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Discussion on: Tell us about the Black technologists that inspire you!

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Jesse Warden • Edited

John Henry Thompson's Director is how I got started in programming. Without him inventing and building Lingo, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's frightening to think what my life would be without programming, without him doing what he did. I'm eternally grateful he built his dream, and empowered so many to start their careers with a MUCH easier bar of entry via less intimidating concepts like animation, sound, and video... where programming was more in the background. To this day, if you know Director and find out someone else knows of it too, you immediately can say "go to the frame" or "on startMovie" and you immediately have this strong camaraderie with a random stranger. Before there was internet, there were CD-ROM's and desktop software, and Director got you in with MUCH smarter people, but your stuff looked soo much cooler than theirs with custom window chrome, alpha channels, animation, sound, video, reading files... it was super powerful, super fun, and made you feel like a rockstar.