RE: Writer/Programmer

["Jessica Weissman" <Jessica -dot- Weissman -at- hillcrestlabs -dot- com>]

I learned to program for the PLATO system using their TUTOR language,
which was utterly procedural except that it did have several types of
subroutines.  No parameter passing, really, though you could simulate
it.

What they did have, back in 1976, was a very effective book and online
package to teach you how to program.  It was intended for college
professors who would put their classes into PLATO lessons.  But it
worked gloriously as an introduction to programming.  Yeah, you
replicated a sample program, but you did it with explanations all along
the way that focused on programming issues, not code fragments.

Once you got past the beginner stage there was always someone around who
would show you the intermediate and advanced stuff, at least where I was
working.  

My biggest problem as a programmer has been to lose 20 years of
procedural programming experience and go object-oriented.  Learning
Hypertalk helped, but it's a very different world.

Still, that obsolete programming background has made it possible for me
to work with programmers here to document our API. Without it, no dice.


Jessica
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