Went to the library and saw something that took me back

I was at the downtown library yesterday, just looking for a quiet spot. I walked past the computer section and saw a kid, maybe 12, sitting there with a book open next to the screen. He was typing out lines of code from the book, making a little game. It was a book on Scratch, you know, the block based coding thing. It just hit me how different it was when I started. I had to save up for a thick C++ book and fight with a compiler that gave errors I couldn't even read. Now, a kid can just walk into a public library, use a free computer, and start making something that moves on the screen right away. No setup, no cost, just pure trying stuff out. It made me really happy to see that barrier just gone. What was the first thing you ever made when you were learning?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.drew9d ago

That's a cool moment to see. It really does feel like the hard part, just getting started, is mostly gone now. What was the first game or thing you tried to make in C++ back then?

joelsanchez8d ago

Remember that awful text-based adventure game?