• MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml
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      4 hours ago

      The very first computers were programmed using physical switches and buttons. Punched cards came later. Being a programmer in those days was a lot harder than it is now!

    • alexei_1917 [mirror/your pronouns]@hexbear.netOP
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      14 hours ago

      I once saw an application, I think some sort of old computer emulator tool, on a smartphone, read a punch card using the camera. Which made me think, QR codes are a difficult for humans to read way to put code onto a physical sheet of paper and them pass it to a computer, just like punch cards were, when it comes to technology, there is nothing new under the sun, and on a cycle, everything old is eventually new again.

    • mushroommunk@lemmy.today
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      15 hours ago

      “human legible”

      Have you looked at a punch card? I like some assembly, but the punch card is just dots. They blur together until all you see are holes and more holes and structure has lost all meaning.