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obamanut2012

(27,755 posts)
Mon Feb 27, 2012, 03:50 PM Feb 2012

Adventures in Feministory: Ada Lovelace, First Computer Programmer

Lady Ada King, Countess of Lovelace—better known as Ada Lovelace—described herself as an analyst and metaphysician in her only published article. Seeing as how that article included what is cited as the first computer program and the first incidence of computers being assigned abilities beyond mathematical functions, her description rings true. Born in 1815 to Lord Byron, moody English poet, and Anne Isabelle Milbanke, "princess of parallelograms," Ada was primed to develop what she once called "poetical science."

Although Ada was Byron’s only legitimate child, he had virtually no relationship with her. Frustrated and at times frightened by the poet’s mood swings and erratic behavior, Ada’s mother separated from her husband shortly after Ada’s birth; Lord Byron then left England when Ada was only a few months old, never to return. Milbanke, who was herself a talented mathematician, insisted on giving Ada an intensive arithmetical education—while she also allowed her daughter to pursue music, she opposed excessive studies of that which she considered "poetical." Ada was indeed skilled with numbers, so much that she outstripped a number of her tutors’ abilities, but she often devoted her skills to more whimsical applications than her mother preferred, such as designing flying machines at the age of thirteen.

In her late teens, Ada found a mentor and friend in Mary Somerville, who in the 1820s had published English translations and explanations of Laplace’s mathematics. At one of Somerville’s dinner parties, Ada met Charles Babbage, and was intrigued by his explanation of the Difference Engine that he had designed and partially built. Her interest in his project developed into a close friendship that involved the two of them exchanging letters and advising one another on their work; their correspondence has led to some controversy over how much credit each of them deserves for ideas presented in Ada’s published piece.

<snip>

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/adventures-in-feministory-ada-lovelace-first-computer-programmer


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And women STILL have trouble getting IT and programming jobs!



11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Adventures in Feministory: Ada Lovelace, First Computer Programmer (Original Post) obamanut2012 Feb 2012 OP
Don't forget the ENIAC women too... ProfessionalLeftist Feb 2012 #1
That's an excellent reminder! obamanut2012 Feb 2012 #2
And Amazing Grace Hopper, RAdmiral, USN sarge43 Feb 2012 #3
Yay, I have an excuse to post this cartoon now! Starry Messenger Feb 2012 #8
Sums up Jay Elliot's observation sarge43 Feb 2012 #10
And Hedy Lamarr, the actress obamanut2012 Feb 2012 #6
"And women STILL have trouble getting IT and programming jobs!" TlalocW Feb 2012 #4
I know what the Dead Parrot skit is obamanut2012 Feb 2012 #5
Speaking of Monty Python: Constitutional Peasants justiceischeap Feb 2012 #9
I was in school in 93' and 94' taking telecom classes... snooper2 Feb 2012 #11
A woman invented Kevlar too ProfessionalLeftist Feb 2012 #7

sarge43

(29,147 posts)
10. Sums up Jay Elliot's observation
Tue Feb 28, 2012, 06:51 AM
Feb 2012

Appears to be all Navy, but reach inside and there's a pirate dying to get out.

TlalocW

(15,623 posts)
4. "And women STILL have trouble getting IT and programming jobs!"
Mon Feb 27, 2012, 04:53 PM
Feb 2012

Because essentially, it's still an old boys' network but one centered around being able to quote Monty Python, which, not to stereotype, most women don't do.

I am, of course, joking.

TlalocW

obamanut2012

(27,755 posts)
5. I know what the Dead Parrot skit is
Mon Feb 27, 2012, 05:43 PM
Feb 2012

Of course, I know nothing about IT or programming...

I also like Dr. Who, if that counts any.

 

snooper2

(30,151 posts)
11. I was in school in 93' and 94' taking telecom classes...
Tue Feb 28, 2012, 10:04 AM
Feb 2012

Out of 18 of us in that associate degree program, there was 1 female.

She ended up dropping out-


AC/DC theory had zero women and if I remember correctly Robotics had two out of 15 or 20 folks.


ProfessionalLeftist

(4,982 posts)
7. A woman invented Kevlar too
Mon Feb 27, 2012, 05:48 PM
Feb 2012

and accurately predicted the 2008 economic crash (Greenspan and Summers told her to STFU)

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