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Kotok's Birth
Kotok's technological curiosity was evident early on. At three, he caused a spark shower by prying a plug with a screwdriver. By six, he was crafting and wiring lamps. A high school tour to Mobil Research Lab marked his first encounter with a computer. This experience, coupled with his impressive performance at TMRC during his freshman year at MIT, cemented his path in technology. -
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) was a significant player in the American computer industry from the 1950s to the 1990s. Headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, DEC was renowned for its Programmed Data Processor (PDP). Some parts of DEC, such as the compiler business, were sold to Intel. DEC's first products were special interfaces made specifically for the TX-0, reflecting a computing view that differed from the conventional batch-processed IBM mentality. -
MIT
In his book, "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution," Steven Levy labels Alan Kotok and his MIT peers as the inaugural true hackers. Kotok embarked on his journey at MIT in 1958, majoring in electrical engineering. He joined the Signals and Power Subcommittee at the MIT Model Railroad Club that year. This group excelled at comprehending intricate systems and innovating with them. Thanks to their club member Jack Dennis. They had access to MIT's custom-built, $3,000,000 computer, TX-0. -
Tech Model Railroad Club
The Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been a cornerstone of hacker culture and is the oldest hacking group in North America. Established in 1946, it specializes in the automated operation of model trains. The TX-0 computer at the TMRC offered "interactive" capabilities, allowing users to modify a program while at the computer. This attracted a group of TMRC enthusiasts who spent time in the RLE lab where the TX-0 was located. -
Chess
In 1959, McCarthy began exploring LISP. Kotok and his team eagerly assumed responsibility for the chess project. They started instructing the IBM 704, and its successors the 709 and 7090, to play chess. This resulted in Kotok's group becoming the primary users of computer time at the MIT Computation Center. Alan Kotok, along with John McCarthy, collaborated with classmates to create the Kotok-McCarthy program. This program played a pivotal role in the inaugural chess match between computers. -
Spacewar
During his college years, Kotok collaborated with tech students to create Spacewar! in 1962. The game ran on a Digital Equipment PDP-1 computer. Kotok worked closely with Steve Russell, the chief author of the game, and personally retrieved the necessary math routines to write the game's movement code from Digital Equipment. He contributed to the development of pioneering computer software, including a digital audio program and what is often referred to as the first video game, Spacewar! -
Fortran
The chess program was initially developed using FORTRAN, an early computer language. It requires a "compiler" to translate commands into binary language. This translation process consumes both time and valuable computer space. Kotok understood that a combination of FORTRAN and assembly language would be necessary. It was hacked piece by piece, incorporating move generators, and innovative strategy algorithms. -
PDP-6
The Programmed Data Processor model 6, or PDP-6, was a computer developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1963 and first delivered in 1964. It expanded DEC's 18-bit systems to use a 36-bit data word, a common word size for large machines like IBM mainframes. Alan Kotok played a significant role in the design of the PDP-6. Kotok would often discuss the computer's features, such as its sixteen independent registers, which would provide unprecedented versatility. -
PDP-10
Alan Kotok was the principal architect and designer of several iterations of the PDP-10, DECsystem-10, and DECSYSTEM-20. Alongside Gordon Bell, Thomas Hastings, and Richard Hill, he contributed to the DECSystem-10's role in transitioning from batch-processing to time-sharing and single-user systems. A significant meeting took place at the University of Utah, where major computer institutions aimed to establish a standard time-sharing system for DEC's latest machine, the PDP-10. -
Marriage
At the age of 36 in 1977, Alan Kotok married Judith McCoy, a choir director and piano teacher at the Longy School of Music. The couple had a shared passion for 16th and 17th-century music and pipe organs. They had a daughter, Leah Kotok, and two stepchildren, Frederica and Daryl Beck, from Judith's previous marriage. Unfortunately, Judith passed away on October 27, 2005, due to complications from treatment for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, a type of blood cancer. -
World Wide Web
During his tenure at Digital, Alan Kotok foresaw the potential of the Web and played a key role in establishing the World Wide Web Consortium. In 1994, he and some others met with Tim Berners-Lee at CERN to discuss the need for a consortium to standardize and coordinate Web development. As the technical director of Digital's Corporate Strategy Group, Kotok was pivotal in forming the Internet Business Group, which promoted the early adoption of Internet and Web technologies. -
Retirement
Alan Kotok concluded his illustrious 34-year career at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) with his retirement in the fall of 1996. He had made significant contributions to the company as the chief architect of the influential PDP-10 family of computers. In addition to his work on the PDP-10, Kotok held high-ranking engineering positions across various departments within DEC. His expertise was instrumental in the company's storage, telecommunications, and software organizations. -
W3C
In May 1997, Alan Kotok joined the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as associate chairman. He managed contractual relations with W3C hosts and member organizations, coordinating systems and Web Team services, and maintaining the host site at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Kotok was part of the management team. He played a crucial role in establishing a new W3C office in India and contributing significantly to the W3C Patent Policy. -
Oral History
Alan Kotok made significant contributions to the field of technology. His work at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) played a crucial role in the development of the Internet and World Wide Web. In addition to his work at W3C, Kotok was instrumental in advancing computer engineering through his tenure at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). His work on computer game and chess programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also had a profound impact on the gaming industry. -
Death
In 2004, Alan Kotok, a computer pioneer and MIT alumnus, recorded an oral history at the Computer History Museum. He was instrumental in the creation of the first video game and the gaming joystick. Tragically, he passed away from a heart attack at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 26, 2006. His death occurred seven months after the loss of his wife, who was undergoing cancer treatment. He left behind two daughters, a son, and two grandsons. Kotok was 64 at the time of his passing.