Exegesis
Stateless
Wiki source list — working document
Concepts
¶Artificial Intelligence
https://stateless.zone/background/#artificial-intelligence
Term coined by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth Conference, 1956. See also: Semantic Computation
See also: McCarthy, John, Dartmouth Conference (1956), Minsky, Marvin, Semantic Computation, Large Language Model (LLM), ELIZA, Weizenbaum, Joseph
¶California Garage, The
https://stateless.zone/background/#california-garage
Founding myth of Silicon Valley; HP founded in a Palo Alto garage (1939); Apple in a Los Altos garage (1976); concept of the lone inventor and bootstrapped startup
See also: Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett, Bill, Packard, Dave, Jobs, Steve, Wozniak, Steve
¶CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing)
https://stateless.zone/background/#cisc
Processor design philosophy; contrast with RISC
See also: RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), Intel, Motorola
¶CPU (Central Processing Unit)
https://stateless.zone/background/#cpu
Concept and component; the primary processor of a computer
See also: RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing), Intel, MOS Technology, Motorola
¶Desktop Publishing
https://stateless.zone/background/#desktop-publishing
Concept and practice coined by Paul Brainerd of Aldus, 1984
See also: Brainerd, Paul, Aldus Corporation, PageMaker, QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign
¶Large Language Model (LLM)
https://stateless.zone/background/#llm
Class of AI system. See also: Semantic Computation
See also: Artificial Intelligence, Semantic Computation, ELIZA, Weizenbaum, Joseph, Lanier, Jaron
¶Lisp machines (concept)
https://stateless.zone/background/#lisp-machines-concept
Specialised computers designed to run Lisp efficiently. See also: Lisp Machines Inc., Symbolics
See also: Lisp, Lisp Machines Inc., Symbolics, McCarthy, John
¶Memex
https://stateless.zone/background/#memex
Theoretical device described by Vannevar Bush in 'As We May Think' (1945); conceptual precursor to hypertext and the web
See also: Bush, Vannevar, "As We May Think", Nelson, Ted, Engelbart, Douglas, Xanadu
¶Moore's Law
https://stateless.zone/background/#moores-law
Observation by Gordon Moore (1965) that transistor density doubles approximately every two years; became a self-fulfilling prophecy driving the semiconductor industry
See also: Moore, Gordon, Intel, Fairchild Semiconductor
¶Multitasking
https://stateless.zone/background/#multitasking
Computing concept: ability to run multiple processes concurrently. Preemptive multitasking (OS controls scheduling; e.g. Amiga, Unix) vs cooperative multitasking (programs yield voluntarily; e.g. early Mac, Windows 3.x)
See also: Amiga, UNIX, BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution)
¶RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
https://stateless.zone/background/#risc
Processor design philosophy; contrast with CISC; basis of ARM
See also: CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing), ARM Holdings, MIPS Inc., Furber, Steve, Wilson, Sophie
¶Semantic Computation
https://stateless.zone/background/#semantic-computation
Neologism (J. Walsh); proposed alternative to 'artificial intelligence'; describes what these systems demonstrably do — process and manipulate meaning and symbol relationships — rather than making claims about what they are
See also: Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Model (LLM), Weizenbaum, Joseph
¶Spreadsheet
https://stateless.zone/background/#spreadsheet
Concept and software category. See VisiCalc
See also: VisiCalc, Bricklin, Dan, Frankston, Bob
¶TCP/IP
https://stateless.zone/background/#tcp-ip
Networking protocol suite (Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, 1974; foundation of the internet)
See also: Cerf, Vint, Kahn, Bob, ARPANET, Berners-Lee, Tim
¶Xanadu
https://stateless.zone/background/#xanadu
Ted Nelson's unrealised hypertext project; the road not taken from the web
See also: Nelson, Ted, Memex, Berners-Lee, Tim, Bush, Vannevar
Companies
¶Acorn Computers
https://stateless.zone/background/#acorn
British computer company (founded by Hermann Hauser and Chris Curry; parent of ARM Holdings)
See also: Hauser, Hermann, Curry, Chris, ARM Holdings, Wilson, Sophie, Furber, Steve, Saxby, Robin
¶Adobe
https://stateless.zone/background/#adobe
Software company (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Creative Suite; founded 1982)
See also: Aldus Corporation, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Creative Suite, Altsys
¶Aldus Corporation
https://stateless.zone/background/#aldus
Software company (PageMaker; founded by Paul Brainerd; acquired by Adobe, 1994)
See also: Brainerd, Paul, PageMaker, Adobe, Altsys, Macromedia FreeHand, Desktop Publishing
¶Altsys
https://stateless.zone/background/#altsys
Software company (developed FreeHand, published by Aldus; later acquired by Macromedia)
