Sad, old geeks

[steveR]

I was out with the dogs tonight and pondering a posting somewhere here over the past day or so which had mentioned the old UKBA group. I'm not certain when I stopped using it, but it was certainly the "go to" location during F&M on 2001 for info. as well as a good source of assorted news and gossip prior to and after that time. I know there are quite a few of the old denizens here

As happens as you get older, I then started musing how long I have been actually been playing with computers and then I tried to recall when I first got online.... Bloody scary as I realised how far back I had to go...

First real PC was a Video Genie in 1979/80, a Tandy TRS 80 clone running Basic. I was actually alert enough to do programming then (of a sort!) and wrote my first cattle data handling program and used to do my VAT on it. The accountant then was rather a luddite, and used to have his clerk re-write it all manually!

I first got online around 83/84 I reckon, using Compuserve (CIS) on painfully slow dialup, but it allowed access to the world which was mainly American Usenet sites, but a good resource and got me a great American farming penfriend with whom I am still in touch! Sad thing is that I am blowed if I can recall which machine I was using by then, possibly an Amstrad PCW512 using CP-M.

Now look at us!!

 

[J B]

I bet most on here have never heard of UKBA
I posted on there last night!

Did you never use that service that preceded 'internet' - can't actually remember it's name?

 

[Nearly]

I've still got my Acorn BBC B and a box full of floppies,1984 to 87 while at school.

Met a lass in Hong Kong in 1993 and she gave me her email address. I had no idea what it was.

Never really found the internet until fwi etc.

If you're a proper geek read 'Ready Player One'. It's American based so very Tandy and Atari not Acorn and Spectrum but escapist fun.
A glimpse into the future when people live their entire lives online as the real world is in economic melt down.
Good job it's fiction.
Film of the book coming out soon.

 

[7610 super q]

Started with a Sinclair Spectrum.... Then CBM 64 ( still got it )
Then a 22 year gap. ( picking spuds / cutting cabbages )
Then had to rush out and buy a laptop in 2007 ( Waitrose insisted suppliers get involved in benchmarking, production figures had to be downloaded weekly.....hmmm...wonder why.)
Steep learning curve. Still don't know what I'm doing really.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

I bet most on here have never heard of UKBA
I posted on there last night!

Did you never use that service that preceded 'internet' - can't actually remember it's name?

There were bulletin boards (BBS) that you used to dial directly into. Then the internet started to expand out of its academic roots in the early 90s, and folks moved onto usenet, gopher, news, etc. Once the “web”, again very early 90s, got going it pretty much steamrolled all the previous text only based internet services out of the way.

 

[steveR]

I bet most on here have never heard of UKBA
I posted on there last night!

Did you never use that service that preceded 'internet' - can't actually remember it's name?

Well CompuServe predated the web, as did various bulletin boards. I used Cix conferencing from around 87/88 which again predated the web. I still use Cix, pure text, minimal crap. I guess the term "Usenet" was essentially the catch all term used prior to Tim B-L launching the WWW

I was looking at ukba using the Google feed, still a few of the same faces there... including the Hon. Member from North Shropshire...

 

[Tonka]

I remember creating nutrition diet plans at HAUC in early 80's, with some "off the wall" bearded guy/lecturer.
Sat in front of black screen, trying to write some sort of programme to create the diet. Lots of these <. Or were they these > ? And "Run". Gobblygook then, and now.
And those massive printers stood in a wheeled frame, with paper about 2ft wide, with lots of holes and perforations down both sides. Swines when they blocked, or came off spools, or the printed copy didn't quite sit and fold neatly at the base!

 

[7610 super q]

Remember BASIC anyone ?

 

[sjt01]

Not sure if I am sadder, or just older! First programming was punching cards for an Elliott 803 at Reading Univ, then the Ag Eng Dept got a PDP8e which I had lots of opportunity for experimenting. It was the nearest in those days to a PC.

 

[steveR]

Remember BASIC anyone ?

Oh yes....

 

[steveR]

Not sure if I am sadder, or just older! First programming was punching cards for an Elliott 803 at Reading Univ, then the Ag Eng Dept got a PDP8e which I had lots of opportunity for experimenting. It was the nearest in those days to a PC.

UR over 60 and I claim my £5 note...

 

[steveR]

I've still got my Acorn BBC B and a box full of floppies,1984 to 87 while at school.

Met a lass in Hong Kong in 1993 and she gave me her email address. I had no idea what it was.

Never really found the internet until fwi etc.

If you're a proper geek read 'Ready Player One'. It's American based so very Tandy and Atari not Acorn and Spectrum but escapist fun.
A glimpse into the future when people live their entire lives online as the real world is in economic melt down.
Good job it's fiction.
Film of the book coming out soon.

Sounds more like the reality we are rushing into... Have you seen the average Under 30s recently, totally hooked into their phones and God help you if the broadband dies when there is no 3G in the house!!!!!

Will have a looksee on Amazon for the book

 

[X344chap]

I bet most on here have never heard of UKBA
I posted on there last night!

Did you never use that service that preceded 'internet' - can't actually remember it's name?

Prestel/Micronet 800

 

[Chae1]

I started using internet in msn chat rooms! When studying agriculture. Must have been around 1998. Actually met up with a couple girls I tried to chat up through it!

 

[steveR]

Prestel/Micronet 800

Another closed system wasn't it though? Sooooo long ago

 

[An Gof]

I remember creating nutrition diet plans at HAUC in early 80's, with some "off the wall" bearded guy/lecturer.
Sat in front of black screen, trying to write some sort of programme to create the diet. Lots of these <. Or were they these > ? And "Run". Gobblygook then, and now.
And those massive printers stood in a wheeled frame, with paper about 2ft wide, with lots of holes and perforations down both sides. Swines when they blocked, or came off spools, or the printed copy didn't quite sit and fold neatly at the base!

Ah, you are referring to Peter Williamson and his virtual computer cow
But what about the programmes we had to write for the mainframe computer at Wolverhampton Poly. We had to write the programme, hand it in so they could produce a punched card and then use the card to test if we had written the programme correctly

Happy days @Tonka especially the Loire Valley study tour ................ gout was it?

 

[nonemouse]

Another ex UKBA poster here and sci ag, on line from the early nineties using compuserve.
First computer zx80 ( the old white and blue one) progressed to zx81 spectrum and ql ( still got that plus lots of microdrives)
Also used to use the old FOL forums, where JB used to a frequent poster, back when he still had cows to milk

 

[J B]

Another ex UKBA poster here and sci ag, on line from the early nineties using compuserve.
First computer zx80 ( the old white and blue one) progressed to zx81 spectrum and ql ( still got that plus lots of microdrives)
Also used to use the old FOL forums, where JB used to a frequent poster, back when he still had cows to milk

Charles?

 

[J B]

Prestel/Micronet 800

Prestel - that was it!

We used to be able to get our MMB milk quality results from there and there was a company (was it called 'farmlink' that did farming news?

 

[DRC]

I remember creating nutrition diet plans at HAUC in early 80's, with some "off the wall" bearded guy/lecturer.
Sat in front of black screen, trying to write some sort of programme to create the diet. Lots of these <. Or were they these > ? And "Run". Gobblygook then, and now.
And those massive printers stood in a wheeled frame, with paper about 2ft wide, with lots of holes and perforations down both sides. Swines when they blocked, or came off spools, or the printed copy didn't quite sit and fold neatly at the base!

Talking of Harper, did any of you know Peter Allen. he did alot with cow diets and had his own company and software.
He lives in our village and became a good friend and neighbour to my late father over the last few years.