Here is the complete story about 300 year old people on the Social Security Databases. Grace M. Hopper is the key.

[usaf-vet]

Elon and his "wiz kids" have demonstrated they know nothing about the history of COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language).
Read this history. You will know more than the president (47), and Elon and his ["19-year-old WIZ kids"]. Enjoy the thought!

Grace M. Hopper and COBOL: A Legacy of Innovation

Grace Murray Hopper (1906–1992) was a pioneering computer scientist, U.S. Navy rear admiral, and one of the most influential figures in the early development of computer programming. She played a vital role in shaping high-level programming languages, particularly COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language), which became one of the most widely used languages for business and government applications.
Her Relationship to COBOL

Development of the First Compiler:
Before COBOL, computers were programmed in machine code or assembly language. Hopper worked on the first-ever compiler, the A-0 System (1952), which translated human-readable instructions into machine code, a concept fundamental to all modern programming.

Flow-Matic:
In the mid-1950s, she developed Flow-Matic, the first English-like programming language, which influenced COBOL. Flow-Matic was designed to make programming more accessible to business users and administrators.

COBOL’s Creation (1959):
The Defense Department’s Conference on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL) established COBOL, and Hopper was a key contributor. The language drew heavily from Flow-Matic’s design, emphasizing English syntax to make it understandable by non-technical users.

Standardization and Government Adoption:
Hopper was a strong advocate for COBOL’s standardization, ensuring it became the dominant language for government and business computing. By the 1960s, the U.S. government mandated its use, securing COBOL’s long-term role in critical financial, payroll, and social security systems.

How ManyTimes Did Grace Hopper Retire?
Grace Hopper retired from the U.S. Navy twice but was called back both times:
First Retirement (1966):
She retired from the Navy as a commander but was recalled in 1967 due to a severe shortage of programmers with expertise in standardized computing.
Second Retirement (1971):
She retired again but was brought back in 1972 as a captain to help modernize the Navy’s computer systems.
Final Retirement (1986):
At age 79, she retired from the Navy as a Rear Admiral—one of the oldest officers ever to serve. She then joined the private sector, becoming a senior consultant at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).

Her return to service reflected the Navy’s need for her expertise in software standardization, ensuring interoperability between different military and government computer systems. Personal Note: It took an ACT of Congress to bring her out of retirement.
Connection to Social Security Records and People Born in 1875

Grace Hopper’s work in COBOL had direct significance in Social Security Administration (SSA) records, especially those of people born in the late 19th century (1875 and beyond):
COBOL in Social Security Systems:
The SSA adopted COBOL in the 1960s to manage records, calculate benefits, and process payments.
Since Social Security records date back to the program’s inception in 1935, many files included data for people born in the late 19th century.
The Y2K Problem and Old Records:
Many of these records were stored in COBOL-based systems using two-digit birth years (e.g., "75" for 1875 or 1975).
Hopper’s push for standardization and data validation was critical in maintaining these records accurately for decades.
The reliance on COBOL is one reason so many companies sought COBOL programmers during the Y2K crisis, as Social Security and financial records needed updates to handle four-digit years.
Longevity of COBOL:
Despite being over 60 years old, COBOL is still used today by the SSA, banks, and government agencies.
Hopper’s foresight ensured that millions of Social Security beneficiaries—many with records dating back to 1875—were still being processed accurately decades later.

Legacy and Impact
Grace Hopper’s impact is immeasurable:

She pioneered compiler technology that shaped modern programming.
She ensured that COBOL would remain a cornerstone of business and government computing.
She revolutionized how the Navy and the U.S. government handled digital data.
Even today, her work underpins Social Security, banking, and military systems, proving the enduring importance of her contributions.

Her famous quote encapsulates her innovative spirit:
“The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’”

[CrispyQ]

1. Just another DEI hire.

Thank you for this, usaf-vet!! I loved learning about this woman I've never heard of before!

[usaf-vet]

5. She was and is one of a kind.

Here are two more gifts for you from the incredible women.

