Women in IT

The IT world is filled with many amazing developers, inventors, researchers, and other eminent personalities. And most of them are men. But there are many talented female scientists who have made an invaluable contribution to the IT industry. This article will focus on the women who have achieved success in the exact sciences. Their names are Karen Sparck Jones, Erna Schneider Hoover, Judy Malloy, and Radia Perlman. Equally with men, these women have influenced the development of information technology.

Karen Spärck Jones (1935 — 2007)

Karen Spärck Jones was a British scientist in the field of computer science who developed technologies that allowed users to interact with computers using normal words rather than equations and code. Her work played a major role in the further development of search engines.

"My slogan is: Computing is too important to be left to men. I think women bring a different perspective to computing, they are more thoughtful and less inclined to go straight for technical fixes. My belief is that, intellectually, computer science is fascinating — you’re trying to make things that don’t exist."

Erna Schneider Hoover (born 1926)

Erna Schneider Hoover is an American mathematician and the inventor of a computerized telephone switching method. Many believe that to have been the beginning of "a revolution in modern communication". This method allows an automated telephone station to monitor the load level of the call center and to rank calls by priority, which ensures more efficient operation during peak call hours.

"To my mind it was kind of common sense… I designed the executive program for handling situations when there are too many calls, to keep it operating efficiently without hanging up on itself. Basically, it was designed to keep the machine from throwing up its hands and going berserk."

At Bell Labs, where Hoover worked for over 32 years, she is called a pioneer who opened the way in the field of computer technology for women. She owns one of the first patents for computer software. In 2008, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Judy Malloy (born 1942)

Judy Malloy is a writer, as well as a self-taught programmer, she also invented own database system for her novels. In 1986, Judy wrote and programmed an innovative hypertext story "Uncle Roger", the first online project of hyperfiction with links that change the story depending on the choice of the reader.

Judy Malloy: "In 1986, it was my experience in database programming […] that would make what I had been trying to do with "card catalog" artists books more feasible" See full text here.

Malloy has served as the editor and leader of various books and web projects. Her literary works have been published worldwide.

Radia Perlman (born 1951)

Radia Perlman is an American computer programmer and network engineer. She is most famous for her invention of the spanning-tree protocol, which is fundamental to the operation of network bridges, while working for Digital Equipment Corporation. She has also made important contributions to many other areas of network design and standardization.

From an interview with The Atlantic: "As for me, growing up near Asbury Park, NJ, I always liked logic puzzles and I found math and science classes in school effortless and fascinating."