Lunduke
News • Science & Tech
Who is the (real) first Computer Programmer?
Because it sure ain't Ada Lovelace.
December 13, 2023
post photo preview

Ask a majority of computer nerds, “Who was the first computer programmer?” and you’re likely to get one answer more than all others: Lady Ada Lovelace.

But was Ada Lovelace truly the first computer programmer? Or is that idea based on a bad understanding of both history and computers? Let’s dive in and figure this out.

The Work of Ada Lovelace

During the 1800’s a book series entitled “Scientific Memoirs” was published. An 1843 edition of that series included an English translation — of a French publication — of a lecture given by Charles Babbage on his theoretical, mechanical computing machine: The Analytical Engine.

That English translation was done by Ada Lovelace. And, in addition to her translation, she included a handful of notes that were included at the end of the publication.

One of those notes (labeled “Note G”) was a theoretical method for using the Analytical Engine to compute Bernoulli numbers.

This is what that note looked like:

This “Note G” is what many people consider to be the “first computer program”. And, thus, this is what has earned Ada Lovelace the title of “world’s first computer programmer.”

One of two photographs of Ada Lovelace.

There are, however, a few issues with bestowing this title upon Ada Lovelace.

  1. The computer this program was written for… did not exist. It was purely theoretical. Which means she was never able to actually “program” this “computer”.

  2. The software never “ran”. If a programmer never writes software that runs (not even once)… is that programmer… a programmer?

  3. Charles Babbage, the creator of the designs for this theoretical mechanical computer, also had to conceive of similar ways to utilize the computer. Thus, he would have been the “first programmer”… as he would have done so prior to Lovelace even hearing about the machine designs.

So. Was Ada Lovelace the first computer programmer?

Obviously not. While her writings which documented Babbage’s work are — undoubtedly — critical pieces of computing history (something for which Ada Lovelace deserves to be remembered), she was not a computer programmer. And, therefor, could not have been “the first one”.

So… who was the first programmer?

Ok. So Lovelace was not the first computer programmer. That much is obvious.

Which begs the question… who was?

To answer that we need set a few requirements for determining if someone was, or was not, a computer programmer.

  1. The computer they are writing programs for? It needs to actually exist.

  2. They must have run a program, which they wrote, at least one time on said computer.

Those two requirements seem rather obvious.

Let’s look over a few possibilities…

1944 - Programmers of the Mark 1

In 1944, the Mark 1 (at Harvard) went online. This was the first programmable computer in the United States of America.

A portion of the Mark 1 computer.

The first programmers for this machine were: Richard Milton Bloch, Grace Hopper, and Robert Campbell.

In Gary Kildall’s unpublished memoir, the legendary inventor of CP/M and the BIOS related a story about Grace Hopper which includes the line:

“Grace Hopper was self-proclaimed to be the first programmer, and I believe her.”

From Gary Kildall’s memoir.

Being as the Mark 1 was, indeed, programmable — these three programmers are certainly good contenders for the title of “first programmers”. And, among the three (Bloch, Campbell, and Hopper), Hopper appears to be the one who claims the title (without objection from others).

Admiral Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper would go on to be an absolute force within the world of computing (specifically on the development of FLOW-MATIC and COBOL).

However…

1941 - The Z3

3 years earlier, in 1941, Konrad Zuse had just completed his Z3 computer. An electromechanical machine (similar to the Mark 1 in that regard) that was the first operational, programmable computer in the world.

Replica of the Z3. The original Z3 was destroyed on December 21, 1943 during the bombing of Berlin.

If this is the first programmable computer — and Konrad Zuse developed it — it stands to reason that Konrad Zuse would have tested the Z3 with programs which he wrote. Thus making Konrad Zuse the first computer programmer in the world.

Konrad Zuse

Something fascinating here:

The work on both the Z3 and Mark 1 was happening during World War 2. The Mark 1 being funded by the United States and the Z3 being funded by Nazi Germany.