See also: Macromedia FreeHand, Aldus Corporation, Adobe Illustrator
¶ARM Holdings
https://stateless.zone/background/#arm-holdings
Semiconductor company (spun out of Acorn Computers; licensing model pioneered by Robin Saxby)
See also: Acorn Computers, Saxby, Robin, Wilson, Sophie, Furber, Steve, StrongARM, RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
¶AT&T Bell Labs
https://stateless.zone/background/#att-bell-labs
Research laboratory (birthplace of UNIX, C, and much else)
See also: UNIX, Thompson, Ken, Ritchie, Dennis, BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution)
¶Commodore International
https://stateless.zone/background/#commodore
Personal computer manufacturer (Jack Tramiel)
See also: Tramiel, Jack, Amiga, Commodore PET, Trinity of 1977, The, Miner, Jay, Peddle, Chuck, MOS Technology
¶Data General
https://stateless.zone/background/#data-general
Minicomputer manufacturer; subject of The Soul of a New Machine
See also: The Soul of a New Machine, Kidder, Tracy, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
¶Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
https://stateless.zone/background/#dec
Minicomputer manufacturer (Ken Olsen)
See also: Olsen, Ken, Alpha, StrongARM, Data General
¶Digital Research
https://stateless.zone/background/#digital-research
Software company (Gary Kildall; CP/M operating system)
See also: Kildall, Gary, DOS (Disk Operating System), Gates, Bill
¶Fairchild Semiconductor
https://stateless.zone/background/#fairchild
Semiconductor company (founded 1957 by the Traitorous Eight; origin of Silicon Valley as an ecosystem)
See also: Traitorous Eight, The, Noyce, Robert, Moore, Gordon, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Intel
¶Freescale Semiconductor
https://stateless.zone/background/#freescale
Semiconductor company (spun out of Motorola, 2004)
See also: Motorola
¶Hewlett-Packard
https://stateless.zone/background/#hewlett-packard
Technology company (Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard; founded in a Palo Alto garage, 1939)
See also: Hewlett, Bill, Packard, Dave, California Garage, The
¶IBM
https://stateless.zone/background/#ibm
Mainframe and technology manufacturer
See also: Hollerith, Herman, DOS (Disk Operating System), Digital Research
¶Intel
https://stateless.zone/background/#intel
Semiconductor manufacturer
See also: Noyce, Robert, Moore, Gordon, Faggin, Federico, Shima, Masatoshi, Fairchild Semiconductor, Traitorous Eight, The, Moore's Law
¶Lisp Machines Inc.
https://stateless.zone/background/#lisp-machines-inc
Computer company (spun out of MIT AI Lab; specialized Lisp hardware)
See also: Lisp, Lisp machines (concept), Symbolics, McCarthy, John
¶MIPS Inc.
https://stateless.zone/background/#mips-inc
Semiconductor company (MIPS RISC processor architecture; Stanford spinout)
See also: RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), SGI (Silicon Graphics Inc.)
¶MOS Technology
https://stateless.zone/background/#mos-technology
Semiconductor company (6502 processor; Chuck Peddle)
See also: Peddle, Chuck, Commodore International, Apple II, Trinity of 1977, The
¶Motorola
https://stateless.zone/background/#motorola
Semiconductor and electronics manufacturer (68000 processor family)
See also: Freescale Semiconductor, CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing)
¶National Semiconductor
https://stateless.zone/background/#national-semi
Semiconductor manufacturer
See also: Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Fairchild Semiconductor
¶NeXT
https://stateless.zone/background/#next
Computer company (founded by Steve Jobs, 1985)
See also: Jobs, Steve, NeXTSTEP, OpenStep, Tevanian, Avie
¶Nixdorf
https://stateless.zone/background/#nixdorf
Nixdorf Computer AG; German mid-range computer manufacturer, 1970s–80s
See also: IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
¶Olivetti
https://stateless.zone/background/#olivetti
Italian technology and computing company
See also: Nixdorf
¶Radio Shack / Tandy Corporation
https://stateless.zone/background/#tandy
Electronics retailer and computer manufacturer (TRS-80)
See also: TRS-80, Trinity of 1977, The
¶SGI (Silicon Graphics Inc.)
https://stateless.zone/background/#sgi
Workstation manufacturer (high-end graphics computing)
See also: MIPS Inc., RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
¶Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
https://stateless.zone/background/#shockley-semi
Semiconductor company (William Shockley; Mountain View, California, 1956; origin point of Silicon Valley)
See also: Shockley, William, Traitorous Eight, The, Fairchild Semiconductor
¶Sinclair Research
https://stateless.zone/background/#sinclair-research
British computer company (Clive Sinclair)
See also: Sinclair, Clive
¶Sun Microsystems
https://stateless.zone/background/#sun-microsystems
Workstation and server manufacturer (Java; SunOS; Solaris)
See also: Joy, Bill, SunOS, Solaris, RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), MIPS Inc.
