Ask HN: Who is your favorite historical person in computer science? I realized this morning that I know very little of the actual history of computing (Just discovered Ken Thompson b/c I was researching who made go). I prefer to learn history through characters as opposed to events. So my question to everyone who is willing to answer... Who is your favorite historical person in computer science? (And why) |
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Engelbart
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Hickey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Cray Developer of the fastest computers at the time. A very unique individual.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dantzig Developer of optimization methods used in modern day analysis.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper Grace Hopper - COBOL Language
Anyway I nominate Cliff Stoll who wrote The Cuckoo's Egg and posts here from time to time. Definitely one of my heroes.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo%27s_Egg_(book)
Also I have one of his Klein bottles And he makes the buying process and paperwork an utter delight.
His story is a warning for a modern age, where men and women can be tried and sentenced through surveillance without being guilty of a thing.
Including Donald Knuth.
And he does.
Why? They just disappeared in iconic fashion .