Can Ada Lovelace be regarded as the first programmer?

Ada Lovelace has been called the world's first computer programmer. ... Of course, someone had to be the first, but Lovelace was a woman, and this was in the 1840s. .... She predicted that machines like the Analytical Engine could be used to compose music, produce graphics, and be useful to science. read more

While in popular culture Ada Lovelace is indeed often viewed as the 'first programmer', personally I think this is both misleading and possibly counterproductive. As John Colagioia points out, any answer to the question will depend on your definition of 'programmer'. read more

Ada, Countess of Lovelace was born 200 years ago but her name lives on. In the 1970s the Ada language was named in recognition of her status as the first computer programmer and in 2009 Ada Lovelace Day was inaugurated to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. read more

Ada Lovelace has been called the world's first computer programmer. What she did was write the world’s first machine algorithm for an early computing machine that existed only on paper. Of course, someone had to be the first, but Lovelace was a woman, and this was in the 1840s. read more