¶Symbolics
https://stateless.zone/background/#symbolics
Lisp machine company (spun out of MIT AI Lab; registered the first .com domain, 1985)
See also: Lisp, Lisp machines (concept), Lisp Machines Inc., McCarthy, John
¶Texas Instruments
https://stateless.zone/background/#ti
Semiconductor and electronics manufacturer
See also: CPU (Central Processing Unit), RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
¶Zilog
https://stateless.zone/background/#zilog
Semiconductor company (Federico Faggin; Z80 processor)
See also: Faggin, Federico, Shima, Masatoshi
Events
¶Dartmouth Conference (1956)
https://stateless.zone/background/#dartmouth
Founding moment of AI as a named field; John McCarthy coined the term 'artificial intelligence'
See also: McCarthy, John, Minsky, Marvin, Artificial Intelligence
¶Mother of All Demos
https://stateless.zone/background/#mother-of-all-demos
Landmark demonstration by Douglas Engelbart, 1968; first public demonstration of the mouse, hypertext, video conferencing and collaborative real-time editing
See also: Engelbart, Douglas, Nelson, Ted, Bush, Vannevar, Memex, Xanadu
Hardware
¶Alpha
https://stateless.zone/background/#alpha
Processor architecture (Digital Equipment Corporation; high-performance RISC chip, 1992)
See also: Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), StrongARM
¶Amiga
https://stateless.zone/background/#amiga
Personal computer (Commodore, 1985; pioneering multitasking and graphics; Jay Miner). Andy Warhol used it at its 1985 launch to digitise Debbie Harry's face.
See also: Commodore International, Miner, Jay, Multitasking, Warhol, Andy, Trinity of 1977, The
¶Apple II
https://stateless.zone/background/#apple-ii
Personal computer (Apple, 1977; one of the Trinity of 1977)
See also: Trinity of 1977, The, Wozniak, Steve, Jobs, Steve, MOS Technology
¶Apple Newton
https://stateless.zone/background/#apple-newton
Personal digital assistant (Apple, 1993–1998; used StrongARM processor)
See also: StrongARM, ARM Holdings, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Jobs, Steve
¶Commodore PET
https://stateless.zone/background/#commodore-pet
Personal computer (Commodore, 1977; one of the Trinity of 1977)
See also: Trinity of 1977, The, Tramiel, Jack, Commodore International, Peddle, Chuck, MOS Technology
¶StrongARM
https://stateless.zone/background/#strongarm
Processor developed by DEC in collaboration with ARM; later acquired by Intel; used in Apple Newton and many other devices
See also: Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), ARM Holdings, Apple Newton, Intel
¶TRS-80
https://stateless.zone/background/#trs-80
Personal computer (Tandy/Radio Shack, 1977; one of the Trinity of 1977)
See also: Trinity of 1977, The, Radio Shack / Tandy Corporation
Movements
¶Frankfurt School
https://stateless.zone/background/#frankfurt-school
Critical theory movement (Adorno, Horkheimer, Habermas et al.); associated with the Institute for Social Research, Frankfurt
See also: Adorno, Theodor, Horkheimer, Max, Habermas, Jürgen, Benjamin, Walter, Baudrillard, Jean
¶Traitorous Eight, The
https://stateless.zone/background/#traitorous-eight
The eight engineers who left Shockley Semiconductor in 1957 to found Fairchild Semiconductor; including Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore; effectively the founding act of Silicon Valley
See also: Shockley, William, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Fairchild Semiconductor, Noyce, Robert, Moore, Gordon
¶Trinity of 1977, The
https://stateless.zone/background/#trinity-1977
The three personal computers released in 1977 that launched the personal computer industry: Apple II, Commodore PET, and TRS-80
See also: Apple II, Commodore PET, TRS-80, Wozniak, Steve, Tramiel, Jack, Radio Shack / Tandy Corporation
People
¶Adorno, Theodor
https://stateless.zone/background/#adorno
(1903–1969) — philosopher
See also: Frankfurt School, Horkheimer, Max, Habermas, Jürgen, Benjamin, Walter
¶Anscombe, Elizabeth
https://stateless.zone/background/#anscombe
(1919–2001) — philosopher
See also: Wittgenstein, Ludwig, Frankfurt, Harry G.
