Running head: History of Information Technology 1. A History of Information Technology. Nancy J. Foti. Indian River State College

Transcription

1 Running head: History of Information Technology 1 A History of Information Technology Nancy J. Foti Indian River State College

2 Abstract This paper will promote the idea that information technology is not entirely a 20 th century concept, but instead goes back to the beginnings of civilization. The idea of recording information (storage) for later use (retrieval) by self or others is an ancient notion. It is only the computer-based aspects of it that is a modern day concept.

3 All too often the general public looks upon information technology as an occurrence of the early to mid-1900 s.as far as computer use is concerned, this is true, however the handling of data has had precedents long before there was electricity to power devices and it to be noted that IT includes, but it not limited to computers. The Sumerians had clay tablets with production and agricultural data inscribed from 2500 B.C. Schools for scribes were established soon after to provide technicians to record data. (Spielvogel J., 2009) Egyptian written works can be dated from 2400 B.C., first on stone and then on papyrus scrolls with the use of reed pens. An even earlier possible use of information storage can be found in prehistoric cave art. This can either be an artistic outlet, or the description of an actual event. The written word persisted throughout many centuries with little modification. Monks who copied works with the same pen and ink technology kept many classic texts in existence, along with a few new additions. The Renaissance brought about renewed interest in literary works, but no change in technology. It was not until the invention of the printing press that any improvement was made in methods. Improved printing presses brought about more materials for the reading public and the advent of compulsory education and, with it a greater percentage literacy, gave rise to an evergrowing popularity of newspapers in the 1890 s and 1900 s (Spielvogel, 2009). This meant that the general public had better access for information retrieval, but as far as input, the same old methods had to be used. The appearance of typewriters in the late 19 th century brought new ease to recording the written word (Polt, n.d.) by bringing speed (depending on the typist s skill) and certainly greater legibility.

4 Other devices seemingly unconnected to computers have their part in the background story of computers; the Pascalene calculator and the Jacquard loom (Evans, Martin, Poatsy, 2016). There are, of course, detractors that wish to minimize the importance of the card system created by Jacquard in the onset of computer technology, by stating the loom was no more a computer than a player piano (Davis& Davis, 2005). However, it is hard to deny that the punchcard system used in the loom had its effect on development of computing devices. Charles Babbage designed a huge steam powered machine to do astronomical tables, which featured a storage and a processing unit similar to what is found in modern computers. This machine was 11 feet wide, 7 feet tall, 19 inches deep and weighed 2.6 tons. He made detailed plans of this machine and another that was never built in his time (charles_babbage.net, n.d.). His efforts, plus the work of his collaborator, Ada Lovelace, was enough to give him the title of father of computing and she was considered by many to be the first programmer. Another important pioneer in IT history is Herman Hollerith. While working at the U.S. Census Bureau, he saw the need for a more efficient way to process the census date, noting that the 1880 census was not fully completed until 1889, due to the lengthiness of hand-transcribing the data (Nebeker, 2000). After a rather unsuccessful use of telegraph tape, he took the punchcard system of the Jacquard loom and applied it to a tabulating machine. This was so successful that he started his own company in 1896, and this firm became International Business Machines, or IBM (Evans, Martin & Poatsy, 2016). The 1930 s brought about progress in the computer field with huge vacuum tube powered monsters such as ENIAC (1946), which filled a whole room, and its predecessors, such as the Z1, the Atanoff-Berry, the Mark I and others. The invention of the transistor, and later the

5 microprocessor chip enabled computers to become small enough to be user-friendly to the general public. Without going into every modification that goes from earliest to the latest model on the market today, there are a few note-worthy innovations that deserve a mention: the keyboard for data entry (1956), the Apple I in 1976, the portable Osbourne in 1981,the Lisa computer with graphic user interface (GUI) in1983, the laptop in 1991 come to mind (The History of Early Computers,(2017). There are numerous other very important developments, but these get attention as they were instrumental in bringing computer use out into private homes, and not just in large companies and research organizations. In developed nations, the general public tends to possess smartphone, laptops, e-readers, and other items to meet their lifestyle needs. All this consumer use would not be possible without the innovations that make these items accessible both in size and price. Just imagine requiring an entire room to house your computer! We have a debt of gratitude to Steve Jobs, Steve Wosniak, Bill Gates Paul Allen, and many others for giving most of us a chance to avail ourselves of up-to-date technology and the convenience of devices that suit our way of life and programs that can be used by many. Since computer programs are continually improved and modified, the personal use of IT can only increase in the future. While we are thankful for our modern day computer geniuses, we should not forget the forebearers of today s innovations, and for their efforts we do not have to record information by hand. If the ancient scribes could look down upon how data is recorded and stored today, pangs of jealousy would not be unexpected. As one whose early scholastic life took place before the emergence of computers, when a research project meant visiting the library, taking notes,

6 composing a paper and then typing it, I personally thank each and every IT pioneer that made this technophobe s life easier.

7 References Charles_Babbage.net The History of Early Computers, retrieved from :computer_history.org/timeline/computers Davis,M., &Davis,V., (2005), Mistaken Ancestry: The Jacquard and the Computer, Textile: the Journal of Cloth & Culture, 3-1, pp76-87 Evans,A., Martin, K., & Poatsy, M., (2016), Technology in Action Complete, 13 th ed., Pearson Group Nebeker. Frederik, (2000). A Backward Glance, IEEE Spectrum Polt, R., (n.d.), A Brief History of the Typewriter, retrieved from: Xavier.edu/polt/typewriter/tw- _ history.html Spielvogel, J., (2009), Western Civilization, 7 th ed., Thomson, Belmont, CA