Read about 10 famous software engineers, the applications they created and the software engineering degree they earned.
By Jennifer Wegerer
Software, like a novel or film, can leave some people remarkably pleased and others utterly disappointed—if not at the application itself, then at the software engineer behind it.
More likely than not, we have all sat at a keyboard feeling frustrated, and wondering why an application didn't work this way or that.
Then again, we may have felt truly in awe, using a piece of software that was so swift and seamless that we'd like to shake the hand of the software engineer who wrote it and thank that person for making it so understandable and so easy to use.
Ten Famous (or Infamous) Software Engineers
Here's a list of some of the most famous software applications and thesoftware engineerswho created them. Depending on your point of view, this list might include some of your unsung heroes, or perhaps a few people with whom you'd like to have a few words. Nevertheless, these software engineers have built world-famous applications, whether we like it or not.
| Software Engineer | Degree Held | Company | Application | Application Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Bray | Bachelor of Science degrees in math and computer science | Entrepreneur; co-founded Open Text Corporation, Textuality and Antarctica Systems | XML | Developer's tool |
| Paul Buchheit | Bachelor's degree in computer science | Entrepreneur; worked for Intel and Google | Gmail | Webmail service |
| John Carmack | None | Entrepreneur; co-founded id Software | Doom, Quake | Computer games |
| Dave Cutler | Bachelor's degree | DEC, Microsoft; co-founded Agrippa-Ord | Windows NT | Operating System |
| Max Levchin | Bachelor's degree in computer science | Entrepreneur; co-founded NetMeridian Software, SponsorNet New Media and Confinity | PayPal | E-commerce |
| Pierre Omidyar | Bachelor's degree in computer science | Claris; as an entrepreneur, co-founded Ink Development and created eBay | eBay | Online auction and shopping website |
| Alexey Pazhitnov | Degree in computer software engineering | Microsoft; as an entrepreneur, co-founded The Tetris Company | Tetris | Computer game |
| Jimmy Wales | Bachelor's and master's degrees in finance | Teacher and Internet entrepreneur; co-founded Wikipedia | Wikipedia | Web-based encyclopedia |
| Michael Widenius | None | Entrepreneur; co-founded MYSQL AB | MySQL | Open-source database |
| Jamie Zawinski | None | Lucid Inc.; Netscape Communications | Netscape Navigator | Web browser |
Source: Softwaresecretweapons.com
