A Girl Programmer's Journey: Radya Perlman

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Many people believe that being a programmer is a purely male profession. However, the history of coding shows that this is far from the case. Many prominent female programmers, such as Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper, have made significant contributions to the development of computer technology.

Modern research confirms that girls can successfully learn and apply programming skills on an equal basis with boys. Supporting interest in technology from an early age and breaking gender stereotypes help create an inclusive developer community where everyone has the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Today we are going to tell the story of Radya Perlman, whose journey in the world of technology and programming can inspire many.

And if your daughter also wants to learn how to code, we're looking forward to seeing her at Progkids!

Who is she?

Radya Perlman is an outstanding American computer scientist and computer scientist known as the “Mother of the Internet”. It was she who made a significant contribution to the development of network technologies.

Why programming?

Radya Perlman was born on December 18, 1951 in Portsmouth. Since childhood, she and her sister have been interested in math and science. Their father and mother were engineers and encouraged their daughters' hobbies. They taught them critical thinking and independence. According to Radya, her mind was always looking for different points of view on the same issue. This is what distinguishes programmers from other people. Pearlman graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she was the only girl to learn programming.

Turtle language

In 1971, senior student Radya found a part-time job at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. There she created small technical programs. In addition, at the same time, she developed a children's version of LOGO, an educational robotic language. The language was called TORTIS, and it was possible to control a turtle robot. Kids easily mastered the language created by Radya at the age of 3.5!

Starting a career and creating the Spanning Tree Protocol

After graduating from MIT, Radya first got a job at BBN and then at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), where she developed network protocols. In 1985, a girl gave birth to Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). It became the basis for the operation of Ethernet switches. This protocol made it possible to create reliable and scalable networks, preventing data loops and ensuring the stability of network connections. STP has become a standard and is still in use around the world today.

Radja even wrote a poem about STP, pasting it into a document describing how the protocol works:

I don't think I'll ever see you

A graph more beautiful than a tree.

A tree whose main feature

It is connected without loops.

Radya Perlman's contribution and global recognition

For her contribution to the Internet, Radya Perlman was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2014. She is also the author of several books on network technologies and security.

Radya Perlman continues to work on new challenges and inspire girls to choose an IT profession. According to Radya, when someone says technology isn't about her, she wants to explain that she had the same thoughts. This is also why it has become successful.

Radya Pearlman's journey is a story about how a passion for science and perseverance can lead to significant discoveries and changes in the tech world. Her work has not only made the Internet what we see it today, but has also inspired many young professionals to follow their dreams.

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