The Computer Programme (3): Talking To A Machine (Programming Languages)

[@rebelfox5630]

I remember watching this series. It was one of the very few places to find out about computers then. It was Sunday morning around 10.30am on BBC1. I think it had a hard job to do back then introducing Mr or Mrs Average to computers. Today people grow up with them. Back then the only frame of reference was a pocket calculator and fanciful computers in dubious science fiction films. Also at the time people who worked in the computer industry were incredibly snooty about using computers for fun or games. They completely missed the point it was way to bring computers into society. Games played a huge role in educating people the basics of computing. When I was a computing student I remember one esteemed computer colledge lecturer who furiously and somewhat vindictively walked round the computer labs hitting escape when a student committed the sin of playing a simple game on a BBC Micro. There were many computer snobs about in the 80's. Progress made them extinct within a decade.

[@dangerousmythbuster]

"The arm only speaks a kind of arm language." I guess I better use ARM then.

[@jacobhn2]

If you want to learn to program, I would recommend watching these programs they help to understand the basic and fun to see too

[@i.george2321]

come to london

[@Jason_Black]

I do miss those days when TV journalists just happened to take rifles with them when interviewing computer technicians?

[@henrybemis8913]

Ironically packing a rifle during a show is needed now even more urgently than in 1982.......sad...

[@mikeyo1234]

These TV journalists knew the computer technicians were going to take over the world... I guess they were 'Sarah Connoring' it on up.

[@robertusa1234]

Of You show up at the BBC with a rifle today. It would cause a mass panic

[@KingSlimjeezy]

that was sureal but a good analogy. He couldve taken it even further regaurding the steps that needed to happen to produce the gun and how those are analogous to the development of the computer

[@SimmeringPotpourri]

A firearm on a TV show didn't phase anything. Today if they did that someone would be....triggered. 😏

[@Spacekriek]

I like the cut at around 15:02... same clothes, perfect transition from the studio to the workshop !

[@Retrochild1979]

Gosh I wish we all still talked as posh as the lady at 15:00

[@jimsimpson1006]

Or even Chris Serle.

[@Slarti]

15:53 "If I've got this drive shaft in my hand and I want another one..." now now don't be greedy ;)

[@Spacekriek]

LOL !😄

[@HazelTheHare]

"The modern computer with it's keyboard and it's television set"

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

What do you mean by "with it is keyboard and it is television set"?

[@tjfSIM]

Hello Kitty Lover Man! Oh dear. The ‘eats, shoots and leaves’ brigade has arrived 🙄 You know perfectly well what he meant - was it worth highlighting such a minor error?

[@patsavage1245]

@@tjfSIM But they didn't do predictive text then. Your code had to be perfect.😉😉😉.

[@asumjessen2013]

see, this was back during a time when all TV presenters were required to have a gun on stage in case jimmy Savile entered the room

[@henrybemis8913]

I wonder who would shoot first....

[@jimsimpson1006]

😂 now then, now then...

[@DeKat-84]

They should have programmed one of the computers to respond to "RUN" with "IN WHICH DIRECTION?" :-D

[@carlybishop6160]

"It is the holes in this card that insures that it plays this tune and not the National Anthem", hahaha. It makes it sound like it is a very patriotic piece of equipment which keeps playing the National Anthem on default unless told to do something else.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

11:06 Only in the 80s could you get away with having a rifle on a computer show to demonstrate programming.

[@videomaster8580]

15:52 I think she wants a "Shaft" in her hand (childish laughter follows) lol.

[@fredwestbuilding2155]

23:23 Only two goldfish died in the making of that episode.

[@probro9898]

I never got what the deal with the owl was.

[@crusader2.0_loading89]

probro9898 BBC logo

[@kannabi]

you have a hoot when you watch this

[@saintus888]

Meanwhile we’re asking Siri for the weather

[@HFamilyDad]

Must be annoying as hell when YT music copyright kicks in and gets the tune completely wrong.

[@frederickbowdler8169]

They put this program over as if everyone was scared of change .

[@KingSlimjeezy]

Get it? The Computer programme? The computer PROGRAM Its so funny because the two are same but different ohohohoh!

[@tunggulsujarwob.archmba7751]

Do you have to pay ads with your data, folks? Sometimes in just one video are intens and doubled (1 of 2 ads must be passed before video can be continue). We already pay that for videos. They should pay for their info that we dont ask nor needed. Not us.

[@jasonking1284]

15:54 ".. if i've got this driveshaft in my hand and I want another one...." guy was probably trying to avoid the implication..

[@tjfSIM]

Jason King 😂 that was a funny and very unfortunate line

[@TheRetroEngine]

I just have visions of Chris Morris in the IT Crowd speaking into the mouse

[@ms-ex8em]

this computer (micro) bbc micro is one of the best in the world!! its other name was Proton and the other one was called Atom and Electron too!! the other one is Acorn Archimedes all from Acorn computers ltd 1987!!!!

[@TheWeardale1]

he loves saying - sub-routines..!

[@shekbake4389]

I wonder my macbook is named after our dear mac here

[@johnknight9150]

Looking at the music punch cards, if you've ever used a music programme like LMMS, it's almost exactly the same.

[@johneygd]

Yeah so many computer languanges ,i can't even count, just insane.

[@DeviantDeveloper]

Love the Kamikaze joke...

[@nathaniliescutotherescue6047]

How do you know when your friends have arrived at the door? Erm.....you listen for the door knock lol. Not the best analogy.

[@ArgosWarrior]

The modern computer says NO!

[@cptkerafreen3872]

Can I buy the Computer Program. On DVD??

[@TheStevenWhiting]

No, was never released. Which is why the copyright system on KZbin is bollocks. For a show that is no longer aired. You'll get the odd time where BBC will play it on BBC 4 but still.

[@jimsimpson1006]

@@TheStevenWhitingtheres just one or two episodes of it on the BBC iplayer.

[@therealchayd]

TIL G-code was invented in the 1950s

[@i.george2321]

15:15 that guy measures up a typewriter with a tape measure

[@OhNoHesDrivenRoundIt]

I am pretty sure he was just checking the punch tape....

[@mikeyo1234]

He's writing spaghetti code, instead of using functions at 20 minutes in! Bad programmer alert!

[@jimsimpson1006]

Yes, but in fairness, Basic spaghetti code was very common then.

[@henrybemis8913]

Thank goodness we have Windows now....imaging having to type in every instruction or command to your computer...now it is point and click

[@mikekaraoke]

Yea was a pain doing that but also rewarding at the same time, Even though we got Windows a very long time after nearly 4 years later on: 20 November 1985 -I mean computer tech just kept advancing every couple of months!

10 PRINT "I don't know what you mean"

Joke aside, typing commands is still common occurence if you're using command line interfaces on Linux or if you're in the IT field.

[@mupster2]

Thank God Apple brought out the Mac!