Log In | Register
SCOTT (SCOOP) BUTKI
A cynical idealist; To Read Me Is to Know Me (Mostly)
Articles Posted: 1159; Links Seeded: 7459
Member Since: 2/2007Last Seen: 11/07/2009
Member Since: 2/2007Last Seen: 11/07/2009
37 Comments
PrintMy (Fortunately Short) Life As An Aspiring Computer Programmer
News Type: Opinion — Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:52 PM EDT
Young Scott playing soccer
Check out those pants
Can you spot me?
If you look carefully I'm the bulge in mom's tummy.
advertisement
Part 2 of this is here
I was a disappointment to my parents. Well ,in some ways, at least. They groomed me to become the next Bill Gates and I became, well, I'm not sure who or what I am exactly and I eschew labels and titles anyway. But I digress.
I showed an interest in computers and, perhaps more importantly, they knew computers and computer programmers were going to be the Next Big Thing.
So one summer camp was sponsored by Apple and I don't recall a lot of that. It was fun but I don't remember rubbing elbows with Woz or anything.
What I remember better was a camp sponsored by Atari because there were a ton of transformative experiences. I tried being a greedy capitalist, for example, but it didn't take,and required some explanations when I got home about missing alligators (that's another story) and why I had so many quarters (same other story but different chapter) . I had back spasms, which also fortunately didn't stick around.
It was around the time of the hostages in Iran and the start of Nightline with its "hostages - day 33" signs so someone with bad taste had the idea that we'd have signs saying "atari camp hostage - day 8" which on reflection is something i'm ashamed of.
Mostly I recall deciding computer programming must be fun because we're having fun and we're using computers, right?
Upon "graduation" from the two week camp at the university in San Diego most kids were given atari computers which we, now having spent two weeks around the devices, figured would be something soon everyone would be using.
A church friend who would later be my confirmation sponsor went and bought one based on my computer evangelizing. I'm still living that one down.
But dad, to my horror and disappointment, announced he had not bought me an Atari but rather something called an IBM PC. WTF?
In five years i told him everyone will be using Atari and IBM will long to be mentioned in the same breath as Atari.
But we got an IBM.
Within a year I had to help my friend FIND atari software and soon they stopped making it.
That should have all been a clue about my knowledge of all things computer and was definite foreshadowing.
Meanwhile I was taking computer programming clases in high school and, at the urging of my parents (dollar signs where their eyes should be, or at least that's how I remember it now), choosing colleges based on their computer programs.
And so it was that I enrolled as a computer science or computer information system major at Cal Poly Pomona.
But then it happened... I learned something that shook me to my core and made me change my life plans completely...
To be continued... in, hmm, a day or so....
(Photos from this piece about turning into a halloween monster.
fwiw, does anyone know why this, and my last five or so stories,have not appeared on the front page as a new column? it's not meta, it's not listed as "other." Any ideas?
12 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Scott (Scoop) Butki's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: Personal Narratives
- Regions: none
- Public Discussion (37)
- Public Discussion (0)
- Personal Narratives
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
45
13
{"commentId":2614143,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Addendum 1: The alligators. Remember when Izod was all the fashion? I was in a preppie family in a preppie neighborhood in So. Cal. Think John Hughes movies. All my shirts were izod - which meant they had alligators on them. At Sears you could buy another brand that was similar, almost identical, except that instead of alligators there were foxes.
There were some at camp who envied my Izods. So I had an idea - I'd remove the alligators and sell them. Someone, preferrably someone who could sew, would then remove the fox, add the alligator and voila, instant izod.
I made a bunch of money which was great until I got home and mom wanted to know why all my izod shirts were missing alligators.. or foxes.. (I couldn't sew)
{"commentId":2614143,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
- 3 votes
#1 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:52 PM EDT{"commentId":2850475,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2614232,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Addendum 2: These wanna be computer programmers knew that sustenance came not from the cafeteria but from vending machines.
