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The Computer Boys Take over: Computers, Programmers, and the Politics of Technical Expertise
This is a book about the computer revolution of the mid-20th century and the people who made it possible. Unlike most histories of computing, it is not a book about machines, inventors, or entrepreneurs. Instead, it tells the story of the vast but largely anonymous legions of computer specialists—programmers, systems analysts, and other software developers—who transformed the electronic computer from a scientific curiosity into the defining technology of the modern era. Known alternatively as "whiz kids," "hackers," and "gurus," this new breed of technical specialists were alternately admired for their technical prowess and despised for their eccentric mannerisms and the disruptive potential of the technologies they developed. As the systems that they built became evermore powerful and ubiquitous, these specialists became the focus of a series of critiques of the social and organizational impact of electronic computing. To many of their contemporaries, it seemed the "computer boys" were taking over, not just in the corporate setting, but also in government, politics, and society in general.
In The Computer Boys Take Over , Nathan Ensmenger traces the rise to power of the computer expert in modern American society. He follows the history of computer programming from its origins as low-status, largely feminized labor in the secret wartime computing projects through its reinvention as a glamorous "black art" practiced by "computer cowboys" in the 1950s through its rationalization in the 1960s as the academic discipline of computer science and the software engineering profession. His rich and nuanced portrayal of the men and women (a surprising number of the "computer boys" were, in fact, female) who built their careers around the novel technology of electronic computing explores issues of power, identity, and expertise that have only become more significant to our increasingly computerized society. His detailed analysis of the pervasive "software crisis" rhetoric of the late 1960s shows how seemingly technical debates about how to manage large-scale software development projects reflected deeper concerns about the growing power and influence of technical specialists in corporate, academic, and governmental organizations.
In his recasting of the drama of the computer revolution through the eyes of its principle revolutionaries, Ensmenger reminds us that the computerization of modern society was not an inevitable process driven by impersonal technological or economic imperatives, but was rather a creative, contentious, and above all, fundamentally human development.
In The Computer Boys Take Over , Nathan Ensmenger traces the rise to power of the computer expert in modern American society. He follows the history of computer programming from its origins as low-status, largely feminized labor in the secret wartime computing projects through its reinvention as a glamorous "black art" practiced by "computer cowboys" in the 1950s through its rationalization in the 1960s as the academic discipline of computer science and the software engineering profession. His rich and nuanced portrayal of the men and women (a surprising number of the "computer boys" were, in fact, female) who built their careers around the novel technology of electronic computing explores issues of power, identity, and expertise that have only become more significant to our increasingly computerized society. His detailed analysis of the pervasive "software crisis" rhetoric of the late 1960s shows how seemingly technical debates about how to manage large-scale software development projects reflected deeper concerns about the growing power and influence of technical specialists in corporate, academic, and governmental organizations.
In his recasting of the drama of the computer revolution through the eyes of its principle revolutionaries, Ensmenger reminds us that the computerization of modern society was not an inevitable process driven by impersonal technological or economic imperatives, but was rather a creative, contentious, and above all, fundamentally human development.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 11, 2020
Telling the history of how programmer became a job and what kind of job it became. It focusses mainly on a time roughly between 1955 and 1970: Computers are used more and more and more and more people are needed to write software.
The major struggle described is that programmers are seen as hard to manage and the various attempts to make them part of a taylorist machine of software creation – which did not work. These attempts are justified by an never ending "software crisis" of projects having errors, running over budget and being to late, blamed on the "artisan" programmers who do not have organized knowledge but only intricate local skills. While managers and programmers are in a conflict, the programmer community, meanwhile, has its internal fights of how to become a profession rather than a mere occupation: Certifications, Academia, Associations… measures that are fiercly fought over, also by mobilizing concerns of the "software crisis".
Like many history books, one needs to be fine with repetition and retelling. This makes the middle part a bit boring. Naturally, the conflicts repeat, the same frames are reiterated, a formerly failed strategy is tried again… Thats life, and just like this it has its boring and repetitive passages.
The final section ties the strings together and connects it with mid-range social theory: Why did programming not become a profession? (They are rather technicians than professionals) What were strategies to maintain power? (By having the cake and eating it, too, using different, sometimes conflicting stratgies depending on situation) Why were there fewer and fewer women? (Professionalization works also by exclusion via certificates and courses; To professionalize, the "male" and exiting work of planning and commanding was foregrounded while "feminine" and seemingly mundane work of maintainance and care were pushed in the background to not endanger the field's status)
A good introduction to the field that does not glorify nerds and hackers or other geniuses (or the attempts to be one) but focusses on work in organizations, conflicts and the politics in offices and universities.