¶Aristotle
https://stateless.zone/background/#aristotle
(384–322 BC) — philosopher
See also: Plato, Marsilius of Padua
¶Atkinson, Bill
https://stateless.zone/background/#atkinson
(1951–) — software designer (creator of HyperCard)
See also: HyperCard, HyperTalk, Horn, Bruce, Raskin, Jef
¶Ballard, J.G.
https://stateless.zone/background/#ballard
(James Graham Ballard) (1930–2009) — novelist
See also: Vermilion Sands, New Worlds, Moorcock, Michael
¶Barthes, Roland
https://stateless.zone/background/#barthes
(1915–1980) — literary theorist and critic
See also: Benjamin, Walter, Berger, John, Eco, Umberto
¶Baudrillard, Jean
https://stateless.zone/background/#baudrillard
(1929–2007) — social theorist
See also: Frankfurt School, Benjamin, Walter
¶Benjamin, Walter
https://stateless.zone/background/#benjamin
(1892–1940) — cultural critic and philosopher
See also: Adorno, Theodor, Horkheimer, Max, Frankfurt School, Berger, John, Warhol, Andy, Barthes, Roland
¶Berger, John
https://stateless.zone/background/#berger
(1926–2017) — cultural critic, art critic, novelist and poet; Marxist; best known for Ways of Seeing (1972) but also Booker Prize-winning novelist (G., 1972); lived among peasant farming communities in the French Alps
See also: Ways of Seeing, G., Benjamin, Walter, Barthes, Roland, Warhol, Andy, Marx, Karl
¶Berners-Lee, Tim
https://stateless.zone/background/#berners-lee
(1955–) — computer scientist, inventor of the World Wide Web
See also: ARPANET, TCP/IP, Xanadu, Nelson, Ted
¶Brainerd, Paul
https://stateless.zone/background/#brainerd
(1947–) — software entrepreneur (founder of Aldus; coined the term 'desktop publishing')
See also: Aldus Corporation, PageMaker, Desktop Publishing
¶Bricklin, Dan
https://stateless.zone/background/#bricklin
(1951–) — software developer (co-creator of VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet)
See also: VisiCalc, Frankston, Bob, Spreadsheet
¶Bush, Vannevar
https://stateless.zone/background/#bush
(1890–1974) — engineer and inventor (Memex)
See also: Memex, "As We May Think", Engelbart, Douglas, Nelson, Ted
¶Cerf, Vint
https://stateless.zone/background/#cerf
(1943–) — computer scientist (co-creator of TCP/IP)
¶Curry, Chris
https://stateless.zone/background/#curry
(1946–) — entrepreneur (co-founder of Acorn Computers)
See also: Acorn Computers, Hauser, Hermann, Wilson, Sophie, Furber, Steve, ARM Holdings
¶Dick, Philip K.
https://stateless.zone/background/#dick
(1928–1982) — novelist
See also: VALIS, Gibson, William
¶Duchamp, Marcel
https://stateless.zone/background/#duchamp
(1887–1968) — artist
See also: Warhol, Andy, Benjamin, Walter, Read, Herbert
¶Eco, Umberto
https://stateless.zone/background/#eco
(1932–2016) — novelist and semiotician
See also: Barthes, Roland, Berger, John
¶Engelbart, Douglas
https://stateless.zone/background/#engelbart
(1925–2013) — inventor and pioneer (augmentation of human intellect)
See also: Mother of All Demos, Bush, Vannevar, Nelson, Ted, HyperCard
¶Faggin, Federico
https://stateless.zone/background/#faggin
(1941–) — engineer (Intel 4004; co-founder of Zilog)
See also: Intel, Zilog, Shima, Masatoshi
¶Foucault, Michel
https://stateless.zone/background/#foucault
(1926–1984) — philosopher
See also: Barthes, Roland, Baudrillard, Jean
¶Frankfurt, Harry G.
https://stateless.zone/background/#frankfurt
(1929–2023) — philosopher
See also: Anscombe, Elizabeth
¶Frankston, Bob
https://stateless.zone/background/#frankston
(1949–) — software developer (co-creator of VisiCalc)
See also: VisiCalc, Bricklin, Dan, Spreadsheet
¶Furber, Steve
https://stateless.zone/background/#furber
(1953–) — engineer (co-designer of the ARM processor at Acorn)
See also: ARM Holdings, Acorn Computers, Wilson, Sophie, Curry, Chris, Hauser, Hermann, RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
¶Gates, Bill
https://stateless.zone/background/#gates
(1955–) — entrepreneur (Microsoft)
See also: Kildall, Gary, DOS (Disk Operating System), Digital Research
¶Gibson, William
https://stateless.zone/background/#gibson
(1948–) — novelist
See also: Sterling, Bruce, Swanwick, Michael, New Worlds, Dick, Philip K.
