<![CDATA[A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem.]]>A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem.

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]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/88254c25-310a-4260-96d0-c5c3a16d3c66/a-picture-of-margaret-hamilton-programmer-for-the-apollo-space-program-standing-next-to-not-one-single-microsoft-error-message-or-bluetooth-problem.RSS for NodeFri, 17 Apr 2026 05:32:58 GMTMon, 06 Apr 2026 19:15:31 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:35:24 GMT]]>@janxdevil @sarajw @mhoye they have a monument dedicated to her at her birthplace now. I like to visit it every year...

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]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/hyc/statuses/116359674248633362https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/hyc/statuses/116359674248633362Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:35:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:25:51 GMT]]>@spacehobo is it just going to make me more mad or give me something constructive to do about it?

Otherwise nowadays I can only cope with fiction, novels, I need the escapism...

@lerxst @mhoye

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359636673312595https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359636673312595Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:25:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:19:23 GMT]]>@janxdevil @sarajw @mhoye yep. Kay McNulty was one of them, from just a bit up the road from my house. https://www.womensmuseumofireland.ie/exhibits/kay-mcnulty

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/hyc/statuses/116359611273147782https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/hyc/statuses/116359611273147782Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:19:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:19:06 GMT]]>@mhoye I use the first pic to teach the difference between the purpose of a caption and alt text, with a guerilla casual mention of how much we owe Hamilton and similar minimized women.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/swiftone/statuses/116359610153933363https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.online/users/swiftone/statuses/116359610153933363Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:19:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:10:23 GMT]]>@mhoye On the other hand, Michael Collins did have to turn something off and on again to fix a problem

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://piaille.fr/users/benjamingeer/statuses/116359575889244697https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://piaille.fr/users/benjamingeer/statuses/116359575889244697Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:10:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:03:53 GMT]]>@mhoye I read that she also coined the term "test harness"

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ryanprior/statuses/116359550321290270https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ryanprior/statuses/116359550321290270Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:03:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:01:07 GMT]]>@sarajw @mhoye On that note, I recently learned about how the original group of ENIAC programmers were all women. One of them is credited with having invented the debugger breakpoint.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sfba.social/users/janxdevil/statuses/116359539443024195https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sfba.social/users/janxdevil/statuses/116359539443024195Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:01:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:55:20 GMT]]>@sarajw @mhoye So many meetings could be literally two Slack or even IRC messages per person.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359516663877206https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359516663877206Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:55:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:53:43 GMT]]>@lerxst @mhoye the way I see it, it *should* be an ideal job for a parent (whether male, female, NB), with good opportunities to work async, part time, from home.

Sadly structural stuff, mandatory meetings, the so many "ritual" meetings make the async part-timeness more difficult.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359510322405245https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359510322405245Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:53:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:51:39 GMT]]>@lerxst @mhoye mmhmmm. Amazing how the women got pushed out, I guess because it was seen as something that the clever men should do and be well paid for...

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359502210141000https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359502210141000Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:51:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:49:30 GMT]]>@mhoye Yup, she's (not as) widely recognized (as I thought, apparently) as the founder of software engineering.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359493779453991https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359493779453991Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:49:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:54 GMT]]>@tezoatlipoca @mhoye saying that Grace Hopper was indeed badass and had a sharp wit: https://front-end.social/@sarajw/113165853835788408

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359491392275833https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359491392275833Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:38 GMT]]>@mhoye

Yeah, and ever since then whole generations of programming boys have been cosplaying as her, despite most of them having not anywhere near half the responsibility.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://beige.party/users/beadsland/statuses/116359490339344045https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://beige.party/users/beadsland/statuses/116359490339344045Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:18 GMT]]>@sarajw @mhoye I'm old enough to remember when I got into this field when there were more women in it. Back then, it was a way to make a decent living, but not a path to riches.

That changed with the internet boom and I ran into fewer women developers and sysadmins. Once it got out of its "clerical" status and into a path to riches, the demographics shifted. My first dev job iin 1990 was 40% women devs to 60%.

I've worked in places since then with NO women devs. Those all sucked, BTW.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359489028323936https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359489028323936Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:48:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:46:31 GMT]]>@tezoatlipoca @mhoye I'd be happy if they weren't even badass, but you know, ran this stuff like they're not trying to emulate comic book bad guys, like the current oligarchical tech leaders seem to be.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359482004010044https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359482004010044Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:46:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:45:10 GMT]]>@sarajw @mhoye

Yeah. Grace Hopper, the women of Bletchley Park, the "hidden figures" of NASA like Katherine Johnson who did the math to put Glenn in orbit and Dorothy Vaughn who ran the computers (the movie is ok, but total white savior bullshit).

I want to see more women in charge of tech. I want more badass tech-sisters running things.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/tezoatlipoca/statuses/116359476735958515https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/tezoatlipoca/statuses/116359476735958515Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:45:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:44:16 GMT]]>@mark @mhoye OMG! What a great idea! Why didn't I put this together before? I need to write a libretto.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359473163670849https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://az.social/users/lerxst/statuses/116359473163670849Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:44:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:43:27 GMT]]>@mhoye
I did not know that. On the other hand, in her time engineer was probably appropriate, and her code will have been written in a context that was taking responsibility for actual lives, unlike so many who call themselves by that title today.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://bsd.network/users/hypostase/statuses/116359469957034206https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://bsd.network/users/hypostase/statuses/116359469957034206Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:43:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:29:59 GMT]]>@mhoye didn't know that either.

Honestly man the more I learn about women in computing in history, the madder I am about the state of tech today.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359416994538565https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://front-end.social/users/sarajw/statuses/116359416994538565Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:29:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:28:24 GMT]]>@ottaross @shawnhooper @mhoye
I notice the handy plug on the wall in case they need to, you know, unplug it/wait 30 seconds/ plug it back in.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://ottawa.place/users/jd/statuses/116359410802172261https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://ottawa.place/users/jd/statuses/116359410802172261Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:28:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:22:53 GMT]]>@mark @mhoye now I'm earwormed.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://orbital.horse/users/emma/statuses/116359389089245339https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://orbital.horse/users/emma/statuses/116359389089245339Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:22:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:19:57 GMT]]>@mhoye Oh, that Hamilton! Sorry, I had musicals on the brain.

Speaking of... She deserves a musical.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.fixermark.com/users/mark/statuses/116359377548862021https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.fixermark.com/users/mark/statuses/116359377548862021Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:19:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:19:12 GMT]]>@shawnhooper @ottaross ... and we've been shipping with papercuts ever since.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/mhoye/statuses/116359374545520873https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://cosocial.ca/users/mhoye/statuses/116359374545520873Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:19:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to A picture of Margaret Hamilton, programmer for the Apollo space program, standing next to not one single microsoft error message or bluetooth problem. on Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:19:11 GMT]]>@shawnhooper @mhoye workplace safety hazard

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ottaross/statuses/116359374517343884https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ottaross/statuses/116359374517343884Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:19:11 GMT