History – From Curiosity to Expertise
The journey into the world of computers began in 1987 with the ZX Spectrum. It started with a programming and operations course organized by the Polish Scouting Association, sparking an enduring passion for technology.
By 1989, the Atari 800XL became the next milestone. A friend received it as a gift, and countless hours were spent playing games and exploring its capabilities, deepening the fascination with computing.
In 1991, the first personal computer arrived — a Commodore 64. Equipped with a cassette deck, a monochrome Biazet monitor, and English manuals for usage and programming, it offered the perfect environment for learning. Unable to purchase games immediately, programming became the focus. The resemblance between the BASIC used on the ZX Spectrum and the Commodore’s own made the transition seamless, leading to the successful execution of programs from the manual.
Not long after, BASIC revealed its limitations. The journey into 6510 Assembly programming began, unlocking the true potential of the Commodore 64. By 1993, a used disk drive arrived, vastly improving usability and further encouraging programming efforts. It was during this time that experimentation expanded to include Oxford Pascal, broadening the scope of knowledge.
That same year marked the start of high school at an electronics and computer science technical school. It introduced the world of PCs, starting with PC XTs equipped with 640KB RAM, 20MB hard drives, VGA graphics, and monochrome monitors. The highlight of the classroom was a single AT286, boasting a 40MB hard drive and 1MB RAM (SVGA, color monitor). Programming classes utilized Borland Pascal, which came naturally thanks to prior experience. By the end of the first year, Intel x86 Assembly became the next challenge.
The first home PC, a 386SX, arrived shortly after, featuring an 80MB hard drive and 4MB RAM. This opened doors to programming with Borland Pascal, which later evolved into Delphi for Windows development. C/C++, Visual Basic, and Assembly joined the repertoire as the learning curve steepened. By 1996, access to the Internet was established through a dedicated phone number by Telekomunikacja Polska. The immediate curiosity about how websites worked led to creating the first webpage using HTML and CSS. In the absence of PHP, early websites were developed in C and FreePascal, functioning like primitive server-side programs.
The breakthrough came in 1998 with the public availability of PHP, a language still in active use today. While its early versions were rudimentary, they laid the foundation for dynamic web development.
In 2005, WordPress entered the scene with version 1.5 “Strayhorn,” featuring the iconic default theme “Kubrick.” The serendipitous naming resonated deeply, kindling an enduring relationship with WordPress development. Writing custom plugins and themes became the cornerstone of the programming journey.
Throughout the years, parallel endeavors flourished. Articles on programming were published in magazines like Hackin9 and Software 2.0, some of which were cited in academic theses — a significant achievement. Work in cybersecurity, including security audits and penetration testing, complemented development efforts, establishing a well-rounded expertise in technology.
Today, this journey continues, fueled by a passion for innovation, excellence, and the ever-evolving landscape of technology.