40 years ago this month, I sat down at a computer and wrote a program. (Or "programme", as I spelled it then.) It was the first time I had ever used a computer. Very few people had used computers in 1982, in Ireland or elsewhere.

What was the program? No idea. Just a few lines of AppleSoft Basic. But it was enough to get me hooked and change my life.

I still get a hit when a little bit of code unlocks in my brain. It’s quite addictive. There’s always more to learn and to see.

I wrote more about this in 2012: 30 Years of Pro­gram­ming.