OT: ALGOL 60 at 60

[DL Neil]

ALGOL 60 at 60: The greatest computer language you've never used and 
grandaddy of the programming family tree
Back to the time when tape was king
By Richard Speed 15 May 2020 at 09:47
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/15/algol_60_at_60/

NB 'El Reg' is known for its irreverent and cynical views of computing, 
poking-fun at every opportunity and using British-slang (which may 
challenge some - one way or another).


I've often surmised reminders of ALGOL in Python. However, I had not 
previously remembered the ALGOL Bulletins and their similarity to 
Python's PEPs.


ALGOL was almost 'the machine language' for the Burroughs B6700 series 
(and similar) but concurring with the article, we regarded it as 
somewhat academic and majored in FORTRAN, COBOL, or both. (as distinct 
from those who defined ComSc as compiler writing, for whom ALGOL was a 
brilliant tool!)

The article also managed to elicit an "oh wow" from me, with its picture 
of a drum-plotter - few today will have seen a plotter that moves the 
paper as well as the pen (even if that's still the way most 
'character-printers' work).


Silver-surfers of the world unite!
-- 
Regards,
=dn