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So... Here are my Geek and Nerd Credentials... This may be a little long...
Our first computer was an original Amiga when I was about 5. It was in the room next to my bedroom. Got a lot of use out of it.. games, graphics, etc.
I learned BASIC before 3rd grade in summer nerd camp. Also picked up a few other basic computer skills there.
Skipped 6th grade math. Teacher thought I was slow at math until we took a the "IOWA" test... Got bumped up as soon as he had the results. Oops.
Passed out of all middle-school and high school computer classes in 6th grade, mostly based on that 3rd grade class. (Passed 40 wmp typing requirement with hunt and peck.)
Took (real) SATs in 7th grade. Scored 1390 combined... 590 math, 800 verbal. (95th percentile for HS seniors in both cases.)
Got an Apple PowerBook 140 in 7th grade. My first computer of my own. Brought it to school with me, took notes on it.
1600 on SSATs in 8th grade. Also taking Algebra II at that point.
Membership to cyberspace.org BBS in 9th grade, calling into net with ZTerm. Dialed into a line used by the local Ivy League school at 2400 baud on a used modem. (More than my fair share of cyber-romances at the time.)
After taking summer classes at CTY "nerd camp" (now called IAAY), I was in Calculus in the 9th grade. (Of course, I got a D...)
As a freshman, I taught myself Photoshop and digital art on Mac LC 500-series in HS art room, as did a few friends. (More on this later.)
Was the computer kid at library job from 9th-11th grade. Ran a computer art show and contest there, which I founded. First year it was won by an 80 year old man. I already had 50+ distinct pieces of my own to display in a portfolio at the show.
Began well-respected minor goth webzine in 11th grade. Taught myself HTML by using "View source"... Wrote original site in SimpleText, later used PageMill for tables.
Visited major UK University (where I later got my MA). I was planning on doing a CS degree at the time. I explained my experience so far to the Prof I was interviewing with... Quote: "Oh. Um, I guess you will be skipping our introductory courses, then?"
Taught myself PageMaker to do layout of school literary magazine.
Audited Ivy Leage school C++ programming class in 11th grade.
Was scheduled to run a class in digital graphics and art in the art department at my HS, but too many students were too busy so it was cancelled.
Hired as Windows 95 / network / Mac "student" tech at local company in 12th grade. Learned most Windows and networking stuff on the job, was up in running in a couple of weeks.
Graduated HS a few months early once I realized I had the credit.
Hired as hardware tech at top-tier University in their Apple Authorized shop. Learned major hardware repairs on the job.
Began my first adult web site January 2001. (Age 22) Took Amateur pics on New Year's Eve, had the site up within a week. Now have a few personal sites, which we live off of.
Currently four computers in the house between the two of us. ADSL routed through my G4 to an AirPort station using gNAT, sharing the network on all our computers. I am on my... seventh computer personally.
How's that? ;) And yes, I know I qualify as both geek and nerd.
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