It was asking someone how they got their name all down the screen on the ZX Spectrum in WH Smiths that got me into programming. It was like learning the secret behind a magic trick, I saw something awesome and wanted to know how to do it.
My first hack was
10 PRINT "DOMINO ";
20 GOTO 10
From there I progressed onto loops to vary the number of spaces to get my name to bounce backwards and forwards across the screen. Before I got my own Spectrum, I'd already written a frogger game in basic, complete with redefined character set for graphics (I took a cassette with me to WH Smiths during school lunchtimes to load & save my work).
Having said that, just the year before I declined taking computer studies at school as all they were displaying was a hack/rogue game and ascii art. I don't remember there being any mention of the programming side of things.
Wow.. Im rambling a bit here.. Anyway, if I'd seen something like this dalek thing in primary school I'm sure I'd have got into computers earlier than I did - though I'd probably have gone the rude word route as having a dalek poop out my name doesn't appeal in the same way.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
