Before the 1940s, a 'Computer' Was a Human—and Mostly Women
Grady_Booch · x · 2026-11-16
Renowned software engineer Grady Booch shares a piece of computing history: prior to the 1940s, the word "computer" referred to a human who performed calculations—and most of them were women. A classic fact often cited in discussions of how the profession's gender composition has shifted over time.
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