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{{Short description|American computer scientist and entrepreneur}}
{{Resume-like|date=September 2024}}
{{third-party|date=September 2018}}
{{third-party|date=September 2018}}


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|caption = Philip and Alex, 1997, by [[Elsa Dorfman]]
|caption = Philip and Alex, 1997, by [[Elsa Dorfman]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|9|28}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|9|28}}
|birth_place = [[Bethesda, Maryland]], United States
|birth_place = [[Bethesda, Maryland]], U.S.
|citizenship =
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|nationality =
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|field = [[Computer science]]
|field = [[Computer science]]
|work_institutions =
|work_institutions =
|education = [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
|alma_mater =
|doctoral_advisor = [[Patrick Winston]]
|doctoral_advisor = [[Patrick Winston]]
|doctoral_students =
|doctoral_students =
|known_for = pioneering database-backed Internet applications<br/>and online learning communities
|known_for = Pioneering database-backed Internet applications<br/>and online learning communities
|author_abbrev_bot =
|author_abbrev_bot =
|author_abbrev_zoo =
|author_abbrev_zoo =
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}}
}}


'''Philip Greenspun''' is an American [[computer scientist]], [[educator]], and early [[Internet]] [[entrepreneur]] who was a pioneer in developing [[online communities]] like [[photo.net]].
'''Philip Greenspun''' (born September 28, 1963) is an American [[computer scientist]], [[educator]], early [[Internet]] [[entrepreneur]], and pilot who was a pioneer in developing [[online communities]] like photo.net.


==Biography==
==Biography==
Greenspun was born on September 28, 1963, grew up in [[Bethesda, Maryland]], and received a [[Bachelor of Science|S.B.]] in [[Mathematics]] from [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] in 1982. After working for [[Hewlett Packard|Hewlett Packard Research Labs]] in [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]] and [[Symbolics]], he became a founder of [[ICAD (software)|ICAD]], Inc. Greenspun returned to MIT to study [[electrical engineering]] and [[computer science]], eventually receiving a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D]].
Greenspun was born on September 28, 1963, grew up in [[Bethesda, Maryland]], and received a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] in [[Mathematics]] from [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] in 1982. After working for [[HP Labs]] in [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]] and [[Symbolics]], he became a founder of [[ICAD (software)|ICAD]], Inc. Greenspun returned to MIT to study [[electrical engineering]] and [[computer science]], eventually receiving a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D]].


Working with Isaac Kohane of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Greenspun was the developer of an early Web-based electronic medical record system. The system is described in "Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web" (1996).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kohane|first=I S|last2=Greenspun|first2=P|last3=Fackler|first3=J|last4=Cimino|first4=C|last5=Szolovits|first5=P|date=1996|title=Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web.|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC116301/|journal=Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association|volume=3|issue=3|pages=191–207|issn=1067-5027|pmid=8723610}}</ref> Greenspun and Kohane continue to work together on a medical informatics at Harvard Medical School.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Knowing the Unknown|url=https://hms.harvard.edu/news/knowing-unknown|access-date=2020-11-10|website=hms.harvard.edu|language=en}}</ref>
Working with Isaac Kohane of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Greenspun was the developer of an early Web-based electronic medical record system. The system is described in "Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web" (1996).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kohane|first1=I S|last2=Greenspun|first2=P|last3=Fackler|first3=J|last4=Cimino|first4=C|last5=Szolovits|first5=P|year=1996|title=Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web.|journal=Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association|volume=3|issue=3|pages=191–207|doi=10.1136/jamia.1996.96310633|issn=1067-5027|pmid=8723610|pmc=116301}}</ref> Greenspun and Kohane continue to work together on a medical informatics at Harvard Medical School.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Knowing the Unknown|url=https://hms.harvard.edu/news/knowing-unknown|access-date=2020-11-10|website=hms.harvard.edu|language=en}}</ref>


In 1995, Greenspun was hired to lead development of [[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Corporation's]] Internet services, which included early [[Electronic commerce|e-commerce]] sites. In 1997 he co-founded [[ArsDigita]], a web services company which grew to $20 million in annual revenues by 2000.
In 1995, Greenspun was hired to lead development of [[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Corporation's]] Internet services, which included early [[Electronic commerce|e-commerce]] sites. In 1997 he co-founded [[ArsDigita]], a web services company which grew to $20 million in annual revenues by 2000.
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==Photo.net and ArsDigita==
==Photo.net and ArsDigita==


