{"id":2179,"date":"2013-12-09T21:56:55","date_gmt":"2013-12-10T02:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gardnercampbell.net\/blog1\/?p=2179"},"modified":"2013-12-09T21:59:29","modified_gmt":"2013-12-10T02:59:29","slug":"two-birthdays-an-anniversary-and-a-brief-lament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardnercampbell.net\/blog1\/two-birthdays-an-anniversary-and-a-brief-lament\/","title":{"rendered":"Two birthdays, an anniversary, and a brief lament"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, the birthdays.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday to the author I’ve studied and delighted over for the last thirty-three years: John Milton, born 1608.<\/p>\n

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John Milton, busted.<\/p><\/div>\n

I never imagined I’d spend my life reading and thinking and writing about this writer. Just goes to show. (Show what? I’ll leave that as an exercise for the reader.)<\/p>\n

Happy birthday wishes also go out to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, the mother of COBOL, a fountain of wit and wisdom, and a pioneering genius of computer science. I first learned about Admiral Hopper from Dr. David Evans’ Udacity course CS101. (Yes, Udacity. It just goes to show.) Dr. Evans linked to her famous interview with David Letterman, and I was an instant fan.<\/p>\n

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“Grace Murray Hopper at the UNIVAC keyboard, c. 1960.” From Wikipedia.<\/p><\/div>\n

The anniversary: 45 years ago today, Dr. Douglas Engelbart sat on a stage in San Francisco and, according to one awestruck observer, “dealt lightning with both hands.” The event has come to be known as “the mother of all demos.” There’s a very nice remembrance of Doug and his demo in\u00a0The Atlantic\u00a0<\/em>today<\/a>. I know there’s also a memorial happening right about now in San Jose, as his daughter Christina and many of Doug’s family, friends, and admirers are gathered to remember the demo and Doug, who passed away this year on July 5.<\/p>\n

I talked to Doug for about an hour, back in 2006. I met him and shook his hand in 2008 on the night before the 40th anniversary of the mother of all demos. I am humbled to be working with Christina on a project for this summer and beyond. I am so very grateful to be linked in spirit and work with Doug’s vision. When there are dark or confusing days, I try to remember how lucky I am to have found that vision, and to have thanked that visionary, while he was still with us.<\/p>\n

Here’s the first part of the mother of all demos:
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