There was just one thing standing in the way of these nerds and said products in the vending machines of the candy and soda variety....
Quarters. This was before the machines took bills and there were no change machines on the premises.
Which meant they had to go to the office and who manned the office and controlled who got change?
Me!
(insert evil cackle here)
That's right, folks, I was playing Mr. Fascist for the summer and Ayn Rand would have been proud of me.
off to go find some scary photos of me to set the tone....
{"commentId":2614232,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
- 4 votes
#2 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:03 PM EDT{"commentId":2623895,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2625694,"authorDomain":"steve9001"}
3 quarters to the dollar? Were you Scott (Guido) Butki then?
{"commentId":2625694,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"steve9001"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":2626915,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2614284,"authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
Ayn Rand would have been proud of me.
Yes! A Rand reference that was intentionally funny!
{"commentId":2614284,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
- 3 votes
#3 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:10 PM EDT{"commentId":2614341,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
I do it for a hobby, myself. Not really good enough at it to make a living. I'm having to crash course it though on dynamic HTML, relearning CSS, and Javascript pretty soon, plus Linux and SQL for the server side. (I'm building a web page... what could it be for??? Hm......)
That's programming, not cutting out alligators.
{"commentId":2614341,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
- 2 votes
#4 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:16 PM EDT{"commentId":2614358,"authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
I do it for a hobby, myself.
That's funny Steve, at first I thought this quote was referencing my Ayn Rand comment. "I do it for a hobby myself," and then I thought you'd follow it with "making intentionally funny Ayn Rand comments."
{"commentId":2614358,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":2614410,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
Accidentally funny eh? I guess that's better than not funny when I'm trying to be. I'lllllllll take it!
{"commentId":2614410,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":2614430,"authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
It's the little victories, isn't it? :-)
{"commentId":2614430,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":2614516,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2614848,"authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
pro-ayn rand lobby
I hear their objective epistemology heading straight for you
{"commentId":2614848,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"EnSoi"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":2615268,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2844324,"authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
That's programming, not cutting out alligators.
And even some of what you describe isn't really "programming". HTML and CSS are not programming languages in any real sense. JavaScript certainly is, though.
Picky, picky, picky. I know. I'm a programmer. It's habit. :-)
{"commentId":2844324,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":2846469,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
Hey now. Let's not overcomplicate things with facts'n'such.
Actually... what would you call CSS? It's not a programming or scripting language. An add-on to HTML, making it a markup language? Something I shouldn't bother my head about?
{"commentId":2846469,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2849899,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2615590,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Forgot to explain - this memoir came out of this week's Writing Down the Bones exercise - come join us.
{"commentId":2615590,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
- 1 vote
#5 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:33 PM EDT{"commentId":2615602,"authorDomain":"steve9001"}
Well you figured out early that you were not destine to write source code early. Better than later. I made it 2 weeks as a COBOL programmer early on before bailing and taking a whole new avenue in life. Most folks who pursue a career in their field and follow it for 30-35 odd years are usually pretty stepfordish. It take a creativity, courage and a certain amount of charm to throw in the towel and pursue your real interests. Lets face it, the intricacies of the PN junction are pretty damned boring! Weigh you place today Scott, programmer vs world traveler and journalist. The latter sounds like a whole lot more fun.
{"commentId":2615602,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"steve9001"}
- 2 votes
#6 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:35 PM EDT{"commentId":2615999,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2844387,"authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
Most folks who pursue a career in their field and follow it for 30-35 odd years are usually pretty stepfordish.
Hey, I resemble that remark! (31 years and counting, and I still love it. :-)
Lets face it, the intricacies of the PN junction are pretty damned boring!
(A) not to a solid state physicist, and (2) what does a PN junction have to do with programming? :-)
(A classic quote: "Computer Science has as much to do with computers as Astronomy does with telescopes." Which is to say, "a little bit," but they aren't the main point.)
