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Ada Lovelace Day was initiated by Suw Charman-Anderson as an online celebration of women’s involvement in technology and to highlight the achievements of female role models within the industry.

For those who don’t know the story of Ada Lovelace; Ada lived in England, born December 1815 and died age 36, in November 1852. Educated in mathematics and music, she was said to have called herself an Analyst (& Metaphysician) and in 1842-43 assisted Charles Babbage in his translation of Louis Menebrea’s memoir on the subject of the Analytical Engine. She understood the plans for the device so thoroughly that she compiled a set of Notes which she appended to the translation, and these Notes are the source of her enduring fame.

Ada’s Notes included a method for calculating Bernoulli numbers with the machine – the first computer programme. The unfortunate thing is that the calculations were never carried out, as the machine was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software. She understood that computers could do a lot more than just crunch numbers, and  suggested that the Analytical Engine “might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent.”

Ada’s achievements were even more extraordinary considering she lived in a time when there were no ‘professional scientists’ as we know them. It was men, and only those who had time and money on their hands who would dabble in botany, geology, astronomy and such. Women were, however, beginning to stand out in business and politics with higher and business education available to women in England and anti-slavery movements starting up in America.

The computer language ADA was created by the U.S. Defense Department, and is an integral part of Computer Language Studies. Steve still has his copy of the book that he used during his Computer Studies Degree in England. The Department of Defense Military Standard for the language, “MIL-STD-1815″, was given the number of the year of her birth. Ada’s image can also be seen on the Microsoft product authenticity hologram stickers. Since 1998, the British Computer Society has awarded a medal in her name and in 2008 initiated an annual competition for women students of computer science.

What I feel is a very valid reason for initiating Ada Lovelace Day was research carried out  in 2005 by Psychologist Penelope Lockwood. She discovered that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male ones. When women see other women achieve then they are encouraged to reach higher themselves. Her research concluded that “outstanding women can function as inspirational examples of success, illustrating the kinds of achievements that are possible for women around them. They demonstrate that it is possible to overcome traditional gender barriers, indicating to other women that high levels of success are indeed attainable.”

Suw Charman-Anderson saw this as “a relatively simple problem to begin to address. If women need female role models, let’s come together to highlight the women in technology that we look up to. Let’s create new role models and make sure that whenever the question “Who are the leading women in tech?” is asked, that we all have a list of candidates on the tips of our tongues.”

On (Tuesday) 24th March 2009 – the very first Ada Lovelace Day, over 1,600 people had signed a pledge to add a piece in their blogs about a woman in technology whom they admire. That’s very cool, and it shows that once we start looking, or even considering it, we can all find someone to look up to and perhaps even aspire to emulate.

Let’s prove that point…

1. Can everyone name a woman in technology that you look up to?
2. Can you name a woman still alive that you look up to?
3. Can you name 2 women, alive now, one in technology, the second not necessarily in technology, who you look up to?
4. Could you be someone that someone else looks up to?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of those questions then you can be very proud of yourself. We spend a lot of time looking to and for role models, but what I also think is a very valid point is the need to create new role models.

Of course, we aren’t talking about the women who seem to hate seeing other women succeed, or will deliberately undermine others in order to better themselves. They are an unfortunate breed, but do remember that they may ultimate get into someone’s list of role models for their determination and self-preservation. The women we’re talking about here are the ones who may even see themselves as ordinary, but have that special quality that other people see and take notice of.

A quick search through some of Tuesdays blogs was very encouraging. There were plenty of blogs about women in history who have played significant roles in creating the technological world that we live in and there were lots of bios of living women who the blogger admired. I was thrilled to see women who I have met and who I admire being mentioned as well, and I suppose that just proves Lockwoods point. You could be poetic and say that Tuesday had an online overflowing of admiration. It wasn’t only female bloggers getting involved, either (although that was the point) – I read a great blog by Nat Torkington, a local Open Source personality, which concluded that Lady Ada would be proud of the modern techie woman.

It isn’t only the technical achievements that make a role model. Many of you may know or know of Pia Waugh. One talk that she likes to give at conferences (as a LinuxChick) is all about her heroes. The women that she looks up to are an ever-expanding list of hackers, sys admins, journalists who all make this industry tick! In short I think she sees anyone who will go ahead and do what they want to do, regardless of the arguments put against them, as heroes. Pia is a hero of mine. I’m constantly amazed with the energy and enthusiasm with which she hurls herself into her latest project, while still continuing with all her other projects and her business! There is plenty to admire in Pia, and I think that she is quite extraordinary, but there are extraordinary women all around us.

I feel that Ada Lovelace Day is a great idea. We need to remember that in seeing other women achieve, we are encouraged to continue achieving ourselves, and that we should always ensure that others see us, because you never know which young woman may be watching and admiring your successes, and where that may lead her!

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