In 1993, Greenspun founded [http://www.photo.net/ photo.net], an online community for people helping each other to improve their photographic skills. He seeded the community with "Travels with Samantha",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/samantha/|title=Travels with Samantha|author=Philip Greenspun}}</ref> a photo-illustrated account of a trip from [[Boston]] to [[Alaska]] and back. Photo.net became a business in 2000 with the help of some of his cofounders Rajeev Surati and Waikit Lau. Having grown to 600,000 registered users, it was acquired by NameMedia in 2007 for $6 million, according to documents filed in connection with a planned public offering of NameMedia shares.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2007/11/02/419-domain-name-marketplace-namemedia-files-to-go-public-for/|title=Domain name marketplace NameMedia files for $172 million IPO|first=Joseph|last=Weisenthal|date=2007-11-02|accessdate=2015-09-04}}</ref> Greenspun founded the open-source software company ArsDigita and, as CEO, grew it to about $20 million in revenue before taking a [[venture capital]] investment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://waxy.org/random/arsdigita/|title=ArsDigita: From Start-Up to Bust-Up|author=Philip Greenspun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktm885vGIXEC&pg=PA317&dq=ArsDigita&hl=en|title=Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days|last=Livingston|first=Jessica|date=2008-11-01|publisher=Apress|year=|isbn=9781430210771|location=|pages=|language=en|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WiAm3APQSBIC&pg=PT129&dq=ArsDigita&hl=en#v=onepage&q=ArsDigita&f=false|title=The Venture Caf?: Secrets, Strategies, and Stories from America's High-Tech Entrepreneurs|last=Esser|first=Teresa|date=2002-03-14|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=9780759527126|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=by4hRUMZzJgC&pg=PP24&dq=ArsDigita&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9v7K6qcvkAhUpTd8KHVTHDBQQ6AEwCHoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=ArsDigita&f=false|title=RailsSpace: Building a Social Networking Website with Ruby on Rails|last=Hartl|first=Michael|last2=Prochazka|first2=Aurelius|date=2007-07-20|publisher=Addison-Wesley Professional|isbn=9780132701860|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w5nkN3gi_kwC&pg=PT330&dq=arsdigita&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiu9Ia1qczkAhUnU98KHdtpAScQ6AEwA3oECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=arsdigita&f=false|title=Open Source for Knowledge and Learning Management: Strategies Beyond Tools: Strategies Beyond Tools|last=D|first=Lytras, Miltiadis|date=2006-12-31|publisher=Idea Group Inc (IGI)|isbn=9781599041193|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NhEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=arsdigita&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiu9Ia1qczkAhUnU98KHdtpAScQ6AEwAnoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q=arsdigita&f=false|title=Network World|last=Inc|first=IDG Network World|date=1999-06-28|publisher=IDG Network World Inc|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/20090701/joel-spolsky-the-day-my-industry-died.html|title=Joel Spolsky: The Day My Industry Died|last=Spolsky|first=Joel|date=2009-07-01|work=Inc.|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.managers.org.uk:443/insights/news/2015/september/four-companies-that-failed-spectacularly-and-the-lessons-of-their-premature-demise|title=Four companies that failed spectacularly, and the lessons of their premature demise|website=www.managers.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/deniselyohn/2019/05/01/why-start-ups-fail/|title=Why Startups Fail|last=Lee Yohn|first=Denise|date=2019-05-01|work=Forbes|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/33-startups-that-died-reveal-why-they-failed-2013-6|title=33 Startups That Died Reveal Why They Failed|last=ChubbyBrain|first=Jamie Kingsbery|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref>
In 1993, Greenspun founded [http://www.photo.net/ photo.net], an online community for people helping each other to improve their photographic skills. He seeded the community with "Travels with Samantha",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/samantha/|title=Travels with Samantha|author=Philip Greenspun}}</ref> a photo-illustrated account of a trip from [[Boston]] to [[Alaska]] and back. Photo.net became a business in 2000 with the help of some of his cofounders Rajeev Surati and Waikit Lau. Having grown to 600,000 registered users, it was acquired by NameMedia in 2007 for $6 million, according to documents filed in connection with a planned public offering of NameMedia shares.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2007/11/02/419-domain-name-marketplace-namemedia-files-to-go-public-for/|title=Domain name marketplace NameMedia files for $172 million IPO|first=Joseph|last=Weisenthal|date=2007-11-02|access-date=2015-09-04}}</ref> Greenspun founded the open-source software company ArsDigita and, as CEO, grew it to about $20 million in revenue before taking a [[venture capital]] investment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://waxy.org/random/arsdigita/|title=ArsDigita: From Start-Up to Bust-Up|author=Philip Greenspun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktm885vGIXEC&q=ArsDigita&pg=PA317|title=Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days|last=Livingston|first=Jessica|date=2008-11-01|publisher=Apress|isbn=9781430210771|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WiAm3APQSBIC&q=ArsDigita&pg=PT129|title=The Venture Caf?: Secrets, Strategies, and Stories from America's High-Tech Entrepreneurs|last=Esser|first=Teresa|date=2002-03-14|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=9780759527126|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=by4hRUMZzJgC&q=ArsDigita&pg=PP24|title=RailsSpace: Building a Social Networking Website with Ruby on Rails|last1=Hartl|first1=Michael|last2=Prochazka|first2=Aurelius|date=2007-07-20|publisher=Addison-Wesley Professional|isbn=9780132701860|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w5nkN3gi_kwC&q=arsdigita&pg=PT330|title=Open Source for Knowledge and Learning Management: Strategies Beyond Tools: Strategies Beyond Tools|last=D|first=Lytras, Miltiadis|date=2006-12-31|publisher=Idea Group Inc (IGI)|isbn=9781599041193|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NhEEAAAAMBAJ&q=arsdigita&pg=PA44|title=Network World|date=1999-06-28|publisher=IDG Network World Inc|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/20090701/joel-spolsky-the-day-my-industry-died.html|title=Joel Spolsky: The Day My Industry Died|last=Spolsky|first=Joel|date=2009-07-01|work=Inc.|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.managers.org.uk:443/insights/news/2015/september/four-companies-that-failed-spectacularly-and-the-lessons-of-their-premature-demise|title=Four companies that failed spectacularly, and the lessons of their premature demise|website=managers.org.uk|date=17 September 2015 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/deniselyohn/2019/05/01/why-start-ups-fail/|title=Why Startups Fail|last=Lee Yohn|first=Denise|date=2019-05-01|work=Forbes|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/33-startups-that-died-reveal-why-they-failed-2013-6|title=33 Startups That Died Reveal Why They Failed|last=ChubbyBrain|first=Jamie Kingsbery|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref>


