This web page assignment involved researching the notable programmer and author Ellen Ullman. We were surprised while reading her book called Close to the Machine because she was definitely not as supportive of the culture developed by programmers as we had expected. Her frustration with the culture of programmers helped her decide to start writing books about programming and spend less time programming. Her financial success may seem relatively in the Silicon Valley where so many billionaires have been created in a short period of time. However, we know she has sold quite a few books about her programming experiences in Silicon Valley.
Our general observation was that she concentrated mostly on the culture (or lack of culture) of the programmers and discussed the technical details of her programming very minimally. We certainly did not expect to discover that she was a certified member of the Communist Party seeking to destroy the American banking system during a one year period. All in all, she proved to be quite a surprise. Whether you decide you agree with her or not, you should at least read her opinions.
All are students at the University of Colorado at Denver in the class ENGR3400 - Science, Technology, and Culture taught by Dr. Mike Tang. The class focuses on how the internet technology has affected aspects of the culture in the United States and other countries. It also explores issues of how race and gender have affected how some of the influential people have achieved their accomplishments.
