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> The next generation will also find it interesting that a "computer programmer" used to be a person. There is no reason to discuss one part of the automated p

> The next generation will also find it interesting that a "computer programmer" used to be a person. There is no reason to discuss one part of the automated pipeline unless you are troubleshooting it directly. It just collapses into one if it is truly automated.

brookst 3y ago
Historical interest. We talk about carriage drivers and lighthouse tenders and doormen and elevator operators, aware of the anachronisms.
- avgcorrection 3y ago
  > Historical interest. I don't get it. The implicit scenario described by the OP is that people are talking about “computer programmers” as a matter of practical necessity since they would be surprised when someone mentions the history behind it—they can't be surprised by something if they are discussing it for the history as such.
- tbrownaw 3y ago
  > elevator operators I've been in an elevator that was being operated by a human. Some event was letting out, and the bank of elevators had human operators until the crowd cleared. Apparently the automated algorithms aren't quite as efficient in that sort of specialized situation, maybe because they can't talk to the passengers ("Room for two more!").
  - DakotaR 3y ago
    Similarly, my high school always had someone controlling the lights to get all the traffic through
  - simonblack 3y ago
    I've been in an elevator that was being operated by a human. And that was the norm, until about the 1950s or 1960s when electronics became good-enough to allow those lowly passengers to control lifts for themselves, and save the wage-cost of several full-time employees for each lift. I think the last time I saw a human lift-operator was around the 1980s. A good lift-operator could judge the lift well enough that there was no lip at all between the lift's floor and the building's floor. Some couldn't and there might be a 6-inch step to make, and that was dangerous. Today, electronics has removed that problem almost entirely and we never think about it. And then indicating what was on each floor: 'Going up. First floor: home appliances, credit department, crockery and glassware.' And that was apart from listening to questions, being able to tell you which floor you wanted for your purchases, and telling you that you had arrived at that floor. Of course there were all those lift operator jokes: 'Going up. ladies' dresses. Going down, ladies' underwear.'

brookst 3y ago

Historical interest. We talk about carriage drivers and lighthouse tenders and doormen and elevator operators, aware of the anachronisms.

avgcorrection 3y ago
> Historical interest. I don't get it. The implicit scenario described by the OP is that people are talking about “computer programmers” as a matter of practical necessity since they would be surprised when someone mentions the history behind it—they can't be surprised by something if they are discussing it for the history as such.
tbrownaw 3y ago
> elevator operators I've been in an elevator that was being operated by a human. Some event was letting out, and the bank of elevators had human operators until the crowd cleared. Apparently the automated algorithms aren't quite as efficient in that sort of specialized situation, maybe because they can't talk to the passengers ("Room for two more!").
- DakotaR 3y ago
  Similarly, my high school always had someone controlling the lights to get all the traffic through
- simonblack 3y ago
  I've been in an elevator that was being operated by a human. And that was the norm, until about the 1950s or 1960s when electronics became good-enough to allow those lowly passengers to control lifts for themselves, and save the wage-cost of several full-time employees for each lift. I think the last time I saw a human lift-operator was around the 1980s. A good lift-operator could judge the lift well enough that there was no lip at all between the lift's floor and the building's floor. Some couldn't and there might be a 6-inch step to make, and that was dangerous. Today, electronics has removed that problem almost entirely and we never think about it. And then indicating what was on each floor: 'Going up. First floor: home appliances, credit department, crockery and glassware.' And that was apart from listening to questions, being able to tell you which floor you wanted for your purchases, and telling you that you had arrived at that floor. Of course there were all those lift operator jokes: 'Going up. ladies' dresses. Going down, ladies' underwear.'