Readers familiar with programming today might see some parallels of the conflicts of the sixties with todays dev/management methods of scrum and agility and their use by both management and developers to exert power.
The major struggle described is that programmers are seen as hard to manage and the various attempts to make them part of a taylorist machine of software creation – which did not work. These attempts are justified by an never ending "software crisis" of projects having errors, running over budget and being to late, blamed on the "artisan" programmers who do not have organized knowledge but only intricate local skills. While managers and programmers are in a conflict, the programmer community, meanwhile, has its internal fights of how to become a profession rather than a mere occupation: Certifications, Academia, Associations… measures that are fiercly fought over, also by mobilizing concerns of the "software crisis".
Like many history books, one needs to be fine with repetition and retelling. This makes the middle part a bit boring. Naturally, the conflicts repeat, the same frames are reiterated, a formerly failed strategy is tried again… Thats life, and just like this it has its boring and repetitive passages.
The final section ties the strings together and connects it with mid-range social theory: Why did programming not become a profession? (They are rather technicians than professionals) What were strategies to maintain power? (By having the cake and eating it, too, using different, sometimes conflicting stratgies depending on situation) Why were there fewer and fewer women? (Professionalization works also by exclusion via certificates and courses; To professionalize, the "male" and exiting work of planning and commanding was foregrounded while "feminine" and seemingly mundane work of maintainance and care were pushed in the background to not endanger the field's status)
A good introduction to the field that does not glorify nerds and hackers or other geniuses (or the attempts to be one) but focusses on work in organizations, conflicts and the politics in offices and universities.
Readers familiar with programming today might see some parallels of the conflicts of the sixties with todays dev/management methods of scrum and agility and their use by both management and developers to exert power.
September 15, 2017
A bit repetitive, some ambiguous terminology when talking about higher-level programming languages and contains a long winded part about certification programs which didn't really interest me.
Having said that, this book is an absolute MUST READ if you have any interest in the history of the profession of software development. I am a professional software developer and this book had me nodding vehemently at stuff I have already figured out myself, but also introduced me to a whole new perspective on why things are the way they are today.
This is not just a chronological list of invented computers and programming languages. It puts the evolution of software development in context of several perspectives. First, the broader organizational perspective (i.e. the struggle for power between traditional management and the sandal-wearing developer that had sole power over this newly introduced "computer system" that was shaking up the entire economy). Second, the internal tension between IT academics looking for a core body of knowledge in order to professionalize and business programmers that felt these topics were too distant from their daily work.
The book also contains some hints as to why an industry that originally consisted largely out of women has sadly completely degenerated into the modern bro culture.
Highly recommend!
Having said that, this book is an absolute MUST READ if you have any interest in the history of the profession of software development. I am a professional software developer and this book had me nodding vehemently at stuff I have already figured out myself, but also introduced me to a whole new perspective on why things are the way they are today.
This is not just a chronological list of invented computers and programming languages. It puts the evolution of software development in context of several perspectives. First, the broader organizational perspective (i.e. the struggle for power between traditional management and the sandal-wearing developer that had sole power over this newly introduced "computer system" that was shaking up the entire economy). Second, the internal tension between IT academics looking for a core body of knowledge in order to professionalize and business programmers that felt these topics were too distant from their daily work.
The book also contains some hints as to why an industry that originally consisted largely out of women has sadly completely degenerated into the modern bro culture.
Highly recommend!
November 3, 2012
too general, rare good info, was hoping it was about specific people more rigorously. finished quick, glad to move on.
Read
August 5, 2020The book provides an overview about the history of computing/computer science while shedding the light on the origin of some issues that, surprisingly, still exist like forming/managing software engineering teams, career progression, language wars, gate keeping, exclusionary practices and more.
I'd say the book included some repetition and it could be refined to be more concise with better flow between the sections/chapter. But all in all, it was informative and made me see parallels with other evolving fields like Data Science.
I'd say the book included some repetition and it could be refined to be more concise with better flow between the sections/chapter. But all in all, it was informative and made me see parallels with other evolving fields like Data Science.
