I credit undergraduate computer science classes at Boston University for my early computer literacy. As an anthropology major, I wasn’t expected to do any heavy lifting for my science requirements – no physics or chemistry. But we were expected to meet a distribution in all areas. Remember that? A Well-Rounded Education?
So in my junior year, I took several geography courses. One of the geography professors was interested in cultural geography and had us working on statistical problems in cultural geography. This gave me an initial introduction to statistics and cultural geography. In the process, I had to learn to set up and accurately run statistical programs on the mainframe computer. This involved boxes of punched cards and hours spent at the computer center. This was the spark that introduced me to the use of computers.
The effect on my anthropology was enormous. My Junior year honors project involved some statistical analysis of datasets from my research in Coastal Maine. It was educational not only for me, but for some professors. My use of computers continued in grad school with the use of the old DARPA Net, a predecessor of the Internet. Use of computer technology would not engulf the analysis of anthropological data across the four quadrants ( cultural, physical, linguistic, and archeological) for years. Still, I was in at the start, running analyses for the professors. I spent almost as much time at the computer center as I did in classes.
Apple
After I left grad school, I had no access to academic computer systems. But I eventually scraped together enough money to buy an Apple IIc computer. I literally beat this system into the ground with use, and I drove it to the limits of its capabilities. With an old-fashioned modem, I continued analyzing data, played early computer games, and had a ball. The old Apple IIc led to a succession of Macs, and I will soon need to purchase another one as my current one is getting old. But I still remember the boxes of punch cards and the frantic insanity that happened when one accidentally spilled on the floor. Hours of placing the cards back in order resulted. It was not something you ever wanted to repeat.
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This took me back to my first job in data entry. Remember those punch cards well.
Yup! If you’ve been there you are not likely to have forgotten those experiences.
I almost took on this prompt — but I didn’t know where to start. Those old Apples were truly wonderful things.