Today blogs all over the world celebrate Ada Lovelace day, so does this blog.


Many of us find computers quite boring. What fascinates us is all the fabulous stuff we can create using software run by computers. For a long period of time computers were however mostly used for quite dull duties, like calculations for business and engineering, and later for designing optimal trajectories for missiles.

Today our students still claim they are "computing", although they in fact practice impressive creative and artistic work - using software as their tool.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) wrote the first computer programmes in world for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine (which never was built). But the history (and presence) of computers and software is a very male scene.

History and present could be more magnificent if Ada had continued her work longer (She died 36 years old), or if her work would had got more open minded successors. Ada Lovelace was not only the first programmer, she was also the first to see that this technology could be applied to music and other creative fields.

Now computers are serving a large variety of human needs and dreams, but we have all reason to celebrate Ada Lovelace day March 24 each year to remind ourselves, that we need both genders to create a better world.

So congratulations to all on the occasion of the Ada Lovelace day, especially to all ladies working with creative digital art and media!

Ada Lovelace Day
Ada Lovelace (Wikipedia)
Cai Melakoski