¶Graeber, David
https://stateless.zone/background/#graeber
(1961–2020) — anthropologist
See also: Marx, Karl
¶Habermas, Jürgen
https://stateless.zone/background/#habermas
(1929–) — philosopher
See also: Frankfurt School, Adorno, Theodor, Horkheimer, Max
¶Hafner, Katie
https://stateless.zone/background/#hafner
— journalist and author (When Wizards Stay Up Late)
See also: When Wizards Stay Up Late, ARPANET
¶Hauser, Hermann
https://stateless.zone/background/#hauser
(1948–) — entrepreneur (co-founder of Acorn Computers)
See also: Acorn Computers, Curry, Chris, ARM Holdings, Wilson, Sophie, Furber, Steve, Saxby, Robin
¶Hayes, Dennis
https://stateless.zone/background/#hayes
— author and activist
See also: Behind the Silicon Curtain, Processed World
¶Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich
https://stateless.zone/background/#hegel
(1770–1831) — philosopher
See also: Marx, Karl, Adorno, Theodor, Kant, Immanuel
¶Hewlett, Bill
https://stateless.zone/background/#hewlett
(1913–2001) — engineer and entrepreneur (co-founder of Hewlett-Packard)
See also: Hewlett-Packard, Packard, Dave, California Garage, The
¶Hollerith, Herman
https://stateless.zone/background/#hollerith
(1860–1929) — inventor (tabulating machine; founded company that became IBM)
See also: IBM
¶Horkheimer, Max
https://stateless.zone/background/#horkheimer
(1895–1973) — philosopher
See also: Frankfurt School, Adorno, Theodor, Habermas, Jürgen, Benjamin, Walter
¶Horn, Bruce
https://stateless.zone/background/#horn
(1957–) — software designer (Macintosh Finder; original Macintosh team)
See also: HyperCard, Atkinson, Bill, Raskin, Jef, Jobs, Steve
¶Jobs, Steve
https://stateless.zone/background/#jobs
(1955–2011) — entrepreneur and designer
See also: NeXT, NeXTSTEP, OpenStep, Raskin, Jef, Wozniak, Steve, Tevanian, Avie, Atkinson, Bill
¶Joy, Bill
https://stateless.zone/background/#joy
(1954–) — computer scientist (co-founder of Sun Microsystems; BSD Unix; vi editor; Java)
See also: Sun Microsystems, BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), SunOS, Solaris
¶Kahn, Bob
https://stateless.zone/background/#kahn
(1938–) — computer scientist (co-creator of TCP/IP)
See also: TCP/IP, Cerf, Vint, ARPANET
¶Kant, Immanuel
https://stateless.zone/background/#kant
(1724–1804) — philosopher
See also: Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, Spinoza, Baruch
¶Kidder, Tracy
https://stateless.zone/background/#kidder
(1945–) — journalist and author (The Soul of a New Machine)
See also: The Soul of a New Machine, Data General
¶Kildall, Gary
https://stateless.zone/background/#kildall
(1942–1994) — computer scientist (CP/M; Digital Research)
See also: Digital Research, DOS (Disk Operating System), Gates, Bill
¶Lanier, Jaron
https://stateless.zone/background/#lanier
(1960–) — technologist, musician and critic
See also: Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Model (LLM)
¶Lispector, Clarice
https://stateless.zone/background/#lispector
(1920–1977) — novelist
See also: The Hour of the Star
¶Marsilius of Padua
https://stateless.zone/background/#marsilius
(c.1275–c.1342) — political philosopher
See also: Aristotle
¶Marx, Karl
https://stateless.zone/background/#marx
(1818–1883) — philosopher and economist
See also: Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, Smith, Adam, Graeber, David, Frankfurt School, Berger, John
¶McCarthy, John
https://stateless.zone/background/#mccarthy
(1927–2011) — computer scientist (coined the term 'artificial intelligence'; Dartmouth Conference, 1956)
See also: Dartmouth Conference (1956), Artificial Intelligence, Lisp, Minsky, Marvin
¶Merleau-Ponty, Maurice
https://stateless.zone/background/#merleau-ponty
(1908–1961) — philosopher (phenomenology; perception and embodiment)
See also: Wittgenstein, Ludwig, Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich
¶Miner, Jay
https://stateless.zone/background/#miner
(1932–1994) — engineer (designer of the Amiga chipset; 'father of the Amiga')
See also: Amiga, Commodore International
¶Minsky, Marvin
https://stateless.zone/background/#minsky
(1927–2016) — cognitive scientist and AI pioneer
See also: Dartmouth Conference (1956), Artificial Intelligence, McCarthy, John, Lisp
¶Montfort, Nick
https://stateless.zone/background/#montfort
— academic and author (Twisty Little Passages)
See also: Twisty Little Passages, HyperCard, Nelson, Ted
¶Moorcock, Michael
https://stateless.zone/background/#moorcock
(1939–) — novelist
