(no subject)

[cblj_backup]

This is the longest Friday ever. Holy god.

Also, I discovered today that there are companies out there which make whiteboards framed in mahogany. This seems to be...somewhat unnecessary to me. Whiteboards are inherently untidy-looking things, and no amount of mahogany can hide that.

I've also started writing a Brand New Big Book. The Big Book for my old job is fine and good, but the new job has many new skills to learn and document. Part of me is very excited to be learning all these new things and organising them in a digital file. Another part of me wants to weep at the idea of starting from scratch. Nil desperandum, though; putting it all in a book is better than continually losing it all, anyway.

twirlynoodle reminded me just now that today is Ada Lovelace Day, which is a day dedicated especially to celebrating and promoting women in science and technology (not that we should not do that every day!). And, if you're a fan of the webcomic Lovelace & Babbage, they have in honour of the day released an iPad app for the comic which also contains linked annotations and primary documents.

I solemnly swear I read up on these websites this time. :)

Comments

[firynze.livejournal.com]

I adore Ada Lovelace. I have a portable computer named for her.

I wish I had an iPad to be able to have that app!

[alrun.livejournal.com]

Re: Ada Lovelace Day

Thanks. That was just the encouragement I needed to continue working late on a Friday afternoon. It might be cancer research and all very exciting in the abstract, but that doesn't make the data processing any more interesting ...

[marymac.livejournal.com]

We have a divider wall made of whiteboards. It's a source of fascination to visitors. And both of us girls who were in got sweets. Perk of a computer research workplace, your manager is just that nerdy.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

No doubt those whiteboards also have mahogany doors to hide the whiteboard fact of their existence.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I clicked on the comments to say the same thing!

[songspinner9.livejournal.com]

Ah. Ada. I have a poster up on my classroom wall (the formal society portrait in the silk gown) with the label "one of the first computer programmers". I have to explain that one to a lot people, not all of them my kids. "Really?" is usually the first response. Then they get curious.

It was, indeed, the longest Friday I've had in weeks.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

I remember reading about her for the first time in the Happy Mutant's Handbook when I was a high school sophomore and being blown away, and wondering why nobody had ever taught me about her.