Talk:Computer programming

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First computer programmer

Defining the "first computer programmer" is impossible, as defining the first computer is a matter of entertaining (but essentially irresolvable) debate anyway. --Robert Merkel —The preceding comment was added on 19:19, 30 June 2002.

Conflicting statements regarding the first programmer

The history section features an image with the caption:

Ada Lovelace, whose notes added to the end of Luigi Menabrea's paper included the first algorithm designed for processing by an Analytical Engine. She is often recognized as history's first computer programmer.

However in the history section it states:

The first computer program is generally dated to 1843, when mathematician Ada Lovelace published an algorithm to calculate a sequence of Bernoulli numbers, intended to be carried out by Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. However, Charles Babbage had already written his first program for the Analytical Engine in 1837.

It seems like there are contradictions:

The image caption states Lovelace designed the first algorithm for the Analytical Engine, however the article states that Babbage already wrote a program for the Analytical Engine
The image caption states that she is often recognized as history's first computer programmer, but this also conflicts with above

I am not sure which is correct here. According to Ada Lovelace it is contested. Perhaps the text should be rephrased in the article and image caption to reflect this. Lightbloom (talk) 19:42, 10 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]