So, far so good. E-mail and comments working as planned. I'm hoping to have more time tomorrow to work on the site design.

I have my blog back up...kind of. I'm still testing a bit.

Leave a comment or contact me to help me test.

This post is for my tweeps. :) This was really difficult for me to answer because I really haven't developed much software but here goes...

How old were you when you started programming? I created the cube in sixth grade and when I was in high shcool I remember writing a few intro programs and I was hooked. I started college at age 18 but I really wasn't sure what I was getting into. I remember taking Lotus 1-2-3 and C++ but I didn't learn much.

How did you get started in programming? Most of my programming was written in the computer lab. Many, many hours of computer lab. I didn't have a home PC (didn't know too many people that did). 

What was your first language? I'm not sure but I'm guessing QBASIC (and DOS). First languages I had a chance to use were years later during college (round 2). I used Contorl Language (CL) and Reports Program Generator (RPG). My degree was focused on the AS/400 (lucky me).

What was the first real program you wrote? Again, no clue. Most of my programs were written in a college environment and nothing more than an assignment at the time. Since I was a mainframe programmer I took my focus off of the PC and the internet was still pretty new. America Online (AOL) was a buzz word.

What languages have you used since you started programming? I have used several languages or at least jumped into someone else's code: QBASIC, CL, RPG, COBOL, PHP, and C#.

What was your first professional gig? My first IT job was backing up tapes on an IBM-3850. My next job was working at the company I currently work for doing website design for an affiliate program the company runs.

If you knew then what you know now, would you have started programming? Yes. I love programming and look forward to creating websites and some software in the future. 

If there is one thing that you've learned along the way that you would tell new developers, what would it be? Stick to one specific area until you are an expert. Don't bounce around and become too generalized.

What's the most fun you've ever had programming? The most experience (and fun) I've really had was sadly during college. I just haven't had to opportunity to do my thing yet but I know this is changing and I'm looking forward to the real fun beginning.

So, I guess the bottom line for me is I'm a jack-of-all, master of none. However, I'm working hard on this every day so this won't always be the case. 

Update:  I also had some intro to Visual Basic during college (round 2).

I attended the CINNUG meeting on May 20, 2008 and it was a open panel discussion on Software Development as A Career. There were a many people at the meeting and it was a great discussion. The guest speakers were Jim Holmes, Tim Apke, and Ed Summerfield. I finally got a chance to introduce myself to Jim. I've heard good things about him and Dayton .Net Developers Group is so close. I saw him at CODODN but I was too shy to introduce myself with it being my first event.

It's difficult to really cover this one because there were so many things being discussed but I got so much out of it and it was very inspiring. Some of the things that really stood out, they discussed the difference between working for a small company and working for a large company. They discussed certifications and gave their honest opinions and experience from the field. They answered many of the questions I had. They also talked about consulting. Another topic I was interested in and I was able to get a better understanding of the consulting world. I was able to talk to some my tweeps during the break.

After the break Mike Levy gave a quick presentation on Pattern Grok. This is something new the .NET Group is trying. There will be short sessions at the end of the meeting to allow people to get a chance to present a topic their interested in to the group. The discussion was on pipes and filters and was interesting as well as funny. I think the short sessions are a great idea. It gives people an opportunity to speak to a group of people. This may allow them to be comfortable enough to become a speaker or give a presentation in the future.

I attended my first Cincinnati Programmers Guild (CincyPG) meeting on May 21, 2008. Joe Wirtley was speaking. I really enjoyed this group. It's a smaller group which gave me a chance to relax a bit and actually talk to people. Before the meeting started I got a chance to speak to Leon Gersing, Matt Brewer, and Joe Wirtely (tweeps). I feel like I'm getting to know people a bit so now I not as stressed. A step forward in my journey.

The topic was Pragmatic Architechture and the Role of the Architect. Joe did a great job defining an architect as well as discussing the role(s), responsibilities, and some overall challenges. There were many good discussions that went along with some of the topics. This meeting had a more open format than some of the other I've attended. I really enjoy both. It does depends on the size of the group. For this group, it worked. I didn't jump into the discussion. I know I was welcome to but I'm not quite ready for the spotlight. :)

I hope to attend more CincyPG meetings. I was able to get a better understanding of what software architech's role is and some of the expectations. This related to the CinArc meeting I attended recently perfectly.