The first documented case of a literal computer bug was discovered by Grace Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist and U.S. Navy rear admiral, in 1947. The "bug" in question was an actual moth that got stuck in Relay #70 of Panel F of the Harvard Mark II computer.

The moth prevented the relay from properly closing, causing the system to malfunction. The operators removed the moth, taped it into their logbook, and humorously noted it as the "first actual case of a bug being found."

While the term "bug" had already been used in engineering for mechanical malfunctions (even Thomas Edison used it in the 1800s), Hopper's incident popularized the association of "debugging" with fixing computer errors.

Wouldn’t it be great if all modern software bugs were as easy to find as that moth?

The quote—"When in doubt, go ahead. It's easier to apologize than to get permission."—is attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper. She was a pioneering computer scientist and U.S. Navy officer, best known for her contributions to programming and software development, including her work on the COBOL programming language.

Hopper's philosophy of "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" became a guiding principle in both leadership and innovation, particularly in fields where bureaucratic red tape can slow progress. Her bold approach to problem-solving and breaking through barriers made her a legend in the military and tech worlds.

She was full of great wisdom—another famous quote of hers is:
"The most dangerous phrase in the language is, 'We've always done it this way.'"

I have always been an independent learner. If I was interested in a new subject. I would jump in with both feet without asking Mom and Dad. Sometimes, things did not go as planned, so I often had to apologize for the fumbles. Back then, you would go to the library to research a new exploration. I always started with a book that was easy to read and blazed the path. If it turned out to fail me, I would go back to an easier book on the topic and work my way forward again.

My wife realized I worked things out the way Grace M. Hopper had shown as a way forward. So she took the time to Counter Cross Stitched it on a plaque that has always hung in the room where explorations often began. "When in doubt, go ahead. It's easier to apologize than it is to get permission."

[CTyankee]

7. Did you know that there is a residential college at Yale named after her? She did her grad work there.

Yale renamed Calhoun College with her several years ago. John C.Calhoun was a slave holder and white supremacist and Yalies finally decided they wanted no part of his legacy.

[AllaN01Bear]

10. us older computer ppl have a saying and a acranyim, GiGO. Garbage In, Garbage Out,. hem

[dweller]

2. COBOL

COmmon Business Oriented Language



✌🏻

[Kilgore]

3. So why?

My experience with COBOL dates back to the late 70's. It's a good language for the time, but it's beyond me why it's still around today. It's been patched & revised as the decades went by and from what I understand,the 2014 version is generally regarded as the end of life. Recently a former coworker was contacted by a headhunter looking for a COBOL programmer. He's 68 for Pete's sake! His response was to Bugger Off!!

I don't agree with much happening today, but I fully support a modernization of the feds computer systems.

Here is a good write-up on COBOL

https://history-computer.com/technology/cobol-guide/

Here is a telling snip from the article,

The program is still in use, but it is seen as a legacy language. The need for COBOL programmers often stems from the desire to maintain the software until it can migrate to a modern language.

[Celerity]

9. here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/13242176#post8

[Kilgore]

12. Yup, its obsolete

No surprise there.

[GreenWave]

4. If Musk is ignorant of COBOL, he must not have access to our government.

[UpInArms]

6. Let me fix that sentence for you

Musk is ignorant, he must not have access to our government.

[Celerity]

8. Not 300 year olds, it was 150 year olds. Here is why:

The US Social Security computer system runs on the old COBOL programming language, which does not use a date or time type.

So the date is stored as a number using the ISO 8601 standard. The origin for this is 150 years ago, the 1875 Metre Convention's date.

So if you don’t know the date of something, it will be a 0 value, which in COBOL will default to 1875, ie 150 years ago, the date of the Convention du Mètre.



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

The Metre Convention (French: Convention du Mètre), also known as the Treaty of the Metre, is an international treaty that was signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by representatives of 17 nations: Argentina, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Norway, Switzerland, Ottoman Empire, United States of America, and Venezuela.

The treaty created the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), an intergovernmental organization, under the authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) and the supervision of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM). These organizations coordinate international metrology and the development of internationally recognized systems of measurement.