View source for User:RR-GraphixGuy

{{mylangbegin}}
{{mylang|Applesoft BASIC|Very Rusty}}
{{mylang|Commodore BASIC|Excellent}}
{{mylang|6502 Assembly|Learning}}
{{mylang|Pascal|Once was excellent, now rusty.}}
{{mylang|PHP|Proficient}}
{{mylang|Python|Learning}}
{{mylangend}}

I've loved programming on computers since I was 6 years old, and got started on my family's Commodore 64 when it was brand new. After that it was [[Pascal]] in high school (required language for Advanced Placement tests at the time), and then a little bit of C/C++ in college, but at that point I dropped out of computer programming and went into Graphic Design. 

Although I assumed I had left computer programming behind me, my job ended up requiring me to learn PHP to manage the company web site as well as create in-house company web-apps. I am very comfortable in [[PHP]] and can eventually figure out more complex tasks if given enough time to do so.

In the last few years there has been a revival of vintage and retro computing, especially on 8-bit computers from the 80s. I'm teaching my kids BASIC on the Commodore 64 to give them an understanding of "lower level" languages (directly accessing video, sound, and sometimes memory registers) and appreciation for higher-level languages that provide simplified commands. 

I am primarily spending my time on Rosetta Code contributing [[Commodore BASIC]] examples for tasks, and even providing alternate solutions based on the various versions of Commodore BASIC (typically versions 2, 3.5, 4, and 7) as well as hardware limitations between Commodore models. I feel that by providing "vintage" solutions to RC tasks furthers the goal of Rosetta Code to illustrate a wide spectrum of programming solutions for any particular task, even if those older solutions will never or seldom be used in the real world. 

I also spend my spare time engaged in photography, model railroading, and rail-fanning or "train spotting", hence the username "Railroad Graphics Guy" (RR-GraphixGuy)

Sorry, I don't have a personal web page, or blog. Maybe someday I might have a YouTube Channel.

- Mike