There is an extended discussion of the story that Kathy mentions in my article "When Computers were Women," which appeared in Technology and Culture 40:3 (1999), pp. 455-483. There is also an active community of historians of computing with a journal of possible interest -- the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing (published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The journal contains both historical studies and first-hand testimonials from computing pioneers. We are eager to publish more work from the communication studies and internet research community, so if you have article idea feel free to run it by me, or the editor in chief, David Grier of George Washington University. Jennifer Light Assistant Professor Northwestern University Department of Communication Studies Department of History Department of Sociology (and Consulting Editor, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing) Stolley, Kathy S. wrote:

Barry et al.:

There was a great article on women as the first computer programmers in Ms. Magazine a few years ago. It profiled the project and the team who programmed the first computer to calculate trajectories of missiles during World War II, a process that had previously taken a considerable number of hours per calculation. If I recall correctly, it also did an interesting "where are they now" on these women. I don't think I have the article anymore but my references have it listed as the being in the May/June 1998 issue of Ms. Magazine.

Kathy

-----Original Message----- From: citasa-bounces@mit.edu To: communication and information technology section asa; aoir list Sent: 9/11/04 3:26 PM Subject: [CITASA] PCs were invented in 1968

Yup, that's what a student in my first class (Tech & Society) told me. I forget if it was by John, Paul, Ringo or George.

The comment made me realize that I should include in the syllabus a potted article on the history of computing, from Einiac to Pentiums and wireless.

Does anyone know of any? And I will also include my personal 40 years of computing. (Which is both on my website, and at www.digibarn.com -- Bruce Damer's wonderful computer museum near Santa Cruz, Calif.

Barry _____________________________________________________________________

Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman at chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman

Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 To network is to live; to live is to network _____________________________________________________________________

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