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TIL the first computer programmer was a woman in the 1840s
I was reading a Wikipedia article on the history of computing and found out Ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm for Charles Babbage's early computer. It really surprised me because I'd only heard about modern male programmers. Does this change how we should talk about who belongs in coding?
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derekhunt6mo ago
Yeah it's a cool fact, but honestly it doesn't change the day to day. The real trick is just making sure everyone feels welcome to try it out now.
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henryt186mo ago
Okay but does one person from 200 years ago really change the whole conversation now? Feels like people make too big a deal out of old facts. Coding today is just about who can do the job, right?
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colescott6mo ago
Actually had a new guy on my team last year who only knew the modern tech bro history. When he found out about Lovelace it totally changed how he talked to the women in our coding bootcamp. He stopped making those "you're good at this for a girl" type comments without even realizing it. Facts from the past set the tone for who we think belongs now, like derekhunt said about making people feel welcome. It's not about giving jobs to unqualified people, it's about not scaring off half the talent pool before they even try.
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