Python Newbie

[Steve Simmons]

On 23/02/2013 16:51, Chris Angelico wrote:
> Steve, why do you say you're not a developer? A score of languages 
> under your belt, choosing to write code in your spare time, and 
> speaking competently on the comparative merits of different languages 
> and why you made the decision you made - sounds like you're every bit 
> a coder. Don't run yourself down so! :)ChrisA

I guess I was a developer back in 1972 when I did 15 months worth of 
COBOL and for a while in the late 70's when I was coding in assembler 
for ICL machines (24 bit words!) but since then, I've never done enough 
with any one language to be able to code without 'the book' open in 
front of me, so I'd feel a bit of a fraud if I called myself a 
developer.  However, what I have done has taught me every computer works 
in the same way, from the Raspberry Pi all the way back to those 32Kb 
'mainframes' of the 70's and that a compiler/linker or interpreter goes 
through a very similar process for any language on any architecture, 
although I'm sure someone will reply to this post to tell me that the 
Gargleflup 3000 model 6.78.009B was COMPLETELY different or to ask why I 
hadn't mentioned the Zurp language if I was so damn knowledgeable.  ;-)
I suppose that if I had to label myself, it would be 'IT Generalist' but 
I've been doing that for over 40 years so I suppose I'm a Specialist 
Generalist :-)