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For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with computers and other electronic devices. As a kid, I would attempt to disassemble (usually already broken) electronic devices of all types to see what‘s inside and attempt to decipher how they function. Sometimes these devices would not be broken before I took them apart, to the dismay of my family. When I was 8 or so, I received an old hand-me-down computer (an IBM Aptiva with matching CRT monitor). I must have clicked just about every button there was to click, learning about the computer‘s functions as I went along andlearning how to fix things I‘d inadvertently break in the process. I also ran a website during this period, created with MS Frontpage, explaining how computers work and describing their various components.
Fast forward a few years and I‘m messing around with Android smartphones, learning about things like ADB, Fastboot and flashing custom ROMs to expand their capabilities after the manufacturer had long stopped pushing out new software versions. Around this time, I also experimented with installing Linux, going back and forth between this new and unknown thing, and the various Windows versions I was familiar with. I‘d picked up some simple HTML and CSS skills, and occasionally dabbled in game development through the use of Game Maker 7/8.
The latter introduced me to the concept of object-oriented programming. After understanding the basics of Game Maker, I discovered projects like Godot, and attempted to wrap my brain about “proper” programming, teaching myself to write small Python-based games on the Raspberry Pi using Pygame (I say ‘games’, but they‘re probably better described as ‘tech demos’).
I also started writing some simple applications using C# and WinForms, creating a small tool to help me calculate note transpositions when playing music. Later, I wrote a program that converted game controller inputs into MIDI signals, allowing me to play digital instruments and keyboards using the controller. Additionally, I occasionally attempted to solve small programming exercises given to me by my uncle, a seasoned software developer and big inspiration to little me.