KEITH LIGHTFOOT NZ | COMPUTER GEEK
Gnutellas and Yottabytes! Over the years computer acronyms have become synonymous with people involved in the industry, sometimes necessary, often useful for abbreviation and always the butt of many computer related jokes. PS: |
A personal perspective on IT in New Zealand
| IT Career Information |
Keith Lightfoot became a computer programmer, without even knowing what a computer was, let alone the skills required. There were no computers in the school system, no computers in the home and no computers in the workplace, except the odd scattering of huge mainframe computers, owned and operated by the machine companies or large organisations using highly trained specialist staff. After showing interest at school in a possible career in computing, Keith completed an extensive written aptitude test and was advised that he was particularly suitable for the role. Computer interface methods were very rudimentary in the sixties and seventies, operating systems were non existent or barely visible and computer geeks were definitely computer geeks. The New Zealand Computer Society played a key role in bringing people together and also in legitimising the industry as a professional body. Keith was an active member of the Society and was chairman of the local branch on more than one occasion. As the profession has emerged and evolved, numerous technologies, competing manufacturers, specialist groups and international committees, has produced an ocean of every changing computer acronyms. IBM announced the Personal Computer in the early eighties and quickly became the de facto standard for many businesses and software houses. Interesting Links: |