Just wondering...does someone know who was the first freelance programmer in the world?

[Former Member]

How the figure of "freelance programmer" appeared the first time? How and why? Who was the first one? Are you a freelance programmer? What motivates you?

[Matt_Fraser]

Ada Lovelace is often considered the first computer programmer, having devised algorithms for Babbage's analytical engine in or about 1840. She didn't actually work for Babbage -- she partnered with him, supplementing the work that he did in the design of the engine it self -- so does that make her the first freelance programmer? On the other hand, I'm not sure if she was ever actually paid or not. She wasn't paid for developing the algorithm that I'm aware of, but she and Babbage did publish a book, and presumably there was some income from that.

[Former Member]

It could be if she was paid. But in our modern times do you think that Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley took the lead? Check her bio at  Dame Steve Shirley, the World’s First Freelance Programmer – Brain Pickings

[shashank_a_naik]

Probably the first programmer was a freelancer indeed. He worked for himself

[former_member186746]

There were also programmable mechanical computers (e.g. Charles Babbages machines).

I have no idea who operated them. You might find the first freelance programmer in the 19th century.

Or even earlier, I can't find if this machine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

was programmable or not.

[matt]

The term "freelance" originated in knights for hire. I.e. knights with no lord who would offer their lances to whoever would pay. Essentially a medieval mercenary. Of course mercenaries have been around for thousands of years.

I prefer the term "independent consultant". There are two categories of motivators - one positive (what I gain), one negative (what I'm glad to lose).

In the first category is money, flexibility, multiple concurrent customers so interesting varied work, generous (unpaid!) holiday allowance if I want it.

In the second is the appraisal/target setting/yearly review framework and office politics.

[vwegert]

Matthew Billingham wrote:

The term "freelance" originated in knights for hire. I.e. knights with no lord who would offer their lances to whoever would pay. Essentially a medieval mercenary. Of course mercenaries have been around for thousands of years.

Given the fact that many "freelance developers" are obviously willing to commit horrible crimes to the system if the customer requests that, I don't think that the term "freelance" is entirely wrong...

[matt]

Not me. I've quit over such issues.

[Former Member]

The term originates from "loose guns".

By necessity they used mobile communication since 1820s about and adopted faster to new technologies than normal consumers did - eg. the gatling gun and the 7mm Remington. Were also the pioneers of "script kiddies" hacking (particularly BDC programms in the 90's) and the "external inertia" methodology (customers no longer have access to their own OS and DB systems because you cannot get past the "free lancers" in basis).

SAP answered with DATASET filter commands, SXPG and made the gateway remote enabled to help customers gain control.

In SAP they now mostly use Excel and SE16N and are project managers after the financial turmoils of 2008/2009 forced them to go inhouse.

Most were smart enough not to use MS Project again once they were inhouse. In 200 years of evolution that is certainly the biggest achievement (as a generalisation).

Cheers,

Julius

[paula_ditallo]

I can't speak to the first world-wide "freelance programmer", but I can speak the history of freelance programming here in the US. The first freelancers came from the universities--generally consulting professors working with DOD/IBM or Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) on specific (usually classified) engineering projects as early as the mid-to-late 50's--more heavily in the 1960's. Since electrical engineering, the defense industry and computer manufacturers were so closely tied, later (late 60's-early 70's) companies like Boeing, FMC, etc. would bring on consulting engineers, generally electrical engineers that would program devices on specific hardware. Also, on a parallel track in the early 1960's EDS independently employed systems engineers and programmers to manage data centers for its clients--generally government agencies, like the State of Texas to support the Medicare mandates of the late 60's. EDS would later come to be the first model for contracted IT services, basically providing engineers/developers on-site to its clients. By the mid-to-late 70's, companies like AeroTek partially used the EDS model for smaller, shorter-term government contracts--which later morphed into staff augmentation by the 1980's.