and also it depends at what age they have heard or used z80. If I remember correctly I used to program on a zx spectrum when I was in grade 8 or something. 
We could create a scoring system to determine if someone is ‘old school’ or not!
Like, you could get points if:
- you ever owned a ZX80, Vic-20, TRS80, or Apple II
- if you have ever used a coupler modem
- if you ever stored software on a cassette tape
- if you were ever a CompuServe member
- if you remember the original ‘Adventure’ game
- if you ever saw a Lisa
- ever used a true ‘floppy’ disk
It can go on and on. I remember when my Dad and I had a paper tape reader in the basement and the whole place smelled like burnt paper from that little heat stylus. He was a software engineer in the late 60’s so that is pretty hardcore old school!
- if you were ever a CompuServe member
Ain’t that a 'Merkin thing?
- you ever owned a ZX80, Vic-20, TRS80, or Apple II
- if you have ever used a coupler modem
- if you ever stored software on a cassette tape
- if you were ever a CompuServe member
- if you remember the original ‘Adventure’ game
- if you ever saw a Lisa
- ever used a true ‘floppy’ disk
Suppose a lot of those are true, except you were a kid? We had Lisas in school. Admittedly, they were used as doorstops by the time I got in there, but they were there! We had both 5" floppies and 3.5" “floppies” but that’s not the same as using them on your own as an adult now is it? I’ve had to turn in homework on 3.5’s.
Maybe you need to nudge it to, used/seen these things on your own time.
That’s an interesting question, Stomme…
Can you be younger and be a successful programmer. This is one thing I think is becoming more and more ‘new school’.
Say 20 years ago, it was tricky to become a software developer because there weren’t that many resources available. I’d say most people didn’t get serious about programming until late-high school at the earliest.
Nowadays, thanks to the internet and the crazy multitude of programming books available, you can start programming way earlier.
I work for a technology camp which teaches programming and the like. I know of an 8 and 9 year old pair of brothers that was paid 4-figures to make a website. I also know another kid who is about 13 and he has 7 apps in the Apple app store.
Do they count as programmers/developers? If so, can you be young and still be “old school”. Also, do you think old school and new school is fixed?
Personally, I think old school and new school are moving targets. 10 years ago our definition of old school and new school would be very different. In 5 years, it’s probably going to be different again.
I am in hesitation that which type of programmer I am. I am programming from very old time.But I am also programming these days also.
deathshadow is old school.
Programming is not easy, but there are new schoolers who are learning the old school method, maybe they are old school programmers arrrghhhhh.
All these new cliche and acronyms are driving me nuts
[ot]
What happened to ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ I said that to someone they took me literally and asked me where my basket with eggs where.[/ot]