Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class

Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by dreamcompiler on Tuesday May 04, 2021 @10:08AM (#27037745)

> hand them off to the secretary pool to type up

This brought back a memory. In the late 80s I got a job at a very high-tech science and engineering firm. A colleague told me to be careful about writing code. His supervisor had walked by his office one day and saw him writing code on a terminal. He chewed him out for "typing" because "typing is for secretaries." Apparently the correct procedure was to hand-write your code onto a paper form and hand it to a secretary for entry into the computer. I assumed my colleague was joking but checked out the official procedure and it was true.

After that, I shut my door when I wrote code.

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Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by WalterBright on Tuesday May 04, 2021 @02:44PM (#27041235)

When I started using the Wang, I did get a bit of ribbing for doing "women's work". I laughed at that, and it didn't happen again.

Heck, I'd been using a computer to write my papers in college (using DECUS' runoff program, similar to Unix's man formatting program).

I can't remember the last time I hand wrote more than a few words.

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Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by seg_lol on Tuesday May 04, 2021 @04:30PM (#27042513)

I wonder how many of those women had to learn to code to fix the typos?

The level of structural sexism back then was off the charts, at least it was overt. Now we just tell people there is no glass ceiling and it must be their problem.

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Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by WalterBright on Tuesday May 04, 2021 @04:51PM (#27042728)

The Wang didn't allow for any coding.

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Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by seg_lol on Wednesday May 05, 2021 @09:14AM (#27049420)

Neither does paper.

I am wondering about error rates, human -> paper, paper -> file, file -> execution.

Those feedback loops are enormous. It would be interesting to interview woman from the computer code typing pool.

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Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by plausibledeny on Tuesday May 04, 2021 @06:46PM (#27043802)

Worked for a medium-size software company in the 90s. When our company got a new CEO someone at an all-hands asked him to describe his experience with computers. He was very clear that he didn't use them, wouldn't have one in his office and that he had an executive assistant for that sort of thing.

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Re:Back in 1993, I was taking a number theory class by WalterBright on Tuesday May 04, 2021 @09:03PM (#27044876)

Probably the last of his kind!

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