• Hey everyone happy Christmas Eve we're aware of what's happened with the source code so to keep this simple absolutely don't post it on the site or use it to make mods with (it's not particularly preferable toward this end anyway) and tread lightly in general until we see how this settles, thanks to all and have a great holiday season -DT
Noxid

Noxid

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In my body, in my head From The Purple Zone
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  • Q
    VOREFETISHban me
    Q
    vban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban meban me
    Polaris
    I guess I can comment on your profile without hating myself now. I have a simple question - how did you get into programming, exactly? Did you learn in school or by yourself, and what did you start with? Most importantly, if you could start a different way, what would it be?
    View previous comments…
    Polaris
    Polaris
    Take your time, don't worry. :3
    Noxid
    Noxid
    letting me take my time is almost certainly a recipe for disaster
    Anyway: let's get down to business.

    It's not a short answer, as I've gone a lot of different ways RE: computering, but basically how it started was that around high school I got some interest in how computer programs were made, and fiddled around with LOGO on some ancient 80's Personal Computer my math teacher had. That was fun, but limited, and I tried looking into Java and other things but I never got far because it was confusing and I didn't know where to look for help (this is all before I joined the CSTSF, mind you)

    Flash forward a year or so and in my senior year of high school I got into CS modding and, as you are most likely aware, dove pretty heavy into the ASM side of it. It made sense to me and I could see the results of my actions in real time in a context I understood, which helped a lot. Eventually that wasn't enough for me and I looked into C++ more seriously and figured out how to make some simple programs in that.

    So, I went away to university, but I started out in Chemical engineering. All the while I was still messing around with CS on the side and was pretty much entirely self-taught. I figured out that computering was probably more my style than CHE, so I switched my degree halfway thru 2nd year. So now I'm in software engineering which isn't very much like programming but it's close enough. I still say I've learned a lot more practical things on my own than I have in school, but university has had its own benefits that can't be simply measured like that.

    As far as having started a different way, I dunno. I'd say my introduction to it was unique and it offered me a good understanding of the fundamentals from the finest grained level (ASM) but I absolutely wouldn't recommend just anyone start out like that. I think these days there are a lot of neat things that can provide a great introduction to programming/CS like Scratch, Python, Javascript or Java but sometimes I fear they might also be too high-level to start with, as they can teach you bad habits like overlooking the limitations of the hardware and memory. I think, if you can start off in C/C++ and still like it, and understand the core concepts of program structure and the memory model, then you're good to explore other languages and find something that suits your own personal style.

    Computers have always been a central part of my lifestyle even when I was very young, so working with them makes sense to me as I like to be able to tweak and manipulate things to make them my own and computers are really incredibly powerful sandboxes for that kind of thing.
    Polaris
    Polaris
    That was a very interesting answer - thank you for taking the time to type it all out. <img src='http://www.cavestory.org/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/debug.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':debug:' />

    This could easily end up being a really long reply, I'm sorry if it's tedious to read. I wasn't aware that you started by using LOGO and messing about with (what I assume is) King's Story ASM, but it makes sense in retrospect. The reason I asked you all this, besides curiosity as to how you got to where you are (and you were very detailed there :3) is that I have ambitions to learn how to program, myself - because I'm tired of being ignorant of all this, and I'd like to have the potential to do something fun or interesting in this field, and because I have no idea of what <em class='bbc'>else</em> I could do for an okay career. The trouble lies in how I'm trying to start this, I feel.

    I'm only in my second year of high school, and I've had no other experiences with programming besides being terrified while applying a <MIM hack and messing with weapon stats a bit. So, I started the 3 part programming classes my school offers, but I've had some doubts. First off, the class uses...<span style='font-size: 10px'>Visual Basic in Visual Studio</span>. Yeah. As far as I can tell, Visual Basic is looked down upon by basically everyone - it can be an okay language but it's just not that great for much beyond simple applications. I guess the logic is that, as a simple language, it'd be good for beginners, but I have a sinking feeling that I'm not obtaining a very good understanding of the fundamental concepts of programming, the sorts of things that ASM and C++ taught you. Bless my teacher's heart, he's been making it enjoyable and interesting, and my Programming class is the only one I've had much fun in besides English - but I don't think Visual Basic is a good introduction. We've been making simple applications like calculators and address books to learn basic new skills like bubble sorting, making search code, using elements effectively to make a working program, and the like - but we only scratched the surface of what's going on behind those buttons, bars and functions. What exactly is the stack and the memory model? How would I make this window appear if it wasn't here by default? How in hell's unholy heat did programmers go from 0 = off and 1 = on to If/Then/Else, Call, Select Case and Dim? I don't know any of these things, or even whether I need to. It feels like Visual Basic - and my lessons - hide a lot of ugly things, and I need to know those ugly things to serve as a foundation for future endeavors. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but <em class='bbc'>how would I know</em>?

