Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day and the women who made the internet
Summary
This Science Friday episode celebrates Ada Lovelace Week by exploring the overlooked contributions of women to the internet's history. Author Claire Evans discusses her book *Broadband*, highlighting pioneers like Grace Hopper, the ENIAC programmers, and J.C.R. Licklider. The show also features Stacey Horn, founder of the early online community Echo, who shares her experiences building a female-moderated digital space. Listeners share personal stories of navigating gender barriers in computing, while a caller highlights the erased legacy of transgender engineer Lynn Conway.
Topics discussed
Sponsorships and museum exhibitions
Introduction to Ada Lovelace Week and Claire Evans
Claire Evans' personal connection to the internet
Why women's stories were omitted from internet history
Judy Feinler and the early ARPANET
Grace Hopper's contributions to programming and COBOL
The ENIAC women and the lack of early credit
Professionalization of software engineering and its impact
Judy Feinler's role in organizing internet resources
Sponsorship breaks and advertisements
Introduction to Echo, the East Coast Hangout
Stacey Horn's founding of Echo and gender balance
Managing early internet trolls and community conflict
Echo as a historical time capsule of the web
Listener call: Women's experiences in 90s computer science
Discussion on mentorship and workplace representation
Lynn Conway and very large-scale integration
Conclusion and final thoughts on women in computing
Closing sponsorship for Poster House
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