The Who of CSIRAC

Explore the fascinating human story behind CSIRAC, Australia's first digital computer and the world's fifth stored program computer, in this keynote presentation from linux.conf.au. Delve into the lives and motivations of the men and women who created, used, and decommissioned this groundbreaking machine. Discover the inspiring tales of early programmers, inventors, and pioneers in computing. Learn about the legacy of CSIRAC and its relevance to today's digital world, including discussions on maker culture, hacker culture, and open education. Gain insights into the characteristics of inventors and the evolution of programming languages. Uncover the connections between this early computer and modern open-source development, drawing parallels to the thriving ecosystem of Free and Open Source Software that surrounds Linux today.

Introduction
Computers are people
What is CSIRAC
Women in the past
Women in the present
When was CSIRAC
The first programmable computer
The paper ribbon
Trevor Pearcey
What are the characteristics of inventors
Any questions
Maker Culture
Hacker Culture
Open Education
Programming Languages
The Human Story
The Worlds First Computer
Scienceworks
Orange Chair