„History is touchy“ Die History‐of‐Programming‐Languages‐Konferenz, 1978

Abstract

Less than twenty years after computer science was able to establish itself as an academic discipline, a group of US computer scientists organized a conference on the history of programming languages. The conference is distinguished from other self‐historicization projects by the organizer's claim to present an “accurate” account of their own discipline's history. However, the actors encountered challenges in terms of how to present their own history “objectively.” How to deal with incomplete memories? How to avoid putting others in a bad light? There was far from agreement on these points and heated discussions ensued. Strategies had to be developed and compromises made to make the project a reality. The conference was intended to contribute to the history of computer science and the organizers sought exchange with professional historians. However, the project met with little interest among them. Rather, the discussion between the computer scientists and the historians shows how the history of science also struggled with questions of how to deal suitably with the past. In this respect, the Computer Scientists’ Conference not only illuminates the history of computer science, but also offers a new perspective on the history of the history of science.

Keywords: History of Computer Science; History of Programming Languages; History of Science; Self-Historicization.