10 Ways to Tell if You're Really a Computer Veteran

It is not uncommon for someone to tout their long-term experience in the computer programming/administration industries.  But are you really a veteran?  Here are 10 ways to tell if you really are a old hand at this stuff.

1. You remember when the Internet didn't have a world wide web.  You used things like WAIS, telnet and gopher instead.
2. You know what "nulls" are in terminal parlance.  Extra points if you've actually used them.
3. You used to work with machines from DEC, Burroughs, Prime, Osborne, Kaypro, NEC, Heathkit, Tandem, Sperry, Hayes and/or Commodore (not home computers)
4. You remember when being able to address more than 32Mb on a single drive letter was significant.
5. You remember and have used monochrome monitors on PCs (extra points if they were green)
6. You have worked with technologies like Token-Ring, StarLan, ARCNET, and coaxial Ethernet.
7. You remember when 1200 baud was fast and most modems were acoustic.
8. The devices and technologies  you have used include paper tape, punch cards, 5 1/4" diskettes, 8" diskettes, terminators, CGA, EGA, ISA, EISA, MFM, RLL, ESDI, Math coprocessors, unidirectional printers, and/or RS232 (and know what it is)
9. You remember Peter Norton, Mitch Kapor, Dan Bricklin, Philippe Kahn, Gene Spafford, and Steve Gibson when they were innovating in ways never before seen, or simply just being an icon (such as Spaf).
10. Usenet.  Pine.  Fido. BBS. TradeWars. AppleCat. Phrack. GEnie. The Source. Compuserve. X.400 & X.25. alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork.  Telenet. Tymnet.

 

Ok, that's more than 10 I guess.  But those are the things that make me feel old when I think about them and how well I remember them but when I bring one up to a coworker I get a blank stare.

"300 baud?  as in 3-0-0?  no way!"

or my favorite

"What do you mean you used the Internet before the web?  How?"