Which means that two completely different teams were making computer history… completely separated from each other.

The Truth

The cold, hard truth is that Konrad Zuse, funded by Hitler’s Nazi Germany, is — in all likelihood — the first true computer programmer.

Note: Yes. Zuse was funded by the Nazi government of Germany. Zuse did not object or fight against the Nazis in any noteworthy way, and did significant work inside of Nazi bunkers. He worked with the Nazis willingly and eagerly. Regardless of what we all think of the Nazis — spoiler… we do not like them — the technical accomplishments of Zuse are real, documented, and should be regarded as a critical part of computing history.

However, the team in the United States would not have known about this. For them, they were the first to have a truly programmable computer with the Mark 1. Upon which, Admiral Grace Hopper claims to have been the first to program.

Now, here’s where things get tricky in defining “Computer Programmer”.

Does the person who built the computer count? Or can this title only be bestowed on someone who programmed the computer… but did not, themselves, build it?

  • If the builder of the computer counts… Zuse wins the title.

  • If the builder is disqualified… Hopper is the first computer programmer.

Either way, Ada Lovelace definitely was not the first computer programmer. This much is overwhelmingly obvious.

What is amazing about this fact: Despite seeing the documentation, many will cling (with an almost religious like fervor) to the idea that Lovelace was the first computer programmer. I find that fascinating.

community logo
Join the Lunduke Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
10
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
Non-DEI Fork of Xorg by Most Active Xorg Developer

The XLibre fork of the ubiquitous open source X11 implementation, Xorg, plans first release with "about 3,000 commits" and no "DEI".

00:19:15
Tech Journalist Engages in Lies & Doublespeak to Defame Lunduke

As part of a GNOME puff piece, a Tech Journalist for a Free and Open Source publication went on an unhinged attack on all things "Lunduke". And GNOME promoted it.

00:23:44
When Should They Be Censored for The Violence they Promoted?

Across all major platforms -- X, Twitch, YouTube, Reddit etc. -- they vilify and encourage violence against Jews. Then the violence occurs. From Leftist Activists to the "Woke Right", when should they be censored?

00:34:19
November 22, 2023
The futility of Ad-Blockers

Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.

It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links? Check here:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

The futility of Ad-Blockers
November 21, 2023
openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"

Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.

Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"
September 13, 2023
"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

Thanks to DHowett who is a MS employee we have an unsigned EC driver that allows you to control the EC from Windows. Currently this means that you need to disable secure boot and enable unsigned driver testing to use it. A signed one is being worked on hopefully. Framework released one for the new AI 300 AMD series but no other mainboard has one yet.

Anyway I was finally able to write a piece of software that monitors the temps via the EC every 10 seconds and sets the fan accordingly. This is important on the Mattbook because the default fan curve allows too much heat to build up before the fan comes on.

This was a serious hurdle because overheating is a serious concern in the Mattbook due to the proximity of the battery and mainboard. Now those problems have been alleviated it means you can use the Mattbook at full tilt. Woot!

Just wanted to share with you awesome nerds!

post photo preview
16 hours ago

"A highly integrated, open source RK3588-based laptop."

To have this ability at his age... or at any age, in my case.

https://www.byran.ee/

Writing an app to help with multiplexing mTCP apps. This is my first foray into QuickBasic programming in well over two decades! It's fun!

post photo preview
50% off The Lunduke Journal (including Lifetime Subscriptions) for one more day!

To all of you amazing nerds who have signed up for a new Lunduke Journal subscription today, thank you! You make The Lunduke Journal possible!

If you haven’t snagged yours yet, the “50% off everything, even the Lifetime Subscriptions” deal is available today and tomorrow (through Saturday, May 31st).

  • 50% off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

  • 50% off Yearly — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • 50% off Yearly MP4 Downloads — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • 50% off Lifetime Subscriptions — Now $100 (was $200)

All the details on how to grab each type of subscription is right here. There’s also an audio podcast and video of me rambling about it.

