BCS.org

We want to know: Who's your top information pioneer?

We've profiled five people who've shaped our modern world through an insight, innovation, or application/product they created. But have we chosen the best people? Who do you think made the greatest contribution to enabling the information society? Tell us here.

13 comment(s) for “Who's Your Top Pioneer”

1. You missed Johnny Ive! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ive The man who designed the iMac, iPhone, iPad etc :)

   18 Jun,   09:37   -  James D Show replies to this comment

   1. Ive is on our Top 150!
      http://pioneers.bcs.org/2010/5/17/top-150?showall=1

      22 Jun,  - 10:53   -  Andrew (Information Pioneers Team)

       

2. Ada Lovelace was the first computer programmer, working on Babbage's Analytical Engine. Would we be where we are today without her work I wonder?

   9 Jun,   14:31   -  Gillie 

3. What no Claude Shannon? That's ludicrous!
   

   8 Jun,   12:14   -  Tom Thomson Show replies to this comment

   1. Who is that? What did he do?

      10 Jun,  - 13:24   -  Bobbity

       

      1. Actually he is on the Top 150 -- go vote for him!
         http://pioneers.bcs.org/2010/5/17/top-150?showall=1

         14 Jun,  - 10:15   -  Mark

          

      2. Ah, he's the 'father of information theory' -- would have been good to have on the top 150!
         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Shannon

         14 Jun,  - 09:41   -  Andrew

          

4. Does Brian Cox fit the bill for the Genius of Britian thingy? Most of the people i'd have said is on the top 150 but he's not. He makes me want to learn about physics. If not then Stephen Hawking.

   5 Jun,   23:59   -  Monika Show replies to this comment

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Cox_(physicist)
      
      Agreed! Brian Cox is really good at making really complicated physics understandable and interesting :)

      10 Jun,  - 13:25   -  Jo

       

5. Kenneth E Iverson - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_E._Iverson
   
   Kenneth Eugene Iverson (17 December 1920 - 19 October 2004) was a Canadian computer scientist noted for the development of the APL programming language in 1962. He was honored with the Turing Award in 1979 for his contributions to mathematical notation and programming language theory. The Iverson Award for contributions to APL was named in his honor.
   
   http://www.aprogramminglanguage.com/

   4 Jun,   13:44   -  Catherine 

6. German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz practically invented the Boolean (and the according laws of logic) two hundred years before George Boole himself. He deserves to be in the top 151...

   3 Jun,   12:06   -  Missing: Leibniz Show replies to this comment

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz#Mathematician

      3 Jun,  - 12:08   -  Marleen

       

      1. Interesting -- thanks for bringing up another person to celebrate!

         4 Jun,  - 09:49   -  Andrew (Information Pioneers Team)

          

7. MY hero was Tim Berners Lee until a couple of weeks ago, when he became my second best after I learned that Bent Stumpe invented the first self capacitance touch screen in 1972 for the SPS control room monitors at CERN and in 1977 he invented the first mutual capacitance x-y screens. Without these inventions, we wouldn't have today our smart phones and endless multi touch screen gadgets! I like Bent and want to support him because nobody reports this story (except the CERN COURIER
   http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/42092
   ) where I learned about it for the first time, and actually many others claim they've onvented these screens years after he did and they ere actually used at CERN!
   

   21 May,   23:37   -  Paola 

8. Where's Grace Hopper? She shoudl be up there, but apparently hasn't even made the top 150.

   20 May,   12:33   -  Cje Show replies to this comment

   1. http://blog.jgc.org/2010/05/british-computer-society-pioneers-vote.html

      20 May,  - 13:32   -  anon

       

   2. Hi Cje -- Grace Hopper is on our 150 (if you click the view more at the bottom). We're just making some changes to the site now that should make the full list more visible.

      20 May,  - 13:28   -  Andrew

       

9. Hedy Lamarr tops them all.

   20 May,   03:06   -  George G 

10. Sorry, I should have given you the source of the info about Zuse.
    http://www.mpoweruk.com/history.htm#zuse

    20 May,   02:49   -  Barrie Lawson Show replies to this comment

    1. Hi Barrie,
       
       Thanks for this link. Zuse is actually on our Top 150 list (you need to click view more at the bottom of the page to see it). We're about to make some changes to the list to make it easier to see and use.

       20 May,  - 13:33   -  Andrew (Information Pioneers Team)

        

11. What about Konrad Zuse
    He made the first modern programmable computer

    20 May,   02:41   -  Barrie Lawson Show replies to this comment

    1. didnt dr zuse write kids reading books, cat in the hat etc.

       7 Jun,  - 13:24   -  anon

        

    2. barrie: the good news is there was a surge of votes for Zuse on Friday from Germany, perhaps inspired by your comments.

       24 May,  - 16:01   -  Hugh

        

12. Great choice: five pioniers - two of them female!

    19 May,   12:25   -  Karin 

13. Wow this site is awesome!

    18 May,   09:39   -  Dave