See also: Mother London, New Worlds, Ballard, J.G., Gibson, William, Sterling, Bruce
¶Moore, Gordon
https://stateless.zone/background/#moore
(1929–2023) — engineer (co-founder of Intel; Moore's Law)
See also: Moore's Law, Intel, Fairchild Semiconductor, Noyce, Robert, Traitorous Eight, The
¶Nelson, Ted
https://stateless.zone/background/#nelson
(1937–) — pioneer of hypertext and hypermedia
See also: Xanadu, Berners-Lee, Tim, Bush, Vannevar, Engelbart, Douglas, Memex
¶Noyce, Robert
https://stateless.zone/background/#noyce
(1927–1990) — engineer (co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel)
See also: Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel, Moore, Gordon, Traitorous Eight, The, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
¶Olsen, Ken
https://stateless.zone/background/#olsen
(1926–2011) — entrepreneur (founder of Digital Equipment Corporation)
See also: Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
¶Orlowski, Andrew
https://stateless.zone/background/#orlowski
— technology journalist
See also: The Register
¶Packard, Dave
https://stateless.zone/background/#packard
(1912–1996) — engineer and entrepreneur (co-founder of Hewlett-Packard)
See also: Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett, Bill, California Garage, The
¶Pasolini, Pier Paolo
https://stateless.zone/background/#pasolini
(1922–1975) — filmmaker, poet and novelist
See also: Benjamin, Walter, Barthes, Roland
¶Peddle, Chuck
https://stateless.zone/background/#peddle
(1937–2019) — engineer (MOS Technology 6502 processor)
See also: MOS Technology, Tramiel, Jack, Commodore International, Trinity of 1977, The
¶Perens, Bruce
https://stateless.zone/background/#perens
(1958–) — open source advocate
See also: Stallman, Richard
¶Pessoa, Fernando
https://stateless.zone/background/#pessoa
(1888–1935) — poet
See also: Tabucchi, Antonio
¶Plato
https://stateless.zone/background/#plato
(c.428–c.348 BC) — philosopher
See also: Aristotle
¶Raskin, Jef
https://stateless.zone/background/#raskin
(1943–2005) — interface designer (creator of the Macintosh project)
See also: Jobs, Steve, Horn, Bruce, Atkinson, Bill, HyperCard
¶Read, Herbert
https://stateless.zone/background/#read
(1893–1968) — art critic and anarchist
See also: Benjamin, Walter, Duchamp, Marcel
¶Ritchie, Dennis
https://stateless.zone/background/#ritchie
(1941–2011) — computer scientist (co-creator of UNIX and C)
See also: UNIX, Thompson, Ken, AT&T Bell Labs
¶Saxby, Robin
https://stateless.zone/background/#saxby
(1947–) — businessman (first CEO of ARM Holdings; architect of ARM's licensing model)
See also: ARM Holdings, Acorn Computers, Hauser, Hermann
¶Shima, Masatoshi
https://stateless.zone/background/#shima
(1943–2020) — engineer (co-designer of Intel 4004; Zilog)
See also: Intel, Zilog, Faggin, Federico
¶Shockley, William
https://stateless.zone/background/#shockley
(1910–1989) — physicist (co-inventor of the transistor; Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory)
See also: Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Traitorous Eight, The, Fairchild Semiconductor
¶Sinclair, Clive
https://stateless.zone/background/#sinclair
(1940–2021) — entrepreneur (Sinclair Research)
See also: Sinclair Research
¶Smith, Adam
https://stateless.zone/background/#smith
(1723–1790) — economist and philosopher
See also: Marx, Karl
¶Spinoza, Baruch
https://stateless.zone/background/#spinoza
(1632–1677) — philosopher
See also: Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, Kant, Immanuel
¶Stallman, Richard
https://stateless.zone/background/#stallman
(1953–) — free software advocate
See also: Perens, Bruce, UNIX
¶Sterling, Bruce
https://stateless.zone/background/#sterling
(1954–) — novelist
See also: Gibson, William, Swanwick, Michael, New Worlds
¶Swanwick, Michael
https://stateless.zone/background/#swanwick
(1950–) — novelist
See also: Gibson, William, Sterling, Bruce, New Worlds
¶Tabucchi, Antonio
https://stateless.zone/background/#tabucchi
(1943–2012) — novelist
See also: Pessoa, Fernando
¶Tevanian, Avie
https://stateless.zone/background/#tevanian
(1961–) — computer scientist (Mach kernel, NeXT, Apple)
See also: NeXT, NeXTSTEP, Jobs, Steve
¶Thompson, Ken
https://stateless.zone/background/#thompson
(1943–) — computer scientist (co-creator of UNIX)
See also: UNIX, Ritchie, Dennis, AT&T Bell Labs
¶Tramiel, Jack
https://stateless.zone/background/#tramiel
(1928–2012) — entrepreneur (Commodore)
See also: Commodore International, Commodore PET, Trinity of 1977, The, Peddle, Chuck
¶Warhol, Andy