Once again, thank you for all of the support. It truly does make a difference.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
50% off The Lunduke Journal (including Lifetime Subscriptions) through Saturday!

About 3 weeks back we had a deal where every new subscription to The Lunduke Journal was 50% off. Monthly, Yearly, Lifetime… all of it.

And — holy cow! — was that a success. Broke the record for most new subscribers to The Lunduke Journal in a single day. By a mile. Two days in a row.

Never seen anything like it. The amount of support all of you showed for truly independent Tech Journalism was off the charts.

You know what? Let’s try that again. Now through the end of May (which is Saturday, May 31st — the day after tomorrow):

  • 50% off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

  • 50% off Yearly — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • 50% off Yearly MP4 Downloads — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • 50% off Lifetime Subscriptions — Now $100 (was $200)

Choose whichever option feels right for you. All the details and links are below.

Every one — big or small — directly funds the work of The Lunduke Journal (with zero overhead). Every option includes full access to the community Forum. And, of course, every type of subscription keeps The Lunduke Journal ad-free and Big Tech free.

Remember: 50% off is only through Saturday, May 31st. The next day (Sunday, June 1st) the prices all go back to normal.

50% Off Yearly or Monthly Subscription:

50% off a Yearly or Monthly subscription to The Lunduke Journal are available via both Locals and Substack. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

That means $3 / Month. Or $27 / Year (which works out to $2.25 / Month).

Via Lunduke.Locals.com:

Via Lunduke.Substack.com:

The Famous Lifetime Subscription:

The "World Famous Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription" is exactly what it sounds like. Pay once and get full access to The Lunduke Journal. For life.

Now, through Saturday, May 31st… you can snag one at a crazy discount. Normally these are $200… but you can grab one for $100. (You can also pay more if you’d like to donate a little extra.)

The Lifetime Subscription can be obtained via Locals, Substack, or using Bitcoin. All three options work great and are super easy. Scroll down and choose your option.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select "Give Once".

  3. Enter "100" (or more) into the amount field.

  4. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Substack:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Substack.com/subscribe.

  2. Select the “Lifetime Subscription” option.

  3. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

If you would also like full, Lifetime access to Lunduke.Locals.com (which is included):

  1. Make a free account on Lunduke.Locals.com.

  2. Email “bryan at lunduke.com” with the email address you use on both Substack and Locals (can be different email addresses).

  3. Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status on Locals.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also obtain a Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with the following information: What time you made the transaction, how much was sent (in Bitcoin), and the email address you use (or plan to use) on Locals.com or Substack.com (or both).

50% Off DRM-Free, MP4 Downloads:

Want to be able to download every show The Lunduke Journal releases (and watch them on whatever device you like)? Yeah. You can do that. For 50% off.

Note: This DRM-Free download option does not include access to the Forum. This option is strictly for downloading the episodes.

Make a One Time Donation

Subscription not enough (or not your thing)? Want to toss in a one-time donation to The Lunduke Journal? There’s a few great options!

Via BitCoin:

Send any amount of BTC to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with to let us know it was you! You can choose to keep your donation anonymous if you prefer. (Either way, all BTC donations get included in the matching deal.)

Via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Click “GIVE ONCE”.

  3. Enter any amount you like.

You Make This Possible

A huge thank you to all of the subscribers who have made The Lunduke Journal possible. Because of you, we have been able to do true Tech Journalism — to tell the stories that no other Tech News outlet has the cajones to touch.

And to all of you new Lunduke Journal subscribers (which, wow, there’s a lot of you): Welcome to the last bastion of truly independent, Big-Tech-Free, ad-free, non-Woke Tech Journalism.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
50% off Monthly, Yearly Subscriptions! Lifetime Subs for $100! Let's get everyone subscribing to The Lunduke Journal!