{"commentId":2844387,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":2886060,"authorDomain":"steve9001"}
Did not mean to offend Chris. Please keep in mind I said "most folks" not all. I am assuming you grew up in MN as did I. The people there are far more dynamic than the average bear, right Yogi? Most people have multiple interests there. My observation of many others in the world, suffice it to say, don't. The well educated mind forced to endure the winters up there seems to create on levels rarely found elsewhere. Be glad you have found a comfortable life that is genuine and fulfilling. Mine is still chaotic and I would have it no other way. CS indeed has little to do with computers, but rather IMHO, understanding the scope of the dilemma and anticipating its effect. Part of the comments are due to one of my lives in tech that was successful but less than satisfying. Yup, it's my fault for completing the bachelors in CS as it was wrong from the beginning. I'm just happy that in this USA we can do whatever we please, whenever we want to, as long as you are willing to undergo the consequences. My consequences have been pretty terrific with few exceptions. The next chapter is about to unfold as my spouse for 22 years passed on in May from cancer. I mention this not for your pity, but rather to exemplify that we have little control. I can't run as hard as I used to, but stopping and sitting on my hands is not an option.
{"commentId":2886060,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"steve9001"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2615614,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
Whoa, dude... The images... Happy Halloween?
{"commentId":2615614,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
- 1 vote
#7 - Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:36 PM EDT{"commentId":2616056,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2650414,"authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
I stopped by to chat, but those pictures....
Was showing how scary i can be when i become a greedy capitalist
Pictures of quarters would have been an appropriate choice, methinks.
{"commentId":2650414,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
- 3 votes
#8 - Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:29 PM EDT{"commentId":2658851,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2805196,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2837185,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Part 2 is now up. For that one i'll include some photos of me from that era (but not scary ones this time)
{"commentId":2837185,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
- 1 vote
#10 - Tue Sep 9, 2008 11:06 AM EDT{"commentId":2844405,"authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
I'll check your column and stop by.
{"commentId":2844405,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"ProgrammerDude"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":2844467,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2884229,"authorDomain":"steve9001"}
ROFL and enjoying the column. Had those same pants as well, about the same age, kinda erie.
{"commentId":2884229,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"steve9001"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":2884903,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":2886161,"authorDomain":"steve9001"}
Watch out, they'll be all the rage next season!
{"commentId":2886161,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"steve9001"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2886433,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":5245001,"authorDomain":"stevef"}
Hey Scott,
I wrote my first Fortran program in 1972 at UCR... Programming for Psych majors... That was my last quarter in a 2 1/2 year foray into Psychology... I picked up the the real programming bug in 1976 in the midst of getting my Mechanical Engineering degree at UW. Thirty three years later, I am still wearing the propeller beanie but hacking code in C++ and C#
{"commentId":5245001,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"stevef"}
- 1 vote
#11 - Sun Feb 8, 2009 4:48 AM EST{"commentId":5252219,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
{"commentId":5252948,"authorDomain":"stevef"}
Sorry Scott... I don't remember any of my professorss names.
{"commentId":5252948,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"stevef"}
{"commentId":5252374,"authorDomain":"DrKnow"}
I used my first computer in 1962. It was an analog that we programmed with wires. The first digital was a Royal McBee LPG30. It was paper tape I/O (input/output) using binary only. The total memory was 4K. The first computer I owned was an Apple ][. With the "language card" it expanded to a BIG total of memory of 16K ("more memory than we would EVER need"). The first IBM was a TAVA.
I have programmed in languages most people have never heard of. Fixed a glitch in Fortran IV for IBM (got nothing). Fixed a glitch in Pascal for Apple (got nothing).
{"commentId":5252374,"threadId":"341631","contentId":"1794051","authorDomain":"DrKnow"}
- 2 votes
#12 - Sun Feb 8, 2009 7:32 PM EST{"canLink":false,"threadId":"341631","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
