Oh no! Keep the kids away from BASIC as it is
one of the most horrendous programming languages
ever invented.

Better to fire up a Fedora Linux or FreeBSD VM and have
the kids learn Python or anything saner than BASIC.

Back in the 1980s BASIC was better than nothing, but
should not be used again in 2026.

br,
KK

Basic is still fun to play with. They are only 5 and 3 anyway LOL. They were only interested in games anyway, for the time being. ;)

... Most have good aims in life, but few pull the trigger.

--- Renegade v1.40/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (1:129/305)

You told him not to introduce the kids to that same joy he
experienced with an end-of-world urgency. As if they'll be irreparably harmed by it. Sheesh.

He's doing it to bond with the kids. Maybe he will help them code their
own games and get that satisfaction like he did. For years magazines supplied source code for games. I used to stay in the computer lab after school to code them myself, since we didn't have a computer at my
home. We had atari game system.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

That's basically it (no pun intended). It's just a bonding exercise and sparking their interest seeing that they can write something that makes a computer follow their instructions. Unfortunately, they weren't really interested yet; they're only 3 and 5 ;)

... To quote the Librarian at Unseen University, "Oook!"

--- Renegade v1.40/DOS
* Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (1:129/305)

Re: Re: Commodore 64 Ultimate Starlight
By: Bo Holt to Kalevi Kolttonen on Tue Apr 07 2026 02:12 pm

Oh no! Keep the kids away from BASIC as it is
one of the most horrendous programming languages
ever invented.

Better to fire up a Fedora Linux or FreeBSD VM and have
the kids learn Python or anything saner than BASIC.

Back in the 1980s BASIC was better than nothing, but
should not be used again in 2026.

br,
KK

Basic is still fun to play with. They are only 5 and 3 anyway LOL. They we only interested in games anyway, for the time being. ;)

... Most have good aims in life, but few pull the trigger.

Nah, python is better.

BASIC really only makes sense if you are still using an 80s microcomputer.
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Win32
* Origin: MS & RD BBS bbsweb.mozysswamp.org (3:633/384)

On 4/8/26 10:30 AM, Dennis Katsonis wrote:

Nah, python is better.

BASIC really only makes sense if you are still using an 80s microcomputer.

You need to look at MMBasic and the PicoCalc then.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Mortar M. <usenet@vk3heg.net> wrote:

Re: Re: Commodore 64 Ultimate Starlight
By: Kalevi Kolttonen to All on Tue Mar 10 2026 13:30:01

C64 BASIC is beyond awful and should never be used in 2026. Why would anyone
torture kids with that lame BASIC?

I think you're missing the point of retro-computing.

Right?


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Re: Re: Commodore 64 Ultimate Starlight
By: marika to All on Fri Apr 10 2026 03:45 am

Mortar M. <usenet@vk3heg.net> wrote:

Re: Re: Commodore 64 Ultimate Starlight
By: Kalevi Kolttonen to All on Tue Mar 10 2026 13:30:01

C64 BASIC is beyond awful and should never be used in 2026. Why would

anyone

torture kids with that lame BASIC?

I think you're missing the point of retro-computing.

Right?

To be frank, C64 basic wasn't that great, even back then. My first computer was a VZ 200, which predated the C64 (I think it was sold as a V-Tech 200 in the US? Here in Australia it was popular), and even it had a version of basic where you could draw lines and do graphics.
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Win32
* Origin: MS & RD BBS bbsweb.mozysswamp.org (3:633/384)