John Mashey
Encyclopedia
John Mashey is a computer scientist
, director and entrepreneur.
Mashey holds a Ph.D. in computer science
from Pennsylvania State University
, where he developed the ASSIST assembler language teaching software. He worked on the PWB/UNIX
operating system at Bell Labs
from 1973 to 1983, authoring the PWB shell
, also known as the "Mashey Shell". He then moved to Silicon Valley
to join Convergent Technologies
, ending as director of software. He joined MIPS Computer Systems in early 1985, managing operating systems development, and helping design the MIPS
RISC architecture, as well as specific CPUs, systems and software. He continued similar work at Silicon Graphics
(1992–2000), most recently contributing to the design of the NUMAflex modular computer architecture, ending as VP and chief scientist.
Mashey was one of the founders of the SPEC
benchmarking group, was an ACM
National Lecturer for four years, has been guest editor for IEEE Micro
, and one of the long-time organizers of the Hot Chips
conferences. Additionally, he has chaired technical conferences on operating systems and CPU chips, and has given more than 500 public talks on software engineering, RISC design, performance benchmarking and supercomputing. He is now a consultant for venture capitalists and high-tech companies and a trustee of the Computer History Museum
. He has written articles for the Skeptical Inquirer
regarding climate change denial
.
In 2010 he published a 250-page critical report on the Wegman Report.
Mashey's report concluded that the Wegman report contained plagiarized text.
This story reached mainstream news headlines.
Mashey is married to Angela Hey, a Cambridge University and Waterloo University graduate, with a Ph.D. from Imperial College, London.
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
, director and entrepreneur.
Mashey holds a Ph.D. in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he developed the ASSIST assembler language teaching software. He worked on the PWB/UNIX
PWB/UNIX
The Programmer's Workbench was an early version of the Unix operating system created in the Bell Labs Computer Science Research Group of AT&T....
operating system at Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
from 1973 to 1983, authoring the PWB shell
PWB shell
The PWB shell was an early Unix shell.Distributed with some versions of Programmer's Workbench UNIX circa 1975-1977, it was a modified version of the Thompson shell with additional features to increase usability for programming, and was maintained by John Mashey and various others The PWB shell...
, also known as the "Mashey Shell". He then moved to Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
to join Convergent Technologies
Convergent Technologies (Unisys)
Convergent Technologies was an American computer company formed by a small group of people who left Intel Corporation and Xerox PARC in 1979....
, ending as director of software. He joined MIPS Computer Systems in early 1985, managing operating systems development, and helping design the MIPS
MIPS architecture
MIPS is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by MIPS Technologies . The early MIPS architectures were 32-bit, and later versions were 64-bit...
RISC architecture, as well as specific CPUs, systems and software. He continued similar work at Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
(1992–2000), most recently contributing to the design of the NUMAflex modular computer architecture, ending as VP and chief scientist.
Mashey was one of the founders of the SPEC
Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation
The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation is a non-profit organization that aims to "produce, establish, maintain and endorse a standardized set" of performance benchmarks for computers....
benchmarking group, was an ACM
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
National Lecturer for four years, has been guest editor for IEEE Micro
IEEE Micro
IEEE Micro is a broad-based practitioner-oriented magazine of the IEEE Computer Society targeting small system and semiconductor chip professionals, including electronic engineers, designers, architects, developers, process improvement experts, testers, quality engineers, and project managers...
, and one of the long-time organizers of the Hot Chips
Hot Chips
Hot Chips is an IEEE sponsored technological symposium which is held every year in August on Stanford University campus since 1989. The general emphasis of the conference are microprocessors and integrated circuits. Processor makers often announce details about future processor designs at the...
conferences. Additionally, he has chaired technical conferences on operating systems and CPU chips, and has given more than 500 public talks on software engineering, RISC design, performance benchmarking and supercomputing. He is now a consultant for venture capitalists and high-tech companies and a trustee of the Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum
The Computer History Museum is a museum established in 1996 in Mountain View, California, USA. The Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting the stories and artifacts of the information age, and exploring the computing revolution and its impact on our lives.-History:The museum's origins...
. He has written articles for the Skeptical Inquirer
Skeptical Inquirer
The Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
regarding climate change denial
Climate change denial
Climate change denial is a term used to describe organized attempts to downplay, deny or dismiss the scientific consensus on the extent of global warming, its significance, and its connection to human behavior, especially for commercial or ideological reasons...
.
In 2010 he published a 250-page critical report on the Wegman Report.
Mashey's report concluded that the Wegman report contained plagiarized text.
This story reached mainstream news headlines.
Mashey is married to Angela Hey, a Cambridge University and Waterloo University graduate, with a Ph.D. from Imperial College, London.
External links
- Computer History Museum biography
- Some of Mashey's writings on climate