https://stateless.zone/background/#warhol
(1928–1987) — artist (pop art; mass reproduction; used Amiga at its 1985 launch to digitise Debbie Harry's face)
See also: Amiga, Benjamin, Walter, Berger, John, Duchamp, Marcel
¶Weizenbaum, Joseph
https://stateless.zone/background/#weizenbaum
(1923–2008) — computer scientist (creator of ELIZA; critic of AI ideology)
See also: ELIZA, Computer Power and Human Reason, Artificial Intelligence
¶Wilson, Sophie
https://stateless.zone/background/#wilson
(1957–) — engineer (designed the ARM instruction set at Acorn)
See also: ARM Holdings, Acorn Computers, Furber, Steve, Curry, Chris, Hauser, Hermann, RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
¶Wittgenstein, Ludwig
https://stateless.zone/background/#wittgenstein
(1889–1951) — philosopher
See also: Anscombe, Elizabeth
¶Wozniak, Steve
https://stateless.zone/background/#wozniak
(1950–) — engineer (Apple co-founder)
See also: Jobs, Steve, Apple II, Trinity of 1977, The
Periodicals
¶New Worlds
https://stateless.zone/background/#new-worlds
Science fiction magazine (associated with Michael Moorcock as editor); central to the British New Wave SF scene that also featured Ballard, and influenced Gibson, Sterling and Swanwick
See also: Moorcock, Michael, Ballard, J.G., Gibson, William, Sterling, Bruce, Swanwick, Michael
¶Processed World
https://stateless.zone/background/#processed-world
Magazine (San Francisco; labour and technology criticism; associated with Dennis Hayes)
See also: Hayes, Dennis, Behind the Silicon Curtain
¶The Register
https://stateless.zone/background/#register
Technology news publication (founded 1994; associated with Andrew Orlowski among others)
See also: Orlowski, Andrew
Software
¶Adobe Creative Suite
https://stateless.zone/background/#adobe-creative-suite
Software bundle (Adobe; encompasses Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and others)
See also: Adobe, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign
¶Adobe Flash
https://stateless.zone/background/#adobe-flash
Software platform (multimedia and animation)
See also: Adobe, Macromedia Director, Lingo
¶Adobe Illustrator
https://stateless.zone/background/#adobe-illustrator
Vector graphics software (Adobe)
See also: Adobe, Altsys, Macromedia FreeHand, Adobe Creative Suite
¶Adobe InDesign
https://stateless.zone/background/#adobe-indesign
Desktop publishing software (Adobe; successor to PageMaker)
See also: Adobe, PageMaker, QuarkXPress, Desktop Publishing, Adobe Creative Suite
¶Adobe Photoshop
https://stateless.zone/background/#adobe-photoshop
Image editing software (Adobe; Thomas and John Knoll, 1988)
See also: Adobe, Adobe Creative Suite
¶ARPANET
https://stateless.zone/background/#arpanet
Precursor network to the internet (US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 1969)
See also: TCP/IP, Cerf, Vint, Kahn, Bob, Berners-Lee, Tim, When Wizards Stay Up Late
¶BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution)
https://stateless.zone/background/#bsd
Operating system derived from UNIX
See also: UNIX, Joy, Bill, AT&T Bell Labs, Thompson, Ken, Ritchie, Dennis
¶DOS (Disk Operating System)
https://stateless.zone/background/#dos
Operating system category; includes MS-DOS (Microsoft) and PC-DOS (IBM)
See also: Gates, Bill, Kildall, Gary, Digital Research, IBM
¶ELIZA
https://stateless.zone/background/#eliza
Chatbot software (Joseph Weizenbaum, 1966; early natural language processing)
See also: Weizenbaum, Joseph, Computer Power and Human Reason, Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Model (LLM)
¶HyperCard
https://stateless.zone/background/#hypercard
Software (Apple, 1987; created by Bill Atkinson); pioneering hypermedia environment for personal computers
See also: Atkinson, Bill, HyperTalk, Horn, Bruce, Raskin, Jef, Nelson, Ted, Engelbart, Douglas, Lingo
¶HyperTalk
https://stateless.zone/background/#hypertalk
Programming language (HyperCard)
See also: HyperCard, Atkinson, Bill, Lingo
¶Lingo
https://stateless.zone/background/#lingo
Programming language (Macromedia Director)
See also: Macromedia Director, HyperTalk, LiveCode (formerly Runtime Revolution)
¶Lisp
https://stateless.zone/background/#lisp
Programming language (John McCarthy, 1958; foundational to AI research)
See also: McCarthy, John, Lisp machines (concept), Lisp Machines Inc., Symbolics, Python
¶LiveCode (formerly Runtime Revolution)
https://stateless.zone/background/#livecode
Software environment
¶Macromedia Director
https://stateless.zone/background/#macromedia-director
