Bill Gosper's Contribution to the Development of Future Software. (Research Paper Sample)

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Bill Gosper's contribution to the development of future software.
To fully appreciate and understand the heroic qualities of Bill Gosper as a programmer and his contribution towards the computer community, it is advisable that we first have a look into the culture of a programmer. He traces his origin of programming while at the MIT, where they formed a hack with his friends. A hack means a prank that students and their MIT advisors play on their rivals (Schell et al. 43). The culture of computer hackers and programming is ancient. However, there are still some notable analogous communities of highly skilled personnel in some of the similar complicated fields of studies. The computer hacking culture is mostly associated with computer programs that are electronically stored. It is worth noting that the computer of such calibers only existed in the early 1950s.
The electronically stored program qualifiers are regarded as being significant. It is obvious in the current era of computer programming that the programs that control the action and running of a computer can get electronically stored in the same memory that holds the same data that has been worked on by the program. It is referred to as a major milestone in comprehending early computer designs. Consequently, switching theory, defined as a branch of science that deals with the study of systems that got built from switches is older than computer science. Additionally, we should also note that telephone systems are atypical examples of a switching network where it is mandatory it gets routed more so through switching networks to locate the intended receiver.
Further, the railroads encompass another typical example of switching networks. It is crucial to note that the railroad is referred to as a system of switches as it wholly has control over where a certain train will go and the section of tracks they intend to follow. The above examples get attributed to the examples of an early hacking and programming culture. However, the Railroad example remains the most relevant example. At this juncture, it is vital to note; the ever first computer programmers got regarded as the students at MIT in the mid-1950s who are also believed to have been the member of Tech Model Railroad Club. As argued by Poole et al., in 1962, Steve Rusell developed a game spaceward (138). The Tech Model Railroad Club was believed to have huge model train layouts that were mainly the focus of the club's day to day activities. The computer programmers were the subcommittee members of the club that were the sole reason behind the complicated wiring of the computer programmed switches that were responsible for the direction the train took. The switching networks at Tech Model Railroad Club got regarded as a special computer, but if only it involved where the programming was being done, particularly either by changing the wires.