Jude
I missed Ada Lovelace Day this year (and perhaps the past couple years?) but I meant to post an entry. A month late is better than never, right?
In the past I've pointed out the number of women in more conventional, starched-shirt and pocket-protector CS-research roles, mostly language design and compiler implementation since it's my little niche. Military and business folks. IBMers and DECers and such.
This year I thought I'd make note of someone from a slightly fringier sphere, seeing as how we're all on the internet here and I do know a few people from the weirder side of the computing tracks. This year I present: Judith Milhon (a.k.a. "St. Jude"). Milhon (died 2003) was a hacker of the very ... activist stripe. The "lefto-revolutionist programming commune" stripe (her words), leading a life that passed through everything from free health clinics and civil rights activism to the sort of socially engaged programming/politics hybrid of the first ever BBS or the cypherpunks, both of which she was a founder. She was also editor in chief (and probably sole competent technical staff) of Mondo 2000, thereby probably responsible for half the memes and norms one might associate with the phrase "cyberculture".
Her WELL obituary-thread is here, and says much more.
In the past I've pointed out the number of women in more conventional, starched-shirt and pocket-protector CS-research roles, mostly language design and compiler implementation since it's my little niche. Military and business folks. IBMers and DECers and such.
This year I thought I'd make note of someone from a slightly fringier sphere, seeing as how we're all on the internet here and I do know a few people from the weirder side of the computing tracks. This year I present: Judith Milhon (a.k.a. "St. Jude"). Milhon (died 2003) was a hacker of the very ... activist stripe. The "lefto-revolutionist programming commune" stripe (her words), leading a life that passed through everything from free health clinics and civil rights activism to the sort of socially engaged programming/politics hybrid of the first ever BBS or the cypherpunks, both of which she was a founder. She was also editor in chief (and probably sole competent technical staff) of Mondo 2000, thereby probably responsible for half the memes and norms one might associate with the phrase "cyberculture".
Her WELL obituary-thread is here, and says much more.