The original source code of Microsoft GW-BASIC from 1983
The funny thing about this announcement is that a week ago I just found my old QBASIC textbook that I learned how to program with back in 1998.  QBASIC was my very first programming language; I was a nine year old kid who loved computers and would read anything computer-related that was available, including my mom&#x27;s textbooks (she was returning to college at the time and took some courses on computing and applications such as WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3) and software manuals.  When we finally got Internet access in 1998 via AOL, I used the message boards to get resources on how to program.  I was recommended to learn QBASIC, and I was told that QBASIC could be found on the Windows 95 install CD.  I remember initially learning QBASIC through some web tutorials.  My mom happened to have a friend who recently took a QBASIC programming course; her friend gave my mom her QBASIC textbook, which my mom then gave to me.<p>I&#x27;m now a researcher at an AI lab in Silicon Valley, and I just finished a five-week stint as a section leader for Stanford&#x27;s CS106A &quot;Code in Place&quot; introductory Python course (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.stanforddaily.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;05&#x2F;07&#x2F;students-instructors-share-thoughts-on-free-course-code-in-place&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.stanforddaily.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;05&#x2F;07&#x2F;students-instructor...</a>).  There&#x27;s nothing like the joy of programming for the very first time, the realization that you can create something that works with code.  Teaching those sections as well as finding my QBASIC book has reminded me of the feelings that I have from when I started learning how to program roughly 22 years ago.  This release of GW-BASIC was quite timely for me.