Hi,

I thought I'd introduce myself here, if only to avoid the indignity of being called a troll again (as happened just a wee while ago).

I belong to the grumpy generation, a space-race kid, hence: GOG = grumpy old geek (or, more respectfully, a grey-haired old geek).

Are there any other GOGs in GeekZone?

I must have turned geek when I was introduced to the Apple IIe. It was for a Masters project. I had to develop a data-logger for experiments that took days to run, during which virtually nothing would happen. The only interesting bits would occur suddenly, so the logger needed to wake up when needed.
 
The Apple II was meant to be programmed in BASIC but I learned its assembly language too and then took all sorts of liberties with the poor machine (in those days, a full listing of the operating system, or monitor, was part of the documentation. So you could figure out all sorts of stuff.). I also learned how to design boards for its extension slots and write drivers for them. I was hooked.

IT has never been my job, but I don't like to be far from a computer of some kind. I've developed microprocessor systems (6802 anyone?), I've written heaps of stuff for HP 200 and 300 series microcomputers, I've done image processing on a VAX 780 with only a thermal (black-white) printer for output, I've managed Silicon Graphics workstations, I've even helped to debug code for a Cray-1S.

I know, that's all really old, but so am I!

These days I potter around in C++ and Python, on Windows. Not nearly as exciting, although there have been a few exceptionally cool moments spent creating new algorithms.

That's me, I'm a GOG - at your service