Perhaps forgivable, because I was 6 at the time...
.. but funny nevertheless. I was reminded of this by the post which mentions BBC computers lower down.

I was in primary school, and it was the '80s. The BBC "micro" computer was the new thing, and everyone was in awe of it. Of course, at that age we were only playing Granny's Garden. *

I always felt this strange beckoning from the key at the top-right of the keyboard. I was both afraid of it, and attracted to it at the same time. Did I dare to press it? Would I be in trouble? What would happen?

One day when it was my turn to play, my curiosity got the better of me, and when the teacher was not looking, I pressed it. Instantly I regretted it. I became so scared I almost shat myself. The computer was ruined! This expensive piece of equipment.. what had I done!

I had broken it, that's what.

Yes indeed. The forbidden key was labelled "Break". I honestly thought that by pressing the key, it would "break" the computer beyond repair :)

* I still get nightmares about that witch...
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Sun 21 Mar 2010, 15:12, 8 replies)

Don't forget that
Granny's Garden was actually shit.

I had such fond memories of it but I recently played it on an emulator, and realised that it was actually bollocks.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sun 21 Mar 2010, 16:10, closed)

Of course it was
But to a six-year-old playing on a computer for the first time in his life, one had no points of comparison :)

This was the time before all 2-year-olds became au-fait with the latest iPhone apps.
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Sun 21 Mar 2010, 17:18, closed)

Wowser
I had completely forgotten about this, first ever experience on a computer. Whodathunk back then, what it would lead to (errr, not that much really.

Cheers for the flashback, yeah I was a bit 'bovvered' by the witch too
(maggotriddendirtbox fast, feral and sharp as a tack since, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 9:36, closed)

That was not a good idea.
(space bar)


( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Sun 21 Mar 2010, 20:25, closed)

But Break was actually the key to a whole new world
after versing myself well on the Spectrum (128k baby!) I jabbed mine at primary school, allowing me access to the code, and with a 10 year olds knowledge of BASIC managed to change the game's dialogue to something rude including the words "bum" and "stiffy".
If only hacking was so easy nowadays.
(tweed_steed will be an inconsistent ninja tonight, Sun 21 Mar 2010, 20:43, closed)

Ah yes, modding early games could be delighful, if peurile, fun
I once changed a couple of loading screens for "R-Type" on the Atari ST; using Neochrome to load the images from a copy of the game disc then overwriting them with the new versions (naturally, I kept the original unsullied disk intact, but hidden away).

Before: Bolts of lightning would 'flash' across the screen.
After: Bolts of lighting would 'flash' across the screen... from a giant pair of buttocks.

Before: A scaly monster-thing was raising a clawed hand.
After: A scaly monster-thing was raising a clawed hand... holding a handkerchief as it sneezed.

Result: Every time the game loaded, the player would be greeted with two fine examples of my juvenile humour.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Sun 21 Mar 2010, 22:59, closed)

Aaaaarrrrgghhh
*runs away*
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Sun 21 Mar 2010, 21:04, closed)

Hehe
The people who dared to press it then went on to become far better computer users than the constantly afraid-of-breaking-it masses. Probably.

The rest went on to hand themselves in to the police when Windows detected an illegal operation.
(Cloudane, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 1:14, closed)