SDF is 35 this month, and I found the right blend of nostalgia to celebrate!
This is not my SDF account. A long time ago, I had a basic account. I was 13 (or 14?). I probably couldn't afford the lifetime ARPA membership (if that even was a thing back then, I no longer recall) -- it wasn't a factor because this was back when sending and receiving money internationally was still pretty hard so...
I definitely couldn't afford a fast computer. I didn't even have *my own* computer (1/n)
I wanted to learn Unix and Linux, but all I had was a C64 emulator and a copy of LUnix ( http://lng.sourceforge.net ) to try out a few basic things.
I'd occasionally got access to Linux and Unices before but never on a reasonably constant basis. SDF was the first time I could log in pretty much at any time and learn a few simple things.
I'd play with whatever was available for a while, then log out (dial-up was... not exactly cheap, either, long story) and daydream about a real computer (2/n)
while playing Desert Strike. Desert Strike was already really old at the time, but my computer didn't run recent games, so I found fun wherever I could.
So I guess I'm playing Desert Strike tonight!
(Desert Strike is right out of some Bush-era dystopian past. I encourage the young people in the audience to take it with a grain of salt...)
(n/n)
@littlejohn omg I remember desert strike. It is creepy to think about its concept in 2022 though! Happy birthday, sdf.
