According to Wikipedia, it's probable that Lovelace's contributions are overrated; it would appear that Lady Ada has little claim to the title of "first computer programmer". [1] But if you're looking for a female computer hero, you're in luck: Grace Hopper developed the first compiler, popularized the term "debugging", and was an admiral in the Navy to boot. [2]

    In 1952 she had an operational compiler.
    "Nobody believed that," she said. "I had a 
    running compiler and nobody would touch it. 
    They told me computers could only do arithmetic."

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_lovelace#Controversy_over_...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_hopper

Some of the claims made about Ada are certainly mistaken, but there are also good arguments for genuine, important contributions. See, for example, Babbage historian Doron Swade's discussion of her insight into potential applications of the Analytical Engine beyond numeric calculation (beginning at 36:30):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K5p_tBcrd0

By the way, a very good biography of Grace Hopper was published a few years ago:

http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/grace-hopper-and-invention-inf...

I don't understand this comment. Why are we looking for one single all-mighty "female computer hero"? Can't we recognize the different women in computer science and appreciate their contributions individually without trying to put one above all others?

The "if" in "if you're looking..." isn't merely rhetorical. As it happens, I'm not particularly looking for a female computer hero, but many others are, as evidenced by those well-intentioned but misguided people who have promoted Ada Lovelace well beyond her station. I'm merely pointing out that this is unnecessary, because there is a first-rate example in Grace Hopper.

"But if you're looking for a female..."

While you have a point, I never tire to hear of or praise strong, smart women :)

Seconded. Lovelace deserves some place in the history books, but her pre-eminence doesn't do those of us concerned with gender justice in computing any good.

Grace Hopper, on the other hand, is a badass by any measure.

Relevant:

- http://blog.jgc.org/2011/09/lovelaces-leap.html

- http://blog.jgc.org/2012/10/marie-curie-day.html

Good one.

HN discussion of this blog post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4902787

Grace Hopper is a computer hero, period. Gender and sex have very little to do with her accomplishments, and she is a perfect example to show that women are just as capable as men are, even in an unwelcome environment.

Thanks, didn't know, until now I was going with the "first computer programmer" herd.

Related discussion. Happened a while back here on HN:

Marie Curie day: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4658763

P.S: Posted previously on another Lovelace thread, but thread discussion had stopped by then.

Ada Lovelace was a legitimate child of Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Byron. In fact, she was the only one. Just wanted to make that correction.

...I knew it, Dubstep and programming were meant to go together (referring to the last paragraph ;)