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Who is the (real) first Computer Programmer?
Because it sure ain't Ada Lovelace.
December 13, 2023
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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.

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The Unpublished Anti-Lunduke Hit-Piece
A Tech Journalist interviewed me for a hit-piece article. But the questions made them look bad, and they shelved the story. So I'm publishing their hit-piece for them.

Back in September, shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I was contacted by a Tech Journalist writing for FossForce.com (a smaller, Open Source focused publication) who was working on an article around Open Source, Antifa, and the Lunduke Journal’s coverage of those topics.

This particular outlet had, several months prior, run an “anti-Lunduke” hit piece without first reaching out for comment — which resulted in their most popular article (at least on social media) in quite some time.

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So I’m publishing their hit-piece for them.

Below is every question — and every answer (with no edits) — which I was asked, on September 19th, by a Tech Journalist by the name of Christine Hall, writing for FossForce.

Fair warning: This is very, very politically charged.

Enjoy.


September 19th

Hall:

The last time I mentioned you in an article, you castigated me for not reaching out to you beforehand. Well, I’m reaching out now. We’ll see what comes of this.

You do recognize that the vast majority of organizations using the term antifa as a descriptor are not in the least bit terrorist and pose no threat to society -- and indeed, the only threats they might pose to fascist groups are not physical or life-harming?

Lunduke:

Hello Christine! Nice to hear from you!

Many, if not most, of those proclaiming support for Antifa (within Open Source) have also made statements encouraging or supporting violence and discrimination.

Regardless of that fact -- which I have documented extensively in Lunduke Journal coverage -- when violent acts are committed (such as murder, riots, and lynchings) in the name of “Antifa”, to turn around and immediately declare yourself to be “Antifa” is a clear declaration of support of that violence.

Hall:

And why did you feel it necessary to call out Danielle Foré’s [the founder of the elementary OS Linux Distribution] trans status in such an ugly manner?

Lunduke:

There is a noteworthy overlap between “Trans activism” and support for political violence -- including in the recent murder of Charlie Kirk (the murderer’s boyfriend was “Trans”).

In the case of Daniel Fore, he, a leader of an Open Source project, regularly calls for discrimination (and violence) against people he disagrees with -- often in conjunction with his self-declaration as “Trans”.

Thus, his declaration of being “Trans” becomes a part of the overall story.

It is worth noting here that The Lunduke Journal has never -- and would never -- call for discrimination or violence against someone because of how they identify or who they may (or may not) vote for.

This is in stark contrast those, such as Mr. Fore, who consider themselves “Trans” or “Antifa” -- who actively advocate for both discrimination and violence.

Hall:

Mentioning a person’s trans status in ways that are pertinent to your argument necessates rudeness such as calling her a “dude who likes to wear dresses”?

Lunduke:

Dan Fore is, in fact, a dude who likes to wear dresses.

The only reason to view that as a negative is if you view dudes wearing dresses as a negative.

Hall:

I’ll quote you on that, which I’m pretty sure won’t bother you in the least.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Quote anything I say here. In fact, I suggest quoting absolutely everything I’ve written to you here, today.

Hall:

You also understand, don’t you, that voicing disagreement with an assessment made by POTUS is not only legal but a healthy part of the national dialog.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Did I say somewhere that it was illegal to disagree with a politician? It seems unlikely that I have ever said that.

Hall:

Also, how would you reply to this:

There have been very few murders linked to individuals associated with Antifa, some incidents of rioting attributed to Antifa supporters, and no credible evidence of lynchings conducted in the name of Antifa. Compared to far-right groups, violence attributed to Antifa is much less frequent and lethal, with only one suspected kill—Aaron Danielson in Portland, by an anti-fascist activist—officially confirmed in recent U.S. history.

Lunduke:

Murder is bad. I am opposed to all murder.

In the context of these discussions, bearing in mind the Kirk murder is important (as many statements were made in response to it). The murderer of Kirk appears to have been pro-Trans and pro-Antifa (based on all available information).

Hall:

Is there any evidence that the suspect was part of an antifa group? I haven’t seen any.

Lunduke:

I have seen some reporting to this effect (including statements from family and messages he wrote).

But, far more important to this story, is the response to the murder among Antifa supporters (including those within Open Source). A large portion of Antifa supporters have celebrated the murder as justified because it killed someone they considered to be a “fascist”.

Hall:

Also, no group should be held responsible for what some deranged person who identifies with the group has done.

Lunduke:

I agree that a broader group should not be held responsible for the actions of a small number of individuals.

However, and this is critically important, it is entirely appropriate to hold people responsible for their own statements and actions.

With that in mind: The overall messaging of Antifa (and Antifa supporters) tends heavily towards violence. Punching, killing, molotov cocktails, etc. are all common messaging used by Antifa (including by those I quote within the Open Source world -- many of whom have advocated violence against myself).

Advocating for violence, then celebrating when violence is committed, are not good things.

Yet we see a great deal of that among Open Source supporters of Antifa.

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Sale ends in a few hours, Lifetime Subs set up.

Holy moly, you guys are amazing.

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To everyone who grabbed a Lifetime Subscription over the last few days: All of you are set to full Lifetime access. You should have a confirmation email in your inbox. If not, email me and I’ll make sure you’re setup properly.

That “50% off” sale ends tonight at midnight. So you have a few hours to snag a discounted subscription, if you haven’t already.

A huge thank you to everyone who supports this work. Couldn’t do it without you.

-Lunduke

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50% Off Lunduke Journal Extended Through Monday (Oct 13th)

Just a quick heads up:

The “50% off every kind of Subscription to The Lunduke Journal” sale has been extended through Monday (October 13th).

So. You know. Grab one at 50% off between now and end of the day on Monday.

To all of you amazing nerds who have picked up a Lifetime Subscription already this weekend: You are awesome. You’ll be receiving a confirmation email, with all of the Lifetime Subscription details, by tomorrow (if you haven’t already).

Oh, and remember how we hit 11 Million views last month? Yeah. We’re well on our way to blowing past those numbers in October.

Wild.

See you all on Monday!

-Lunduke

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