1. Learning to know me, learning to Know IT: Marius Koch 13053176

2. INDEX: 1. Where did IT(it) all begin?  The MWEB CHALLENGE  The FIRST COMPUTER  Computers and other people  Racing games  First person shooter games 2.Getting a bit more technical: 3. Hardware is HARD: 4.(Codding==MyPassion) 5.Getting started with programming: 6.Why Programming? : 7.Conclusion: 8.References:

3. 1.Where did IT(it) all begin?  I found it very hard to really determine where my first real experience with IT was so I decided to choose three fundamental IT experiences:

4. 1.1 The MWEB CHALLENGE:  At the tender age of 6 I have been exposed to computers but nothing phenomenal due to the fact of not owning our own computer. This all changed when my sister (age 11 at the time) and I were asked to compete in a mweb online search challenge in the Menlyn shopping centre. We both won the prize, even though not having much experience with computers. The prize was a three month free internet connection each. This then forced my father to buy our family’s first computer.

5. 1.2 The FIRST COMPUTER:  Like any other boy of my generation my early computer MEMORY(memories) was filled with gaming.  To my parents regret, the first moment I got hold of our Windows 98 computer there has no break between my relationship with technology.  Back then it was not about the graphics of the game like today. It was about the challenge of getting to the next level, or as I’d like to put it “beating the next boss”.

6. 1.3 Computers and other people:  A large reason for my fascination with computers was the games I used to play with mainly my cousin, who had a large effect on my early experiences with computers.  I believe that gaming improved some of my skills that helped me develop into the person I am today.  Here are a few examples of what we used to play between the ages of nine and twelve :

7. 1.3.1 Racing games:  Racing games made me take a more in-depth look at the details and tricks on succeeding with challenges.

8. 1.3.2 First person shooter games:  What I love about first person shooter games was the fast reactions needed to stay in the game for longer. Which improved my reaction time and sped up my problem solution skills.

9. 2.Getting a bit more technical:  At the age of twelve, when I had my first computer literacy class, I realised I wanted to type quicker, read faster and generally be better at anything to do with computers.  I started by trying to improve my typing speed, I then moved on to try and be able to type without looking at the keyboard which I was able to do by the age of fourteen.

10. 3. Hardware is HARD:  Unlike my cousin who was natural at fixing and building computers, I struggled to understand the inside of a computer.  This was very frustrating for me, because I saw myself as a technology lover. I even opened a couple of computers to understand what made a computer tick. But no matter what I tried I could never get past the basic understanding of the hardware.

11. 4.(Codding==MyPassion)  At the age of sixteen I enrolled in my schools IT class and fell in love with programming.  The concept of asking a question and getting a true or false result was just clear from day one.

12. 5.Getting started with programming:  When I got started with programming they told us that it was like learning an entirely new language, which I can confirm.  This wasn’t good news for me at all due to the fact that I have never been very good at language subjects.  To my surprise the coding language just came natural to me.

13. 6.Why Programming? :  Whenever I get asked the question “Why do you love programming so much?” I like to reply by telling them I don’t like limitations.  If you think about it, there can never be any real limits to programming, there will always be some sort of new development when it comes to programming.  Yes, there are the arguments that very few field have reached there limitations, if any, but no other fields are progressing at the same rapid rate as the computer sciences.

14. 7.Conclusion:  Throughout most of my life, computers have been a part of me. I realized at the very early age that I wanted to something with computers. It was like a dream came true when I realized I could study BSc IT and do what I loved for the rest of my life.  I could never see myself doing anything else and be as happy as I am today.

15. 8.References:  https://twitter.com/MWEBGuy https://twitter.com/MWEBGuy  http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/computer/computers-windows-98- desktop-hd-wallpaper-586516/ http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/computer/computers-windows-98- desktop-hd-wallpaper-586516/  http://www.giantbomb.com/need-for-speed-ii/3030-367/ http://www.giantbomb.com/need-for-speed-ii/3030-367/  http://www.giantbomb.com/half-life-counter-strike/3030-11663/ http://www.giantbomb.com/half-life-counter-strike/3030-11663/  http://www.moddb.com/games/battlefield- vietnam/downloads/bfv-mod-development-kit http://www.moddb.com/games/battlefield- vietnam/downloads/bfv-mod-development-kit  http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=33072&PHPSESSID=5630d9c06 19ba966c170ca58ecd0fbc6 http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=33072&PHPSESSID=5630d9c06 19ba966c170ca58ecd0fbc6  http://www.badstockart.com/2010/05/ http://www.badstockart.com/2010/05/  http://socialnetworksbuzz.com/2013/02/scientists-invent-a-self- repairing-computer-that-will-never-crash/ http://socialnetworksbuzz.com/2013/02/scientists-invent-a-self- repairing-computer-that-will-never-crash/  http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/danaher20130216 http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/danaher20130216  http://www.dennis-yu.com/i-play-video-games-for-a-living-now- sorta/ http://www.dennis-yu.com/i-play-video-games-for-a-living-now- sorta/