--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In college, before video games, we would…" description: "\"In college, before video games, we would amuse ourselves by posing programming exercises.\" — Ken Thompson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/ken-thompson-15903_college_in-college-before-video-games-we-would-a_1417417.jpg" --- # In college, before video games, we would amuse ourselves… ![“In college, before video games, we would amuse ourselves by posing programming exercises.” quote by Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/ken-thompson-15903_college_in-college-before-video-games-we-would-a_1417417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/ken-thompson-15903_college_in-college-before-video-games-we-would-a_1417417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/ken-thompson-15903_college_in-college-before-video-games-we-would-a_1417417.jpg) > “In college, before video games, we would amuse ourselves by posing programming exercises.” [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Programmers used puzzles as entertainment before video games existed. **In simple terms:** Programmers entertained themselves with coding challenges. Key Takeaway Embrace creative problem solving. Themes creativity programming history Mood nostalgic reflective Type anecdotal historical When to use this quote - software engineering - education - team building Key Concepts Computer science recreation Questions to Reflect On - How can coding puzzles foster teamwork? - What modern activities replace them? A Different Perspective May overlook collaborative learning benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amuse Posing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amuse-posing-5011123/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Games Amuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games-amuse-5011121/) [Posing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posing/) [Posing Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posing-programming-5011120/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Programming Exercises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming-exercises-5011122/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) [Video games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video-games/) ## Related quotes > [Posing the question: does the god of love use underarm deodorant, vaginal spray and fluoride toothpaste?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-ellison/posing-the-question-does-the-god-of-love-use-underarm-deodorant/) [Harlan Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-ellison/) > [“The fraudulence paradox was that the more time and effort you put into trying to appear impressive or attractive to other people, the less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-fraudulence-paradox-was-that-the-more-time-and-effort-you-put/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/the-quintessential-revolution-is-that-of-the-spirit-born-of-an/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [I really don't see the downside to posing for Playboy again. I mean, I did it before, and everyone's already seen me naked, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-richards/i-really-don-t-see-the-downside-to-posing-for-playboy-again-i-mean-i/) [Denise Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-richards/) > [Attitude is like posing for picture. We pose the way we want to be seen by others. But stolen shots are better, they capture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/attitude-is-like-posing-for-picture-we-pose-the-way-we-want-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Black men are also notorious for posing as cool and above-it-all instead of expressing joy and happiness. This is one of the masks that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jor-el-caraballo/black-men-are-also-notorious-for-posing-as-cool-and-above-it-all/) [Jor-El Caraballo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jor-el-caraballo/) > [I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM POSING NAKED. FOR ME, IT IS ONLY WORK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baptiste-giabiconi/i-don-t-have-any-problem-posing-naked-for-me-it-is-only-work/) [Baptiste Giabiconi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baptiste-giabiconi/) > [I made my career off posing in swimsuits and doing all the swimsuit issues and posters, but I will tell you that that little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-margolis/i-made-my-career-off-posing-in-swimsuits-and-doing-all-the-swimsuit/) [Cindy Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-margolis/) > [We're not like a nostalgia act, or the normal classic rock act - we're a really good musical organization, ... You're going to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/we-re-not-like-a-nostalgia-act-or-the-normal-classic-rock-act-we-re-a/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [Posing is a performing art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/posing-is-a-performing-art/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [Look, I don't mind if the President sends a budget which he knows is not going to achieve anything. But when he prefaces his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/look-i-don-t-mind-if-the-president-sends-a-budget-which-he-knows-is/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [According to Miller, Pharisee Judaism is not a religion at all, but a secret society posing as a religion, a "sect with Judaism as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-starr-miller/according-to-miller-pharisee-judaism-is-not-a-religion-at-all-but-a/) [Edith Starr Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-starr-miller/) > [One time, I was posing on a car for a calendar shoot. I was doused with oil and literally slid off the car, bikini,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-kita/one-time-i-was-posing-on-a-car-for-a-calendar-shoot-i-was-doused-with/) [Candace Kita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-kita/) > [There is a fair amount of competition, obviously, with ISIL and the terrorist networks around the world, China also posing a different kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/there-is-a-fair-amount-of-competition-obviously-with-isil-and-the/) [Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/) > [Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-brice/let-the-world-know-you-as-you-are-not-as-you-think-you-should-be/) [Fanny Brice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-brice/) ## More by Ken Thompson > [One of my most productive days was throwing away 1,000 lines of code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/one-of-my-most-productive-days-was-throwing-away-1-000-lines-of-code/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [There's a lot of power in executing data - generating data and executing data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/there-s-a-lot-of-power-in-executing-data-generating-data-and/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [One is that the perfect garden can be created overnight, which it can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/one-is-that-the-perfect-garden-can-be-created-overnight-which-it-can-t/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [One of my most productive days was throwing away 1000 lines of code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/one-of-my-most-productive-days-was-throwing-away-1000-lines-of-code/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [I am a programmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/i-am-a-programmer/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [It's always good to take an orthogonal view of something. 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We were told over and over that was probably the most serious mistake and the reason was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/we-tried-to-avoid-you-know-records-we-were-told-over-and-over-that/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [In fact, we started off with two or three different shells and the shell had life of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/in-fact-we-started-off-with-two-or-three-different-shells-and-the/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [The average gardener probably knows little about what is going on in his or her garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/the-average-gardener-probably-knows-little-about-what-is-going-on-in/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) [Explore all 41 Ken Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) ## More College quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. 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They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/some-people-you-know-should-just-go-to-college-and-do-what-they-do/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Children should finish school and even go to college if they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fuller/children-should-finish-school-and-even-go-to-college-if-they-can/) [Robert Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fuller/) > [I was totally sober in college and really, really focused. 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Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [Doing away with separate black colleges meets resistance from alumni and other blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-baker-motley/doing-away-with-separate-black-colleges-meets-resistance-from-alumni/) [Constance Baker Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-baker-motley/) > [My son going to college is a big milestone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gore/my-son-going-to-college-is-a-big-milestone/) [Frank Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gore/) > [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. 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