Piggybacking too (Sorry): > > Piggybacking (Sorry): > > Edward Croft said: > > On Mon, 2004-05-03 at 11:00, Steve Searle wrote: > >> Around 03:44pm on Monday, May 03, 2004 (UK time), duncan brown > >> scrawled: > >> > >> > and i don't mean to insult you in anyway, but... i wonder who's the > >> oldest computer literate linux user out there? i sort of have the > >> mentality of the hippies back in the 60s/70s, don't trust anyone > >> over 30 =] ... it's hard for me to believe that someone over 30 uses > >> linux personally, once you're over 30 you have to start thinking > >> more like a manager =]... then again, i'm almost over that line, but > >> i don't feel like i'm that close =] > > I'm 36 myself, and I've been using Linux for about three years now. I > didn't start using computers at all, really, until about ten years ago, > when I discovered the Internet while working in a temp clerical job (now > I'm a Solaris/Oracle wrangler -- how the mighty have fallen). I've met > Linux users of all ages, but the oldest competent Linux user I've met to > date was a fellow named Dick, whom I met at a Robert Burns memorial supper > in Campbell, CA. He was about 65 years old, and was a cement contractor. > Linux was something he picked up a few years ago. His preferred distro > was Mandrake, and we talked for a couple of hours about Linux, open > source, etc. He was a hobbyist, certainly not a professional, but he > seemed to know more than many of the young guns I've met who are convinced > that they're God's gift to computing. ;-) > I am 55 and started work on punch card tabulating machines (IBM 408's), grew up on Autocoder, advanced to assembler, learned Cobol and RPG because I was a consultant in the 70's and 80's, and nver regretted not being a manager. I've been responsible for IBM 360's, 370's 3090's, Vax 11/70's, PDP 8's and 11's, Data-general 2/10's 4/10's, and a plethoras of other systems. I currently support all our Sun Solaris machines and to some extent Windows 2000 and NT. I also have about a dozen Fedora boxes (including my laptop and 3 Fedora's at home). My father always told me when I was young that there are engineers (those with a degree) and engineers. It took me some time to grasp what he was saying but in my lifetime I finally figured it out. Paper can mean diddly - all it may mean is that you studied and passed the examine --- period. I know some certified professionals that this applies to... I'm sure you do too.. The best complement I have received recently (in the last 3 weeks) was from a technical associate that works with my wife. He was in town and we took him out to dinner... He's one of the top technical people in her company... Well the talk moved to computers and that is where I lost him. The next day he told my wife that I was a serious technical geek...not bad for 55!!!! Ed
