Where Have All the Flowers Gone...

Over the past few weeks I've been reminiscing about how I got into this computer nonsense thingie, as my mother would say.

Time for a story...

In the beginning, there was a very bored 15 year old pupil at Kaitaia College. He knew the language of mathematics, and he would help out other children - especially the lower grades - with their math during his lunch break.

Two or three times a week, he would help the science teacher prepare samples ready for dissection after lunch by the senior classes, or perhaps mix up some chemicals for an explosive reaction later.

He used to help out the librarian too but, after reading all the books in the school's library - including the reference materials and encyclopediae - he was bored with books.

One day, the science teacher invited him to attend a new lunchtime gathering called the computer club. Computers - hey, he knew what those were from his readings - so gleefully he trotted off to his very first hands-on computer thingie.

Fortran, what a wonderful language: punch some holes in the card, and off to the University of Auckland for processing. Marvellous, get the results back at the next monthly club meeting and yes, oh, no got that not right! Darn, more punching, more experimenting, more dissection of data until the results were in his favour.

In that same club, a grade ahead of him, was David White. Now David - the captain of the school champion cricket team - knew how to work Fortran. That just-turned 16 year old pupil spent a lot of time with David when they were in the club, learning all he could.

Then came the final test: print out a report of the Pi constant to the 20th decimal place. What a challenge! The 30 or so club members sat down, drew out their flow charts, worked out the program code, and punched out the holes in the card.

November 1976 had arrived, and so had the results of that test. The teacher handed those results out. Only two had succeeded, David and that other lad.

Great work David, said the teacher, and to other he said: to the 20th decimal place Ian, not the 25th!

My final year was 1977 and in early 1978 my next eldest brother Peter came up to Pukenui on the shores of Houhora Harbour. You've now finished your schooling so time to get you away from Mum he said, so he took me to where he was living in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand.

Yes, reminiscing, refocusing, re-energizing, getting myself ready for the push that I feel is coming. I just wonder what has become of all my old computer club mates?

Where have all the flowers gone...

Ian Ballantine
Wellington, New Zealand.