Lucia Raatma - Bill Gates: Computer Programmer and Entrepreneur

Paul Allen (left) and Bill Gates at Lakeside in 1973.

Source: Microsoft Archives.

Today, parents and teachers alike would almost certainly praise Bill's interest in computers. At that time, however, computers did not play such a great part in people's lives because their uses were limited. The computer language of that day was called BASIC. Bill found one particularly mischievous use for his computer skills. He spent hours analyzing lines of codeprogram instructionsnot only learning how a program worked, but also looking for its weaknesses. When he found a vulnerable spot in the computer code, he would alter it and disrupt the computer. To Gates, it was a kind of game. Gates found that he could also bypass security systems and thus get access to information that he wasn't supposed to have. This is called "hacking." Back then, there were no laws against hacking. Today, it is a serious crime.

Gates's high-school teachers did not find the young hacker's activities as amusing as Gates did, and he got into trouble at school. For some reason, though, the computer company that owned the systems he had hacked into from the school computers was not nearly as upset as his teachers. The company just wanted to know how Gates had broken into their system. How did a high-school kid manage to break into a system designed to keep out sophisticated adult hackers? The truth was that Gates had already mastered Basic, and through his hacking, he had discovered a way to make mischief. Many hackers, like Bill, would later put their skills to good use writing computer programs. Hacking, though irritating to those whose computers were attacked, proved good training for a computer programmer.

In addition to programming, Bill's friend Kent enjoyed mountain climbing. But he had a tragic accident. One day he fell and was killed. Bill was devastated by Kent's death. As the weeks went by, Bill became closer to Paul. They spent a lot of time together and discussed all kinds of ideas. Their friendship, and their partnership, would last for years to come.

During his high-school years, Bill was struggling to figure out who he was. No doubt he felt out of place in his family at times. He also felt uncomfortable with other kids. His father recalled, "Trey didn't have a lot of confidence in social settings. I remember him fretting for two weeks before asking a girl to the prom, then getting turned down."