Well, where to start…?
First of all, I am a 14 year old boy. From the moment I got my first calculator two years ago (a beautiful Ti-83 Plus), I knew I wanted to use it for more than just math. I was only in 7th grade at the time, but I already knew - and still know - a fair amount of HTML and CSS. I longed to learn JavaScript after seeing it's potential for making games and interactive programs. Sadly, when I realized that everyone wants you to pay exorbitant amounts to learn the basics, I gave up. I was kind of heart-broken. I knew I wanted to develop and create my own games and practical, helpful apps, but that seemed little more than wishful thinking at the time. I tried seeing if I was able to make a game on my calculator, but I thought graphing was the only thing that might work. The y1 through y10 functions left me feeling even more depressed than anything else.
About a fourth of the way into the school year, one of my best friends, (and fellow nerd) showed me a simple guessing game she had found online for her Ti calculator. She showed me how it worked through a program, and how to play it, and even though I had no idea what I was looking at, I copied the code into my own Ti-83. I played it over and over and over again, fascinated with it and mystified by the "puzzling" coding language behind it. A few days later, that same friend found the code online for a basic snake game and I copied it too. I still remember that day clearly. She had to show me where the store function was and tell me what it did. Copying code from the internet was the extent of my friend's learning.
But I was even more fascinated by the new program. I started to dissect the code bit by bit to figure it out. I was very ambitious about it, especially after having my pc coding dreams crushed. I learned more and more, creating my own mini-programs that did simple things like storing numbers and displaying text. I knew they weren't practical, and nothing could really come from them, but the more of those programs I made, the more I learned, and the more I loved my Ti-83.
At the end of my 7th grade year, I made my very first "program app". It was nothing fancy, just a Pythagorean Theorem calculator that could find a, b, or c by using the other two variables. It used the graph to display a triangle, label the sides, show the values of a, b, and c, and show how the Theorem worked. It worked every time without fail. It wasn't something worthy of an award or anything, but it was a grand achievement for me. It was something practical that people could use, it was something I came up with by myself, and it was something I could put my name on and be proud of. That one "app" changed everything for me and led me to create several other much better and much more amazing apps and games.
Now, it's been two years - almost to the day - and I have a Ti-83 Plus, a Ti-84 Plus, and a Ti-84 Plus Silver Edition, which I program on almost every single day. Recently, I realized I would need a name if I were to be making things for others. There's nothing wrong with my real name, but I don't want everyone to know me, and what if a stranger wants to buy a game from me? That's when I came up with the name Pixel Physics. On my games it's Pixel Physics Games and on my apps it is Pixel Physics Apps. I made the first version of my logo that is now my avatar on this site. :)
I have seen this site before, and even used it once when I was making a hangman game. I never decided to become a member until now, and I'm not sure why that is. I just want to say that this is an amazing site and it is well laid-out. I also wanted to thank everyone here for their contribution to this site through their ideas and questions.
Please remember that although I consider myself extremely good at programming on a calculator, I'm self-taught. Meaning I don't know everything and I probably have a long ways to go before I know "enough". That doesn't mean I am not ambitious about learning more and working hard to achieve my goals. Coding is something I have a deep passion for and am considering a career in. ,, No, I don't mean I am going to make a living programming calculators, but it's a start… ,,
In short, I'm human. I like to get down-to-earth and be friends with anyone I meet. I love sharing ideas and being taught by people instead of boring online courses and instruction videos. I ask questions. I strive to find answers and ways to make my wildest ideas come true. I don't want to be a know-it-all, but instead want to help other people respectfully and listen respectfully to those who are more skilled and experienced than I am. I'm not afraid of failure. I laugh at my mistakes and work hard to fix them. I give up occasionally when I can't figure something out, but I always come back to it. I make apps and games to help others and bring a smile to their face, not to be "famous" and get rich. I give the credit to God because He created me and gave me the talents that I have. Some say I have a wild imagination, but that's what gives me my best ideas.
I'm a young, ambitious, naive Christian coder, and if you don't like me after reading this, that's okay.
But give me a chance. Who knows? We might be able to help each other and/or become friends.
Until we meet,
Pixel Physics
(account deleted)