Computer Science Illuminated, 7th Edition

1.3 Computing as a Tool and a Discipline

In the previous section on the history of computer software, we highlighted the ever-changing role of the user. At the end of the first generation, users were split into two groups: systems programmers, who developed tools to make programming easier, and applications programmers, who used those tools. Later, applications programmers built large domain-specific programs such as statistical packages, word processors, spreadsheets, intelligent browsers, virtual environments, and medical diagnosis applications on top of the traditional language tools. These application programs were, in turn, used by practitioners with no computer background.

So who is using the computer as a tool? Everyone, except for ...