18 Jun
2024
18 Jun
'24
10:09 p.m.
Today I came across an obituary of Lynn Conway, computer pioneer in the
field of VLSI(along with Carver Mead) and also in one called dynamic
instruction scheduling(used in supercomputing world). More to the point
Conway was transgender and suffered for this, an almost forgotten pioneer
in the microcomputing and supercomputing fields. Also, as a researcher at
IBM and Xerox Parc where she contributed to the first years of
microcomputing, the GUI and Ethernet protocol development. Eventually the
IEEE recognized her contributions as did IBM - better late than never!
Murray 🙂
19 Jun
19 Jun
11:36 a.m.
On 6/18/24 21:09, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote:
Today I came across an obituary of Lynn Conway,
computer pioneer in the
field of VLSI(along with Carver Mead) and also in one called dynamic
instruction scheduling(used in supercomputing world). More to the point
Conway was transgender and suffered for this, an almost forgotten pioneer
in the microcomputing and supercomputing fields. Also, as a researcher at
IBM and Xerox Parc where she contributed to the first years of
microcomputing, the GUI and Ethernet protocol development. Eventually the
IEEE recognized her contributions as did IBM - better late than never!
WOW, sad news! Yes, Larry/Lynn Conway was right in the
middle of MAJOR developments in computers and ICs. I think
as Larry, he wrote a cycle-by-cycle simulator that was used
to test performance of computer designs in the 360 series
and later machines. The original ran on the 7094 (that
should date this.)Â Later, that simulator was used to
predict the performance of what became the 360/85, which was
really the prototype of the 370/165. The /85 was the first
IBM machine to use a cache (called a storage buffer by
IBM). The /85 was the first production machine from IBM to
use monolithic integrated circuits (MST4) and water coolingÂ
The simulator was also used to evaluate the performance of
the never-built FS and ACS projects.
When I heard about Lynn and Carver's book and work in logic
synthesis, I thought they were nuts. Well, I was looking
about a year ahead, and they were looking TWENTY years into
the future!
Jon
12:40 p.m.
Jon Elson wrote:
WOW, sad news!\u00A0
Yes, very sad news indeed! Lynn's story was my inspiration back in
2013-2014; after coming across her story and reading it breathlessly,
I started my own journey, following in her footsteps.
Yes, Larry/Lynn Conway was right in the
middle of MAJOR developments in computers and ICs.\u00A0 I think
as Larry, he wrote a cycle-by-cycle simulator that was used
to test performance of computer designs in the 360 series
and later machines.\u00A0
Where in the world did you get that whole "Larry" part? Lynn never
had that name, nor any other name that started with 'L': when she
transitioned, she made a full disconnect from her past, entirely new
first and last names that bore no resemblance to the identity she had
been involuntarily forced into at birth.
Why don't you read Lynn's story in her own words:
http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/RetrospectiveT.html
Also when discussing Lynn's life story, it is most appropriate to use
her chosen name (Lynn) and female pronouns to refer to her intellectual
accomplishments from the very beginning, as she was born with female
brain sex. When it is specifically necessary to refer to conditions
under which Lynn was forced to perform as a male, use phrases like
"Lynn playing/pretending/acting as Robert", which is the phrasing
(including the R-name reference) used in her own story, which she
wrote for all of us to read.
Rest in Power, my dear mother-in-spirit!
Your follower Mychaela,
a fellow woman with the same condition
1:45 p.m.
On 6/19/24 11:40, Mychaela Falconia via cctalk wrote:
Jon Elson wrote:
Thanks for this much broader part of the story. I have read
some IBM history documents and tried to put things together
that might not have been right. I certainly meant no
disrespect.
Thanks for the correction,
Jon
WOW, sad news!\u00A0
Yes, very sad news
indeed! Lynn's story was my inspiration back in
2013-2014; after coming across her story and reading it breathlessly,
I started my own journey, following in her footsteps.
Yes, Larry/Lynn Conway was right in the
middle of MAJOR developments in computers and ICs. I think it was
as Larry, he wrote a cycle-by-cycle simulator that was used
to test performance of computer designs in the 360 series
and later machines.
Where in the world did you get that whole "Larry"
part? Lynn never
had that name, nor any other name that started with 'L': when she
transitioned, she made a full disconnect from her past, entirely new
first and last names that bore no resemblance to the identity she had
been involuntarily forced into at birth.
Why don't you read Lynn's story in her own words:
http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/RetrospectiveT.html
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participants (3)
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Jon Elson -
Murray McCullough -
Mychaela Falconia