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02-03-2015, 03:28 AM | #1 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Feb 3rd, 2015: Margaret Hamilton
As soon as I read the name Margaret Hamilton, it clicked in my head, Wicked Witch of the West. Just a piece of useless,(except for bar bets and trivial pursuit), information we all pick up like human lint rollers. But it turns out this Margaret Hamilton was much more powerful than some vengeful green witch who could fly around OZ. Yes, our Margaret Hamilton took Apollo to the moon.
Wearing the typical clothes, hair, and glasses, girls wore in office jobs during the 60s. Standing next to a printout of the software, most of which she wrote, that Apollo used to go and land on the moon. Oh yes, and come back. She had a degree in math, was obviously pretty smart, and had that type of organized mind it takes to write reliable software. But she also had another big item that put her into the forefront of "software engineering", (a term she invented), and that big item was opportunity. In the dark ages of computers, everything was done with punch cards like at Joe Friday's R & I. Since making punch cards was first cousin to typing, the consensus of the predominately male engineers declared data entry was women's work. The engineers would solve the problems, and let the girls do the office work, typing, filing, and feeding computations into those new electric computing things. Most people couldn't even imagine how powerful and pervasive those electric computing things would rapidly become. As the job grew, Ms Hamilton grew along with it, eventually starting her own software company. Margaret Hamilton, like Grace Hopper, was in the right place at the right time. But more than that, had the vision to see opportunity to stake out territory in new fields of technology and go for it.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
02-03-2015, 06:43 AM | #2 |
still says videotape
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 26,813
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That is one metric shit ton of code. It's true, back then you could weigh it.
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02-03-2015, 07:11 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
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Why have I never heard of this woman?
Thanks, Bruce! |
02-03-2015, 10:12 AM | #4 |
Abecedarian
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Chile
Posts: 179
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I think she's hot.
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02-03-2015, 10:28 AM | #5 | |
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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Think you may have answered your own question there, glatt :P
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02-03-2015, 10:41 AM | #6 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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I have to agree with you, Leus. Keeping in mind she was born in 1936, I'd say she aged very nicely, too. Maybe because her career path didn't demand it, she avoided a lot of "beauty treatments"... you know, the lotions, potions, and medieval torture devices that pile up in the bathroom.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
02-03-2015, 10:55 AM | #7 |
Person who doesn't update the user title
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods
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But even I looked better in 1995 than I do now.
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02-03-2015, 11:05 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
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She probably didn't spend a lot of time in the sun either.
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02-03-2015, 11:19 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
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Here's a more recent picture and transcript of a talk she gave about her programming career, and how she loved to hunt down errors. 2001.
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02-03-2015, 04:50 PM | #10 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Oh yeah, 65 years old.
My buddy's wife is like that. I've known her for over forty years and except for the long straight hair turning grey, she hasn't change a bit.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
02-03-2015, 07:17 PM | #11 |
Person who doesn't update the user title
Join Date: Mar 2011
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She's great. I might think she's Amy Farrah Fowler!
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02-04-2015, 05:02 PM | #12 | |
Are you knock-kneed?
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Middle Hoosierland
Posts: 3,549
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Quote:
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02-05-2015, 12:45 AM | #13 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Ha ha ha, you're so right, is it O or is it 0?
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
02-06-2015, 11:40 AM | #14 |
Goon Squad Leader
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 27,063
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right. only more like is it
XXXXX0XX or is it XXXX0XXX Repeat for a zillion lines on a zillion cards
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Be Just and Fear Not. |
02-06-2015, 01:11 PM | #15 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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After you find them all...
IT COMPILED! IT COMPILED!
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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