Nostalgia Old Programmers: From DOS to Linux, the Story of Code Veterans in the Computerization Era
A simple Facebook post asking about fellow "old programmers" has unearthed a treasure trove of computing history. Edmac's query on February 6, 2025, "Just curious if there are other old programmers in DOS, etc. from the 90's, like myself in the group," prompted a wave of nostalgia as coders reminisced about their early experiences with DOS, punch cards, and the dawn of the personal computer era. The ensuing conversation painted a vivid picture of how far the industry has come. Clare kicked off the trip down memory lane, revealing she started coding in the 1970s on mainframes, even before the DOS era. LaClair one-upped her, recalling her experience with punch cards on a Univac 1108 in the 1960s. Chris chimed in, sharing his journey from punch cards in the 70s to modern "infrastructure as code" environments, highlighting the dramatic shift in programming paradigms over the decades. Merritt's contribution focused on the early days of personal comp...