Database Populism

2020-04-15

Home Computing

Once thought of as the pinnacle of computing environment
In this class, just a short digression.
Age of massive databases before; age of massive databases after.
But important; computers were introduced not as instruments of surveillance, but as autonomous ways of striking back.

Macro to microcomputers

The IBM 650, 1953

Punchcards from afar

Grace Murray Hopper, 1960

 $ SET SOURCEFORMAT"FREE"
    IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
    PROGRAM-ID.  Iteration-If.
    AUTHOR.  Michael Coughlan.

    DATA DIVISION.
    WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
    01  Num1           PIC 9  VALUE ZEROS.
    01  Num2           PIC 9  VALUE ZEROS.
    01  Result         PIC 99 VALUE ZEROS.
    01  Operator       PIC X  VALUE SPACE.

The Internet, 1972

Problem: The people who will shape the future of computers are suspicious of computers

Minicomputing

DEC PDP-8 (from Wikipedia)

SQL

The Operating system, Bell Labs

Later DEC PDP-8 family ad, computer history museum, c. 1971 (?)

Personal Computing

Computer Liberation–Ted Nelson

Computers are mostly used against people instead of for people; used to control people instead of to free them; Time to change all that - we need a… People’s Computer Company

People’s Computer Company

Byte Magazine, 1977

Byte Magazine, 1980

Look at Byte:

https://tinyurl.com/tem8l2u

Richard Stallman: Free Software

Hackers

First Apple Ad, in Byte 1977

First Apple Built

Apple II

Visicalc

The IBM PC, 1983

Next week: interfaces