Multimedia authoring software (formerly MacroMind Director)
See also: Lingo, Adobe Flash, Macromedia FreeHand
¶Macromedia FreeHand
https://stateless.zone/background/#freehand
Vector graphics software (Altsys/Aldus/Macromedia; rival to Illustrator)
See also: Altsys, Aldus Corporation, Adobe Illustrator
¶NeXTSTEP
https://stateless.zone/background/#nextstep
Operating system (NeXT)
See also: NeXT, Jobs, Steve, Tevanian, Avie, OpenStep, UNIX
¶OpenStep
https://stateless.zone/background/#openstep
Operating system (NeXT/Apple)
See also: NeXTSTEP, NeXT, Jobs, Steve
¶PageMaker
https://stateless.zone/background/#pagemaker
Desktop publishing software (Aldus, 1985; later Adobe; pioneered desktop publishing on Mac)
See also: Aldus Corporation, Brainerd, Paul, Adobe, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Desktop Publishing
¶Python
https://stateless.zone/background/#python
Programming language
See also: Lisp
¶QuarkXPress
https://stateless.zone/background/#quarkxpress
Desktop publishing software (Quark Inc., 1987; dominant DTP application through the 1990s; largely displaced by Adobe InDesign in the 2000s)
See also: Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, Desktop Publishing
¶Solaris
https://stateless.zone/background/#solaris
Operating system (Sun Microsystems; successor to SunOS)
See also: Sun Microsystems, SunOS, Joy, Bill, UNIX
¶SunOS
https://stateless.zone/background/#sunos
Operating system (Sun Microsystems)
See also: Sun Microsystems, Solaris, Joy, Bill, UNIX, BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution)
¶UNIX
https://stateless.zone/background/#unix
Operating system (Bell Labs, 1969; Thompson and Ritchie)
See also: Thompson, Ken, Ritchie, Dennis, AT&T Bell Labs, BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), NeXTSTEP, SunOS, Solaris
¶VisiCalc
https://stateless.zone/background/#visicalc
First commercial spreadsheet (Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston, 1979)
See also: Bricklin, Dan, Frankston, Bob, Spreadsheet
Texts
¶"As We May Think"
https://stateless.zone/background/#as-we-may-think
Essay (Vannevar Bush, 1945; origin of the Memex concept; foundational text for hypertext, the web, and personal computing)
See also: Bush, Vannevar, Memex, Engelbart, Douglas, Nelson, Ted, Xanadu
¶Behind the Silicon Curtain
https://stateless.zone/background/#behind-silicon-curtain
Book (Dennis Hayes, 1989)
See also: Hayes, Dennis, Processed World
¶Computer Power and Human Reason
https://stateless.zone/background/#computer-power
Book (Joseph Weizenbaum, 1976; critique of AI ideology)
See also: Weizenbaum, Joseph, ELIZA, Artificial Intelligence
¶G.
https://stateless.zone/background/#g-novel
Novel (John Berger, 1972; Booker Prize winner; Berger donated half the prize money to the Black Panther Party)
See also: Berger, John, Ways of Seeing
¶Mother London
https://stateless.zone/background/#mother-london
Novel (Michael Moorcock)
See also: Moorcock, Michael, New Worlds, Ballard, J.G.
¶The Hour of the Star
https://stateless.zone/background/#hour-of-star
Novel (Clarice Lispector)
See also: Lispector, Clarice
¶The Soul of a New Machine
https://stateless.zone/background/#soul-of-new-machine
Book (Tracy Kidder, 1981; Pulitzer Prize; account of the development of a Data General minicomputer)
See also: Kidder, Tracy, Data General, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
¶The Unix Hater's Handbook
https://stateless.zone/background/#unix-haters
Book (Garfinkel, Weise, Strassmann, 1994)
See also: UNIX, AT&T Bell Labs
¶Twisty Little Passages
https://stateless.zone/background/#twisty-passages
Book (Nick Montfort, MIT Press, 2003; history and theory of interactive fiction)
See also: Montfort, Nick, HyperCard, Nelson, Ted
¶VALIS
https://stateless.zone/background/#valis
Novel (Philip K. Dick)
See also: Dick, Philip K.
¶Vermilion Sands
https://stateless.zone/background/#vermilion-sands
Short story collection (J.G. Ballard)
See also: Ballard, J.G., New Worlds
¶Ways of Seeing
https://stateless.zone/background/#ways-of-seeing
Book and BBC television series (John Berger, 1972; landmark work of art criticism and cultural theory)
See also: Berger, John, G., Benjamin, Walter, Barthes, Roland, Warhol, Andy, Duchamp, Marcel
¶When Wizards Stay Up Late
https://stateless.zone/background/#when-wizards
Book (Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon, 1996; history of the creation of ARPANET)
See also: Hafner, Katie, ARPANET, Cerf, Vint, Kahn, Bob