Surviving in the Hi-Tech World - Memoirs of a life in computers

Book excerpt: Surviving in the Hi-Tech World follows the many ups and downs of my years as a software developer in the high-tech industry, starting in the mainframe era. It provides a window into what it is like to work in the computer field. I worked for many different organizations, from academia and large companies to medium sized companies and several startups. The stories weave my work experience with explanations of the technology of the period. In the process it follows the revolutionary changes in computer hardware and software from large mainframes to personal microcomputers and the evolution of early networks into the global Internet. When I was a psychology student in university, I became interested in the possibilities of using computers to model and understand human thinking. I completed a Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science in 1970, but my interest in doing academic research shifted to an interest in building real world systems. My first job in computers was with Univac, the company that had built one of the first general purpose commercial computers. I switched jobs for many different reasons – sometimes because of interest and at other times because of necessity. Each chapter in the book covers the different jobs and places that I worked. My journey took me from Montreal to London, Glasgow, Wisconsin, Vancouver and Toronto. Each job has its own story as I progressed through a series of adventures. There are stories of people who became multi-millionaires and one who went to jail.