The Curious Mind of Ada Lovelace 110
An anonymous reader writes "Going beyond the usual soundbites about Ada Lovelace, Amy Jollymore explores the life of the worlds first programmer: 'When I heard that Ada Lovelace Day was coming, I questioned myself, "What do I actually know about Ada Lovelace?" The sum total of my knowledge: Ada was the first woman programmer and the Department of Defense honored her contributions to computation in 1979 by naming its common programming language Ada.
A few Ada biographies later, I know Augusta Ada Lovelace to be an incredibly complex woman with a painful life story, one in which math, shame, and illness were continuously resurfacing themes. Despite all, Ada tirelessly pursued her passion for mathematics, making her contributions to computing undeniable and her genius all the more clear. Her accomplishments continue to serve as an inspiration to women throughout the world.'"
A few Ada biographies later, I know Augusta Ada Lovelace to be an incredibly complex woman with a painful life story, one in which math, shame, and illness were continuously resurfacing themes. Despite all, Ada tirelessly pursued her passion for mathematics, making her contributions to computing undeniable and her genius all the more clear. Her accomplishments continue to serve as an inspiration to women throughout the world.'"
Re:Still waiting... (Score:4, Interesting)
Nope, Lovelace was her title.King was her married name. And, because of the peculiarities of these things, "Lady" would be properly attached to "Lovelace" in this case, but not to "Ada" (or "Augusta"). So, Ada, Lady Lovelace would be one correct rendering, as would Ada, Countess Lovelace, or Augusta, Countess Lovelace (though she seemed to prefer Ada) or Augusta Ada King, (with or without added titles afterwards), but not Lady Ada or Lady Augusta, and not Ada Lovelace.
At least, as far as I've been able to figure out. People more adept at the nuances of British nobility may be able to provide a more accurate assessment.