive.org/details/starting-forth-leo-brodie/mode/2up
Starting FORTH : Leo Brodie : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Starting FORTHby  Leo Brodie, FORTH Inc.An Introduction to the FORTH Language and Operating System for Beginners and ProfessionalsWith a foreword by Charles...

Internet Archive
Show threadTrammell HudsonMar 7
@foone I've posted this page from Usborne's guide to jargon before and commented that I'd be happy if all programmers were as computer literate as grade school students in the 80s.
Show threadAlice Averlong🏳️‍⚧️Mar 7
@th god that'd be nice
Show threadnLupo  Mar 7
@th @foone That looks like 6502, because it has an accumulator.
Show threadFaraiweMar 7
@th @foone for comparison, the other day I had to explain to some 20-whatevs-year-old dumbass vibe coder what a "register" is, in a CPU
Show threadPhil Thane ✅Mar 7
@th @foone Back then UK schools used to teach 'computing'. Then some education minister invented Information & Communication Technology (ICT) which in practice meant learning MS Office so you can work in a call centre.
Show threadtrusty falxter 🧠Mar 7

@foone For non-us users: the site is guessing your country and redirects to 404 page, if guess != "us" 🙄 But it's not geo fencing. You need to pick en-us at the home page and then request the above URL again. 😬

Edit: works also for en-gb

Show threadRoger SenMar 7
@flxtr @foone thx!
Show threadJSMuellerRoemerMar 7
@foone I get redirected to the German site with no option to switch pack (the 404 references a non-existent dropdown menu…)
Show threadStephan DruskatMar 7
@JSMuellerRoemer @foone See above https://social.tchncs.de/@flxtr/116186768953309522, worked for me, need to switch via the currency selector.
trusty falxter 🧠:natenomblack: (@[email protected])

@[email protected] For non-us users: the site is guessing your country and redirects to 404 page, if guess != "us" 🙄 But it's not geo fencing. You need to pick en-us at the home page and then request the above URL again. 😬

Mastodon
Show threadsolo “claire” esta bienMar 7
@foone wow even has representation for Leo the Late Bloomer right on the cover
Show threadweirdocollectorMar 7
@foone Unfortunately links goes to 404 😔
Show threadStephan DruskatMar 7
@weirdocollector @foone See above https://social.tchncs.de/@flxtr/116186768953309522, worked for me, need to switch via the currency selector.
trusty falxter 🧠:natenomblack: (@[email protected])

@[email protected] For non-us users: the site is guessing your country and redirects to 404 page, if guess != "us" 🙄 But it's not geo fencing. You need to pick en-us at the home page and then request the above URL again. 😬

Mastodon
Show threadMarc B. ReynoldsMar 7
@weirdocollector @foone I got the same because it was xforming the URL to fr instead of us. Going to the homepage and setting up language to English corrected.
Show threadKirtai 🏳️‍⚧️Mar 7
@foone
Ooh, they have the text adventure ones 
Show threadҐрeйсі Джейн 🏳️‍⚧️ (Quuxum)Mar 7
@foone The GOSUB robot from "Computer Programming in BASIC" has lived rent-free in my head for 40 years
Show threadFuture SprogMar 7

I remember typing out some of these programs as a youngster! I even ported one from BBC/ZX Basic to Q Basic to run on the incredibly powerful IBM PS/2 my cousin had!

@foone

Show threadLee Hauser5d ago
@foone @pronoiac Kids should be issued a Sinclair ZX81/Timex 1000 and a set of these books at birth, and not allowed to move up to a more capable machine until they have written their own original BASIC program.