How did you learn programming?

I'm been into computers since I was in the the first grade, when my Dad bought an Atari 800XL. While I was in middle and high school I did dabble with programming, but didn't do anything serious. I was more interested in systems integration and networking.

It wasn't until I went to college that I really learned to program. I know people like to say college isn't required to be a software engineer, but I learned a lot having to sit through all those lectures.

This was largely a process that began by reading the manual to my ZX Spectrum home computer, along with lots and lots of trial, error, and experimentation.

Of course it has been 30 years since that happened, but learning BASIC, then later Z80 machine code, definitely put me on the path towards an IT career.