The Evolution of Online
Learning about Ada Lovelace was really eye-opening when thinking about the evolution of technology as a whole. The fact that a woman is considered the first computer programmer is amazing, although she does not always get the credit she deserves in this field. To think that the notion of technology that we encounter today started in part from an algorithm designed to compute specific numbers is astonishing. I think it’s important to think about how at the time this did not seem like as much of a feat as we think about it today. The way in which a woman worked with a man to discover such technology and got credited for it is something that women struggle with even today. A story such as hers is something that can inspire women in stem today, women now have people such as Ada to look up to and continue to discover and create in the world of technologies and science. Ada not only made important discoveries in computer science, she also became an inspiration for many after her, both feats are astounding in their own ways. A women shouldn’t just be the inspiration, she should also be the one credited for the work she has done.
Another woman who made an important contribution to technology is Gladys West. She is an African American woman known for her mathematical contributions to the shape of the earth and developments in satellite technologies that later were incorporated into global positioning systems, GPS. GPS is something that most of us are familiar with and rely on every single day. Gladys grew up in rural Virginia and her family was in a community of sharecroppers and she spent her childhood helping on their small farm. Gladys faced financial adversity when looking into continuing her education and made her own money through babysitting. Her intelligence took her further than the money every could and she went on to do impressive work at Virginia State College. Her story reminds me of the adversity that black students face in the education system, they often do not receive equal access to education and may never reach their full academic potential without the right resources. Women like Gladys are important to learn about because she shows how overcoming adversity can result in amazing feats in life. Her contributions to GPS are something that we see the effects of all around us and have shaped our lives in many different ways.
One technological advancement that is relevant to us today is video chatting online. With Covid19 shutting down most of the world in 2020 platforms like Zoom have come to be widely known and used. The founder of Zoom, Eric Yuan, just happened to be in the right place at the right time when universities, organizations, and companies needed a way to facilitate classes and meetings online. It’s really crazy to think about how technology went from Ada’s computer programming contribution to a platform that allows people to meet online in a large group setting. It makes me think a lot about what we would be doing right now if it weren’t for this kind of technology to help us get through a global pandemic. All of the creators and innovators of technology have helped us as a population in so many ways and as users we have also made great developments of these technologies, shaping how people see and interact with this world.
