The 'Question of Professionalism' in the Computer Fields

Authors:
Nathan L. Ensmenger
Affiliations:
Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Venue:
IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
Year:
2001

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Abstract

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the "question of professionalism" became a pressing issue for the emerging commercial computer industry. Just who was qualified to be a programmer? Competing visions as to the answers to these questions contributed to an ongoing debate that caused turf wars, labor shortages, and varied approaches to professional development. The author explores the many diverse attitudes and opinions on what professionalism meant in the 1950s and 1960s.