The number of free subscribers to The Lunduke Journal has absolutely exploded — across a bunch of platforms — which is truly amazing. The real Tech News is spreading farther than ever.

In fact, the free subscriber growth is so utterly massive, that if even a tiny fraction of you became a paying subscriber… The Lunduke Journal would become comfortably financially set for a very long time. Able to continue reporting on Big Tech — and corrupt Tech Foundations — well into the future.

All without taking a penny from Big Tech.

With that in mind, let’s do something awesome… something that will make Big Tech really grumpy.

Let’s get as many people subscribing to The Lunduke Journal as possible. Right now. This week. Let’s make this Big-Tech-Free, Non-Woke Tech News publication financially set for a good, long time.

To give everyone a kick-in-the-butt to help make that happen, I’m going to discount absolutely every type of subscription in a crazy way — through Friday, May 9th.

  • %50 off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

  • %50 off Yearly — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • %50 off Yearly MP4 Downloads — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • %50 off Lifetime Subscriptions — Now $100 (was $200)

That Lifetime Subscription one is crazy.

Seriously. Make a one-time donation of $100, and be subscribed to The Lunduke Journal… for life. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

If even 1% of the new free subscribers who have joined in the last month take advantage of this… The Lunduke Journal will be fully funded through the end of this year. And then some.

Let’s make it happen. Scroll down. Pick which ever subscription type works best for you. Then high-five yourself for making Big Tech grumpy.

Just be sure to do it by the end of the day on Friday, May 9th. The prices all go back to normal after that.

50% Off Yearly or Monthly Subscription:

50% off a Yearly or Monthly subscription to The Lunduke Journal are available via both Locals and Substack. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

That means $3 / Month. Or $27 / Year (which works out to $2.25 / Month).

Via Lunduke.Locals.com:

Via Lunduke.Substack.com:

The Famous Lifetime Subscription:

The "World Famous Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription" is exactly what it sounds like. Pay once and get full access to The Lunduke Journal. For life.

And now, through Friday, May 9th… you can snag one at a crazy discount. Normally these are $200… but you can grab one for $100. (You can also pay more if you’d like to donate a little extra.)

The Lifetime Subscription can be obtained via Locals, Substack, or using Bitcoin. All three options work great and are super easy. Scroll down and choose your option.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select "Give Once".

  3. Enter "100" (or more) into the amount field.

  4. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Substack:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Substack.com/subscribe.

  2. Select the “Lifetime Subscription” option.

  3. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

If you would also like full, Lifetime access to Lunduke.Locals.com (which is included):

  1. Make a free account on Lunduke.Locals.com.

  2. Email “bryan at lunduke.com” with the email address you use on both Substack and Locals (can be different email addresses).

  3. Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status on Locals.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also obtain a Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with the following information: What time you made the transaction, how much was sent (in Bitcoin), and the email address you use (or plan to use) on Locals.com or Substack.com.

50% Off DRM-Free, MP4 Downloads:

Want to be able to download every show The Lunduke Journal releases (and watch them on whatever device you like)? Yeah. You can do that. For 50% off.

Note: This DRM-Free download option does not include access to the Forum. This option is strictly for downloading the episodes.

Make a One Time Donation

Subscription not enough (or not your thing)? Want to toss in a one-time donation to The Lunduke Journal? There’s a few great options!

Via BitCoin:

Send any amount of BTC to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with to let us know it was you! You can choose to keep your donation anonymous if you prefer. (Either way, all BTC donations get included in the matching deal.)

Via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Click “GIVE ONCE”.

  3. Enter any amount you like.

You Make This Possible

A huge thank you to all of the subscribers who have made The Lunduke Journal possible. Because of you, we have been able to do true Tech Journalism — to tell the stories that no other Tech News outlet has the cajones to touch.

And to all of you new Lunduke Journal subscribers: Welcome to the last bastion of truly independent, Big-Tech-Free, ad-free, non-Woke Tech Journalism.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals