In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting a few technologists who have contributed to the field, as well as some of our friends, learners, and alumni who’ll share their journey into the tech field. Today, we feature John, the creator of Lingo, and a key figure at Apple, IBM, and LucasFilm.
In 1985, a computer programmer named John Henry Thompson created the Lingo programming language as part of his work at Apple. As the lead developer for one of the first software-based interactive multimedia, Thompson’s project pushed multimedia to the forefront of computing. In this article, we will explore how he revolutionized programming languages with his creation of Lingo. Read on to learn more about this incredible figure in computing history!
(John Henry Thompson, courtesy of NYU)
Who is John Henry Thompson?
John Henry Thompson is a computer programmer and software engineer born in 1965 in Texas. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin, which gave him a solid foundation in programming and computer science.
After completing his degree, Thompson started his career as a programmer for IBM in the 1980s, where he gained valuable experience in software development and programming. However, his real passion was for multimedia and interactive graphics, which led him to take a job at Lucasfilm.
While at Lucasfilm, Thompson created the Lingo programming language with Adobe Director, a popular multimedia authoring tool. Lingo was a scripting language that made it easier for developers to create interactive multimedia content such as movies, games, and presentations. It was widely used in the multimedia and animation industry and became an integral part of the Adobe Director software. Thompson's success with Lingo led him to co-found Macromedia, which Adobe Systems acquired in 2005.
What is Lingo?
Lingo is a scripting language created by John and was widely used in the multimedia and animation industry. It was specifically designed for use with Adobe Director, a popular multimedia authoring tool, and was used to create interactive movies, games, and presentations.
Lingo is a high-level programming language that allows developers to easily control multimedia elements such as graphics, animation, sound, and video. It provides a simple and intuitive syntax that makes it easy for developers to write code and control the behavior of multimedia content. With Lingo, developers could create complex animations, interactive games, and multimedia presentations without writing large amounts of code.
Lingo was designed to be similar to other scripting languages, such as JavaScript and ActionScript, but with a focus on multimedia and animation. It provided tools and functions that allowed developers to add interactivity and special effects to their content easily. Lingo also had a large community of developers who created tutorials, plugins, and extensions that further enhanced the capabilities of the language.
In the early 2000s, the popularity of Lingo began to decline as other programming languages, such as Flash and ActionScript, emerged. However, the impact of Lingo on the multimedia and animation industry cannot be overstated. It paved the way for other programming languages and helped to make interactive multimedia experiences an integral part of modern computing and the internet.
Lingo is a historically important programming language that played a significant role in developing multimedia and animation technologies. Although it is no longer widely used today, its impact on the industry continues to be felt and is a testament to John Henry Thompson's innovative and visionary work.
(Courtesy of Steemit)
How Has Lingo Been Used?
Lingo was widely used in the multimedia and animation industry as a scripting language controlling multimedia applications such as Adobe Director. With Lingo, developers could easily create complex animations, interactive games, and multimedia presentations.
Lingo was particularly well suited for creating interactive CD-ROMs and DVDs, which were popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Developers could use Lingo to add interactivity to multimedia content, such as buttons and navigation, which allowed users to control the flow of the content. Lingo also made it easy for developers to add special effects such as particle systems, explosions, and transitions, which made multimedia content more engaging and visually appealing.
In the advertising and marketing industry, Lingo was used to creating interactive presentations and advertisements to promote products and services. With Lingo, developers could create presentations that were not only visually appealing but also interactive, allowing users to control the flow of the content and learn more about the product or service being advertised.
In the gaming industry, Lingo was used to creating interactive games, such as educational games and interactive puzzles. Lingo made it easy for developers to create engaging and educational games and provided a simple and intuitive way to control the behavior of the game elements.
Lingo was widely used in a variety of industries for a range of purposes. Its simple and intuitive syntax made it easy for developers to create complex multimedia content, and its focus on interactivity and special effects helped to make multimedia experiences more engaging and visually appealing. Despite its declining popularity, Lingo remains an integral part of the history of multimedia and animation technologies and continues to inspire future generations of developers and animators.
What Did John Henry Thompsons Contribution Mean for the Future of Technology?
John Henry Thompson's contribution to the development of the Lingo programming language significantly impacted the future of technology. Lingo was one of the first programming languages designed specifically for multimedia and animation. It paved the way for developing other programming languages focused on multimedia and interactive content.
By making it easier for developers to create interactive multimedia experiences, Lingo helped to popularize the use of multimedia and animation in various industries, including advertising, marketing, education, and gaming. This increased use of multimedia and animation led to the development of new technologies and tools that further expanded the capabilities of multimedia content.
Lingo also significantly impacted how developers thought about multimedia and animation. It demonstrated the power of programming languages to control the behavior of multimedia elements, and it inspired future generations of developers to explore new and innovative ways to use programming languages in multimedia content.
Overall, his contribution to the development of Lingo was a turning point in the history of technology. It helped to popularize the use of multimedia and animation and inspired future generations of developers to explore new and innovative ways to use programming languages to create multimedia content.
In Conclusion
John Henry Thompson is an icon in the programming world. His creation of Lingo, a programming language used to create multimedia applications and games, revolutionized how people code and think about coding. He continues to inspire coders today with his incredible work ethic and dedication to problem-solving. Thompson's work remains an integral part of the history of technology and inspires future generations of developers and animators.
