[SIGCIS-Members] Older computers (1940-1950)

[Ceruzzi, Paul]

As one who is guilty of having constructed lists of machines, their operational date, and whether they were "first" or not, I now feel we ought to back away from such listings. One of the reasons the Colossus machines are often left off of these lists is that, by the time details of their existence became known, historians were not so interested in such chronologies any more. 

Not to be flippant, but where do we list all the women (and a few men) who were computers during the 1940s? That was their job title.

Paul E. Ceruzzi
Chair, Division of Space History
National Air & Space Museum
MRC 311; PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202-633-2414 
<http://www.nasm.si.edu/staffDetail.cfm?staffID=24> 

-----Original Message-----
From: members-bounces at sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces at sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Evan Koblentz
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 8:29 AM
To: members at sigcis.org
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Older computers (1940-1950)

>> If we include the ABC, we may as well add Couffignal's computer, an electronic, parallel calculator programmed from an external disk.

I agree about ABC being of a different, lesser class than the others on the list. Hadn't heard of Couffignal, very interesting!
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