February 20, 2020
I found this book difficult to rate. While it is an astoundingly well-researched document of the history of software development and its sociological/professional issues, the writing style is extremely bland and repetitive to the point where I questioned if I should finish reading.
I feel I'd be more comfortable recommending it to a reader as a reference for quotes and facts than something to be digested cover-to-cover.
I feel I'd be more comfortable recommending it to a reader as a reference for quotes and facts than something to be digested cover-to-cover.
January 7, 2018
Working on a thesis about the history of programming I really enjoyed reading Ensmenger's brilliant summary of the social aspect of computer history. While one book can never tell the full story this book updates the tale to recent isnights and stresses out that the history of technology is not only about tech.
December 14, 2017
Christian scholarship paid by the government. How beautifully shallow!
January 7, 2013
"To many observers of the computer industry, reconciling the two dominant but opposing views of the history of computing -- the glorious history of computer hardware and the dismal history of computer software -- often has been difficult, if not impossible. The seeming paradox between the inevitable progress promised by Moore's Law and the perpetual crisis in software production challenges conventional assumptions about the progressive nature of computer technology. This is perhaps the most significant lessons to be learned from the history of software: There is no Moore's Law for software technology." (10)
"The first computer programmers were not scientists or mathematicians; they were low-status, female clerical workers and desktop calculator operators. The origins of programming as a profession lie in the commercial traditions of machine-assisted, manual computation, not in the mainstream of theoretical mathematics." (32)
"Driven by emergence of what they [Howard Leavitt and Thomas Whisler ca. 1958] called 'information technology,' this revolution would radically reshape the landscape of the modern corporation, completely reversing the recent trend toward participative management, recentralizing power in the hands of a few top executives, and utterly decimating the ranks of middle management." (154)
"'As the child delights in his mud pie, so the adult enjoys building things, especially things of his own design. I believe that this delight bust be an image of God's delight in making things, a delight shown in the distinctiveness and newness of each leaf and each snowflake.'" (quoting Frederick Brooks, 208)
"The first computer programmers were not scientists or mathematicians; they were low-status, female clerical workers and desktop calculator operators. The origins of programming as a profession lie in the commercial traditions of machine-assisted, manual computation, not in the mainstream of theoretical mathematics." (32)
"Driven by emergence of what they [Howard Leavitt and Thomas Whisler ca. 1958] called 'information technology,' this revolution would radically reshape the landscape of the modern corporation, completely reversing the recent trend toward participative management, recentralizing power in the hands of a few top executives, and utterly decimating the ranks of middle management." (154)
"'As the child delights in his mud pie, so the adult enjoys building things, especially things of his own design. I believe that this delight bust be an image of God's delight in making things, a delight shown in the distinctiveness and newness of each leaf and each snowflake.'" (quoting Frederick Brooks, 208)
December 26, 2013
This was a very interesting book. I have read a few books concerning the history of computing or some specific important project, but most of them were written in a technical manner by technical people.
This book is more a sociological work than a technical one. It deals with workers of the computing revolution. There are a few narratives. One of them is the place of women in the computing industry, starting with programmers being almost exclusively women, because every one saw operating the computers as a clerical job to being almost ostracized from the computer industry all together.
Another one is the struggle of a part of the industry to make programming an accepted science and to find a way to train good programmers. One of the constant struggle in the industry from the onset is a deficiency of programming personnel.
All in all it is an interesting book which shines a light on the history of computing from a different angle.
This book is more a sociological work than a technical one. It deals with workers of the computing revolution. There are a few narratives. One of them is the place of women in the computing industry, starting with programmers being almost exclusively women, because every one saw operating the computers as a clerical job to being almost ostracized from the computer industry all together.
Another one is the struggle of a part of the industry to make programming an accepted science and to find a way to train good programmers. One of the constant struggle in the industry from the onset is a deficiency of programming personnel.
All in all it is an interesting book which shines a light on the history of computing from a different angle.
April 30, 2012
An excellent sociological and historical survey both of programming as a 'profession' and computer science as an academic discipline. It addresses the dynamics of class and gender in the struggle for legitimacy of each as an independent field, the tension between the two, and the disruptive force of technical expertise within entrenched hierarchical organizations, whether academic or corporate.
February 8, 2014
Nice book. A discussion on how the programming profession came to be (or is trying to, for the last 50 years), and how the current social position of programmers is the result of a power struggle between programmers and management.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews