Alan Turing

[tenni]

Although not a bisexual man, Alan Turing is a man that bisexuals should be aware of.

Did you know about Alan Turing?

His code breaking prowess helped the Allies outfox the Nazis, his theories laid the foundation for the computer age, and his work on artificial intelligence still informs the debate over whether machines can think.

But Alan Turing was gay, and 1950s Britain punished the mathematician’s sexuality with a criminal conviction, intrusive surveillance and hormone treatment meant to extinguish his sex drive.

Turing made no secret of his sexuality, and being gay could easily lead to prosecution in post-war Britain. In 1952, Turing was convicted of “gross indecency” over his relationship with another man, and he was stripped of his security clearance, subjected to monitoring by British authorities, and forced to take estrogen to neutralize his sex drive — a process described by some as chemical castration.

He committed suicide in 1954.

Turing’s legacy was long obscured by secrecy — “Even his mother wasn’t allowed to know what he’d done,” Cooper said. But as his contribution to the war effort was gradually declassified, and personal computers began to deliver on Turing’s promise of “universal machines,” the injustice of his conviction became ever more glaring. Then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued an apology for Turing’s treatment in 2009, but campaigners kept pressing for a formal pardon.

“He helped preserve our liberty,” Steward said in a telephone interview. “We owed it to him in recognition of what he did for the country — and indeed the free world — that his name should be cleared.”

He has just been given a pardon by Queen Elizabeth.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/convicted-for-homosexual-behaviour-in-1951-computer-pioneer-alan-turing-is-finally-pardoned/article16097363/

Your thoughts?

[mooon]

Turing was a true pioneer in computing.
Yes, we might be speaking German if not for his genius.

It is so sad, yet so typical, that our society had to persecute him for being gay.

As a designer of computer based systems, I believe that he was one of engineering's great men, like Tesla.

[Hypersexual11]

It's unfortunate how when there is genius, it takes away from other aspects of life.

Turing made no secret of his sexuality, and being gay could easily lead to prosecution in post-war Britain.

There were no fewer gays then than now, most kept it either suppressed or discreet. He wrote his own destiny by not understanding the importance of homosexuality in his society. Probably saw it as no big deal.

[Top fucker]

Yes I know who he was. It's a shame he killed himself but it was his choice. The pardon is a bit too late and completely pointless now as he's dead.

[void()]

Turing devised a programming algorithm to perceive differences in text.
The differences this looked for could be used to some extent of success
in determining if the text's author was male or female. There were
other cues within texts the algorithm could determine as well.

The algorithm could also pick up on contextual congruency, subtext,
context and persuasive argument. This could be used skillfully in
finding propaganda, which is when an author injects opinion into
writing. Some believe this algorithm could also mimic persona.

Its ability in doing this mimicry was useful in locating what are
refereed to commonly as "sock puppets". Sock puppetry is the use of
seemingly multiple persona entities in a location or forum. This may be
done for a variety of rationale. Usually it is done to no beneficial
purpose.

Human beings can also do such tasks well. Although many feel such tasks
as being laborious, apt to errors. It is believed "machines" would be
better suited.

[Realist]

All my life I've seen remarkable people being punished because they didn't fit the prevailing morals. No matter how brilliant, how beneficial their work, thoughts, or successes were, they were ridiculed, humiliated, and even killed, because they were different. It's enough to make one want to be a hermit. Sad.

[darkeyes]

All my life I've seen remarkable people being punished because they didn't fit the prevailing morals. No matter how brilliant, how beneficial their work, thoughts, or successes were, they were ridiculed, humiliated, and even killed, because they were different. It's enough to make one want to be a hermit. Sad.All I ask is when are the pardons for all the millions of others less famous who were prosecuted and punished for being what they were going to be announced? And the pardons for those who were victimised and punished who remain alive... am all in favour of wiping the slate clean even after one is dead...but not simply because he was a truly famous and brilliant man who contributed much to a war effort.. millions contribbed in ther own way as much as he and were dealt with similarly before and after the second world war... many of those from before sacrificed body and soul and paid the ultimate price in that war effort... so lets have the rest, hey? :eek2: It may not do those who are no longer with us much good, and those who are little, but it is a tangible sign that society is really beginning to accept us...

[tenni]

All I ask is when are the pardons for all the millions of others less famous who were prosecuted and punished for being what they were going to be announced? And the pardons for those who were victimised and punished who remain alive... am all in favour of wiping the slate clean even after one is dead...but not simply because he was a truly famous and brilliant man who contributed much to a war effort.. millions contribbed in ther own way as much as he and were dealt with similarly before and after the second world war... many of those from before sacrificed body and soul and paid the ultimate price in that war effort... so lets have the rest, hey? :eek2: It may not do those who are no longer with us much good, and those who are little, but it is a tangible sign that society is really beginning to accept us...

You have a point. I have read similar thoughts that perhaps the British government should apologize to all who were charged with similar crimes. In reality, it is my understanding that Turing was not famous until very recently when secret government documents disclosed his role in breaking codes and research that led to computers. Whether he was granted a pardon because of the great things that he did or whether it was because the government has changed its mind on sexuality is a good question. I think that it may be because of his contribution to society with some guilt feelings that he felt so persecuted that he committed suicide.(if that is why he killed himself)

[darkeyes]

You have a point. I have read similar thoughts that perhaps the British government should apologize to all who were charged with similar crimes. In reality, it is my understanding that Turing was not famous until very recently when secret government documents disclosed his role in breaking codes and research that led to computers. Whether he was granted a pardon because of the great things that he did or whether it was because the government has changed its mind on sexuality is a good question. I think that it may be because of his contribution to society with some guilt feelings that he felt so persecuted that he committed suicide.(if that is why he killed himself)
Turing was not famous in his lifetime it is true because of the secrecy which surrounded Bletchley Park he has become increasingly well known as more is learned of enigma, Colossus. and WW2 Code breaking. We can only guess at why he killed himself but with the persecution, conviction and chemical castration I would be very surprised if they did not play their part in driving him to it.. there has been campaign in the UK to get him his pardon and for some years there has been much chitchat about it among the chattering classes... I don't like the principle of the Royal, Free or any other kind of pardon.. to pardon (literally) is to infer there is something to be excused... a complete quashing of his conviction would be much more appropriate and a quashing of all those similarly convicted... personally I think he has been pardoned because it is the populist thing to do.. most people in the UK want it (as best we can tell) and so to look like a listening government "hey presto". it happens.. there are umpteen examples to be found in the last 3 years... in this case the right thing to do, sure... but too little, too late and what about the rest?

[tenni]

Turing was not famous in his lifetime it is true because of the secrecy which surrounded Bletchley Park he has become increasingly well known as more is learned of enigma, Colossus. and WW2 Code breaking. We can only guess at why he killed himself but with the persecution, conviction and chemical castration I would be very surprised if they did not play their part in driving him to it.. there has been campaign in the UK to get him his pardon and for some years there has been much chitchat about it among the chattering classes... I don't like the principle of the Royal, Free or any other kind of pardon.. to pardon (literally) is to infer there is something to be excused... a complete quashing of his conviction would be much more appropriate and a quashing of all those similarly convicted... personally I think he has been pardoned because it is the populist thing to do.. most people in the UK want it (as best we can tell) and so to look like a listening government "hey presto". it happens.. there are umpteen examples to be found in the last 3 years... in this case the right thing to do, sure... but too little, too late and what about the rest?

I didn't really know about the pardon concept. In Canada, the closest that we have come to a more blanket acknowledgement of injustice done to groups have been:

1/ The apology to the Japanese Canadians who were removed from their west coast homes and placed in camps in land. They lost all of their belongings and property. Years, later the federal government apologized and I believe gave financial compensation to the survivors.
2/ Recently, the government apologized to the Indigenous survivors of religious schools. Children were taken from their parents and placed in these schools for more than 100 years. Many were abused by their guardian teachers for such simple things as speaking in their native tongue. As adults many suffered from alcoholism and suicide. The government made the apology in the Parliament with chiefs present. There were other attempts at reconciliation including a panel travelling to listen to the survivors. The survivors found being given official listening that it helped them.

Do you think that if the British government made similar apologies in Parliament to the survivors of these arrests that it would help?

[vittoria]

I agree Darkeyes. In order to appear sympathetic *THEY* (the enigmatic all present *THEY*) go through the hoops and appearances of being sorry... but sorry for what? Sorry for allowing the information that *THEY* once again snatched genius from someone and discarded them to the wolves because he wasnt the status quo? It's disgusting. It's been done over here an awful lot in the states. But *THEY* always have some kind of excuse for their actions to make what *THEY* have done seem "not so bad"... or as was put in the movie V for Vendetta "We did what we had to do" as if *THEY* had no choice in the matter.

[jem_is_bi]

What is the point of pardoning him for being a homosexual? It seems to me that the government should be seeking the pardon for being criminally intolerant (forced chemical castration) and partially responsible for his death.

[void()]

People kill themselves for a multitude of reasons. In the end it was his own choice to do this to himself. Apologies or pardons from the UK government are pointless when the person or people are dead.

Have to agree Top Fucker, adding only I get so tired of hearing
of "famous"/"infamous" folks and a big "shocking" reveal they were/are
X. I mean honestly who gives a fuck? Oscar Wilde, homosexual/bisexual or not
wrote some damn good stuff. Why not let it be at that? Does it matter what
a person, was/is? They are after all human beings ultimately.

*wanders along a bit fed up with labels*