There is a whole swath of developers that toiled outside of the mainstream and made some great things in BASIC and other tools. Check balancing programs, CD collection databases, little game and many other apps that simply didn't exist because "serious" developers were doing "real" things. I came to realize later in life, after 2000, that all of these apps that improved the human condition becuase it is a cool game or learning experience or solving a problem no one else would touch were great, great things.