# software

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software/29147>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [August 13, 2000, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software/29147 "2000-08-13T01:18:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![moondog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@moondog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moondog)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software/29147/1 "2000-08-13T01:18:44Z")

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I have been tasked to find the origins of the term “software”. Who coined that term? Any takers?

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**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software/29147/2 "2000-08-13T03:12:23Z")

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Word Detective has an article on the origin of software [here](http://www.word-detective.com/back-y.html#hardware) but it’s not so specific as to name the originator. You might have better luck if you were to ask this sort of question in [General Questions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3). Don’t crosspost this one though, ask TubaDiva to move it.

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software/29147/3 "2000-08-13T17:24:25Z")

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I see that you have cross-posted this question to General Questions. In the future, do not do this. Please email a moderator or administrator and request that the thread be moved.

Thank you for your cooperation.

( **TubaDiva** , I’m going to go ahead and close this one; I hope that’s OK).