    I can't drop my class in the middle of the year, and I wouldn't want to. I'm having a lot of fun designing programs, learning new things and making them eventually work. But I definitely think that I should learn in another way, even if that way is studying C++ lessons and the origins of programming alone. I have a lot of things holding me back - my hilariously slow and inaccurate typing, my innate unwillingness to be proactive, and my bad habits of distracting myself come to mind. I need to overcome these in future years, one way or another...I suppose my only real advantages are that I'm still really young and curious.

    That's all, really - I was wondering how to go forward, and your reply was quite the help. Thank you again for answering, and once more if you bothered to read all this drabble. Of the many people I could have looked to for a touch of guidance, I feel that you're the easiest to talk to. -w-
    B
    When and why did Shining change his name to Adolf K.
    Spirit
    2dBro is trying to take over with his twelve year old ness do something
    Noxid
    Noxid
    should I ban you again so you don't have to see his posts?
    Spirit
    Spirit
    I don't think that's how it works
    but uh please don't
    Quote 2.0
    NOXID WHENEVER I CHECK CAPTAIN FABULOUS' PAGE THE IMAGES ALL TURN TO THIS CAT DRAWING, WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO
    Noxid
    Noxid
    it belongs to me now
    solaris
    solaris
    You apparently had mercy on me, because I just noticed everything is back to normal on my page.
    Yinga
    Who's next in your line of überkat corruption, O' almighty dictator?
    Noxid
    Noxid
    It will be a surprise
    überkat strikes without warning, and without mercy
    2DBro
    Noxid, why don't you force everyone on the forums to friend you, it would be a great way to start world domination by brain-washing all of us to become Uberkat virus spreaders and take over every computer in the world and make them turn into evil-doing Uberkomputers that kill anyone who tries to prevent the Uberkat army from attacking
    Noxid
    Noxid
    The problem with that plan is that, I don't need you to comply. Uberkat will wash over all of us. Accept it.
    HaydenStudios
    Last night, I had a dream that I booted up our old Windows 98 computer that I still use sometimes just for the fun of it. After it booted up, I realized that it had a virus on it when a webpage opened up whereupon a photoshopped cat popped up along with text that said "Uberkat is going to destroy you." I quickly shut the computer off to prevent the virus from spreading, and also because I was a little bit creeped out. But it was too late. I looked over at the other (newer) computer on the network to see that the virus had infected it as well and was on the same webpage. Despite having modern antivirus software on it, the newer computer seemed to be defenseless against the uberkat virus. I also quickly shut this computer off. I then turned on my tablet, relieved that it was not infected. But I then found a news report showing that computers all over the world were being infected with this virus that displayed this message. My dream didn't explicitly state that the virus did any real damage, though.
    trickybilly
    In some months I'll be 30... do you think I should quit CSTSF? I mean Cave Story is awesome but I know almost everything about it. (Most of) you guys are awesome, but many are way younger me, like some 12 y.o. Not sure if I am even wanted here anymore. Advice?
    Polar✪
    Polar✪
    I know you sent this message to Noxid but fuck it.
    You don't really have to "quit" anything, imho. I get that moving on and stuff yadda yadda but like
    you can just not come here and only browse it sometimes.
    You don't necessarily have to "quit", or at least you don't have to go public about it. Especially when people make threads like "I'm leaving forever bye guys <img src='http://www.cavestory.org/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/frown2.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />(" UGH it's terrible.

    Tl;Dr you don't really have to quit you just don't have to come back if you don't want to
    trickybilly
    trickybilly
    Noxid
    Noxid
    Basically what PSG said
    Time goes on, people get older, forums change and so do we. If you feel like you're getting out of touch with the community then that might say that you're ready to slow down.

    You don't have to feel obligated to post. I don't really post as much these days myself.
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