this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023
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Margaret Hamilton, NASA's lead developer for Apollo program, stands next to all the code she wrote by hand that took humanity to the moon in 1969

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[–] Kinglink@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

Man, I thought when we left Reddit shit was going to change?

First off, SHE didn't write all the code, she led a team (And probably wrote a decent chunk herself). It wasn't by hand it was on computers, no one writes computer code by hand, that's just blatantly a myth, even punch cards were normally done BY the computer, not "by hand".

Also something I've questioned before is if that's really "The source code" and not maybe 11 copies (There's 11 binders there) Though most reports from reputable sources say that's "Listings". AKA that's the logging, not the code itself. The code itself may be printed out but would be kept on Punch cards (Again printed by the computer, not by hand). And the final form was actually a rope. (no really)

The thing is the story of Margaret Hamilton (And in fact most programmers of the time) is incredible enough. But when you blatantly lie like this it actually diminishes her accomplishment because it's obviously false and people will tear it down or disbelieve it because it's blatant misinformation.

This is why I left Next Fucking Level, because it became misinformation and karma whoring. It became about the "Story" rather than the actual person/skill/talent/figure. But on Reddit the reason was because people wanted Karma. Shouldn't we have left the basement tier BS and lying behind as well?

[–] SilentMobius@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don't know how old you are but when I was first introduced to programming in the early 80s all "source code" (Mostly basic and thus interpreted where program is the source code) was referred to as "listings" (this was when the main source of games were monthly magazines where you typed in a listing from a magazine and saved it to tape E.G.. The "Program listings" (as the Smithsonian calls them) seem to be print outs of the programs for verification purposes.

The process of entering was indeed handwritten, on specially printed sheets of paper that was then handed to a punchcard operator to create the cards (again according to the Smithsonian), But the stack of paper is clearly not those sheets as it is form-feed printer paper.

It is completely accurate that Margaret Hamilton lead a team, so while there are inaccuracies I'd say this not as much of a lie as just a combination of confused concepts,

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[–] gedhrel@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't know where you get "listing" = "logging". It's a term (apparently archaic, today I learnt I'm old) for the text of a program.

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[–] witx@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

And clickbait arrives on lemmy

This is why I wasn't subscribed to any of the default subreddits. Guess I'll need to do the same here.

[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Really like her white and gold dress

Beautifully, perfectly evil... Well, played, you devious swine!

[–] neuromancer@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

She didn't write the code by herself, she led a MIT team of 8 other people.

https://news.mit.edu/2016/scene-at-mit-margaret-hamilton-apollo-code-0817

[–] Nuwanda@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah the title is clickbait

[–] phareous@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (8 children)

She didn’t write all of that, she had a team of programmers working under her

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

She was the first software engineer who was hired for the project and did write a good chunk of the code. She was more than someone who simply delegates and leads. Hell, she is the one who coined the term software engineer. She played a hell of a role in the history of software development. Let's not try to diminish that.

[–] RogueTyre@lemmy.fmhy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He isn't trying to diminish but these misleading exaggerated titles are pretty annoying and confusing at times.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

I agree that the title is misleading but simply saying she was the one directing the team without also mentioning that she absolutely did write a chunk of that is also misleading and diminishes her contribution to the code.

[–] Akulagr@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Similar to what happened with the first image of a black hole. The whole thing was somehow attributed to one lady in the press. Turns out, it was a whole team of scientists working together to achieve that.

[–] Rachelhazideas@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The problem isn't that the whole thing was attributed to one lady. The problem was how quickly people were to discredit her and minimize her role, something that was guaranteed to never be a problem if she were a man.

Funny how the credibility of male scientists and engineers are never questioned in posts like these, and yet becomes a hot topic when that person happens to be a woman.

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[–] Siegfried@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Et al of the world, assemble!

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[–] fidelacchius@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I got a box to display right in css today. So I'm basically the same

[–] HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

She wrote code without stack overflow for her job, and the code worked as intended. That alone is worthy of respect.

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[–] thawed_caveman@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

None of you better call yourselves nerds, THIS is a nerd.

[–] DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

She's amazing.

[–] Anarch157a@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Including comments on the code with expressions like "Crank the silly thing arround", "see if he's lying", "off to see the wizard" and a sub-routine called "burnbaby". More here: https://www.sciencealert.com/the-code-that-took-astronauts-to-the-moon-is-now-on-github

She's definitely a legend.

[–] coys25@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That is cool. There is really wild stuff in here, like in the landing guidance equations

		TC	BANKCALL	# TEMPORARY, I HOPE HOPE HOPE
		CADR	STOPRATE	# TEMPORARY, I HOPE HOPE HOPE
[–] Beardsley@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If I was an Astronaut, I think I'd reconsider going up if someone told me there was even one "I Hope" in the math.

"Are you sure about that Margaret?"
"Who the fuck knows, Buzz, I'm doing my fucking best, okay?!"

[–] Iron_Lynx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (11 children)

Imagine having to look for the missing semicolon in there.

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[–] lawrence@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

This is the video of when she received the Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama: youtube.com/watch?v=X1PNp_YggAA

[–] hjeremy@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Did you know that programs for the Apollo guidance computer were woven, by hand, in to Core Rope Memory modules?

[–] Yoz@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

These people should have millions of followers instead we follow kardashians. No wonder the world is going to end😥

[–] PissinSelfNdriveway@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

She did computer stuff..... She's smart enough to not fuck with anything that has followers.

[–] jerrimu@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Hate to tell you, but like most people who do computer stuff still use social media. I mean the linux kernel has it's own lemmy instance.

[–] spirinolas@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Just like my ex. Her hand also sent all humanity to the Moon.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 0 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Wouldn't it have worked better if she wrote it into the computer? 🤔

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