Computer Access Creates Opportunities

David and I learned to program at a very young age — in a way not too different from a child learning to talk. At first we mimicked – pushing the up arrow to repeat the last command our Dad last ran on his MS-DOS machine. Typically this was when he left the room for just a few minutes. Thank God we never deleted (too many) files. Then after learning to walk (use the operating system), we started to tinker with basic programming (QBasic at the time), and take apart computers and reassemble them. The way computers work, how to use them and how to program them just became an extension of who we are. This in-depth knowledge created many opportunities.

When it became time to find jobs we looked around at what are friends were doing – working at gas stations, serving up greasy food, and cashiering at grocery stores. But that was not for us, and after a very short investment in a newspaper route, realized that computers gave us the opportunity to explore many other paths. After sitting around talking for a few hours we established Maximum Impression, and emailed a few hundred companies from the Yahoo directory. Yes, that's right, we may have witnessed the invention of Spam that night (sorry!). A few companies responded and we were up and running. Years have now passed and we both paid our way through college, bought homes, then graduated from college, and turned what was a business out of our parents' basement into a successful Minneapolis website and online marketing agency – now called Plaudit Design.

Without early access to computers we never would have started Plaudit Design – and it's difficult to imagine how limited our options would be if we didn't have regular access to computers when young. Technology grows at an exponential rate and the importance of computer access is simply imperative to all. With it you can learn about anything and create your own opportunities – be that the skills to do homework in school, build a career, or start a business in your parent's basement when you decide your newspaper route doesn't have a future. This is why we believe in BRIDGEdotMN's cause. So when Mike Bollinger approached us to ask for support, there was only one possible answer. (The answer was “yes.”)

If you have benefited from access to computers when young, or wish you had, learn more and contribute at BRIDGEdotMN's website.