| Bob Frankston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1949-06-14) June 14, 1949 (age 75) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SB, MEng) |
| Known for | Co-creator of VisiCalc |
Robert M. Frankston (born June 14, 1949) is an American software engineer and businessman who co-created, with Dan Bricklin, the VisiCalc spreadsheet program. Frankston is also the co-founder of Software Arts.
Early life and education
Frankston was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City in 1966. He earned a S.B degree in computer science and mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by a Master of Engineering degree in computer science, also from MIT.
Career
Following his work with Dan Bricklin, Frankston later worked at Lotus Development Corporation and Microsoft.
Frankston became an outspoken advocate for reducing the role of telecommunications companies in the evolution of the Internet, particularly with respect to broadband and mobile communications. He coined the term "Regulatorium" to describe what he considers collusion between telecommunication companies and their regulators that prevents change.
Awards and recognition
- Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (1994) "for the invention of VisiCalc, a new metaphor for data manipulation that galvanized the personal computing industry"
- MIT William L. Stewart Award for co-founding the M.I.T. Student Information Processing Board (SIPB).
- The Association for Computing Machinery Software System Award (1985)
- The MIT LCS Industrial Achievement Award
- The Washington Award (2001) from the Western Society of Engineers (with Bricklin)
- In 2004, he was made a Fellow of the Computer History Museum "for advancing the utility of personal computers by developing the VisiCalc electronic spreadsheet."
References
- Kenneth N. Gilpin; Todd S. Purdum (April 10, 1985). "Former Friendly Rivals Joining Forces at Lotus". The New York Times.
- "Bob Frankston - bio". Retrieved 2007-10-31.
- "Bob Frankston". CHM. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
- John Markoff (March 11, 2005). "Microsoft Acquires PC Pioneer's Company". The New York Times.
- Bob Frankston. The 2 Trillion Dollar Mistake. Presentation at Emerging Communications Conference 2008.
- "Ambient Connectivity". Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- "The Regulatorium and the Moral Imperative". Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- Doc Searls. "The Infrastructure Dynamic". Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- "Bob Frankston". Computer History Museum. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
External links
- Bob Frankston's site/blog
- Biographical article from Smart Computing
- Bob Frankston interviewed on the TV show Triangulation on the TWiT.tv network