Greenspun was an early developer of database-backed Web sites,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8T_bAAAAMAAJ|title=Database backed Web sites: the thinking person's guide to Web publishing|last=Greenspun|first=Philip|date=1997|publisher=Ziff-Davis Press|year=|isbn=|location=|pages=|language=en|url-status=live}}</ref> which became the dominant approach to engineering sites with user contributions, e.g., Amazon.com. Greenspun was also a developer of one of the first Web-based electronic medical record systems.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web|journal=Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association|year=1996|first1=I.S.|last1=Kohane|first2=P.|last2=Greenspun|first3=J.|last3=Fackler|first4=C.|last4=Cimino|first5=P.|last5=Szolovits|pmc=116301|pmid=8723610|volume=3|pages=191–207|doi=10.1136/jamia.1996.96310633}}</ref> Greenspun's [[Oracle database|Oracle]]-based community site [[LUSENET]] was an important early host of free forums.
Greenspun was an early developer of database-backed Web sites,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8T_bAAAAMAAJ|title=Database backed Web sites: the thinking person's guide to Web publishing|last=Greenspun|first=Philip|date=1997|publisher=Ziff-Davis Press|isbn=9781562765309|language=en}}</ref> which became the dominant approach to engineering sites with user contributions, e.g., Amazon.com. Greenspun was also a developer of one of the first Web-based electronic medical record systems.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web|journal=Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association|year=1996|first1=I.S.|last1=Kohane|first2=P.|last2=Greenspun|first3=J.|last3=Fackler|first4=C.|last4=Cimino|first5=P.|last5=Szolovits|pmc=116301|pmid=8723610|volume=3|issue=3|pages=191–207|doi=10.1136/jamia.1996.96310633}}</ref> Greenspun's [[Oracle database|Oracle]]-based community site LUSENET was an important early host of free forums.


==Aviation==
==Aviation==
Greenspun was employed as a commercial pilot for [[Delta Air Lines]] subsidiary [[Comair]] from 2008 until it ceased operation in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=My own union job comes to an end|url=http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2012/09/12/my-own-union-job-comes-to-an-end/|date=2012-09-12|accessdate=2013-08-04|first=Philip|last=Greenspun}}</ref> According to the FAA Airmen registry,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/interactive_airmen_inquiry/|title=Search airmen certificate information|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|accessdate=2015-09-04}}</ref> Greenspun holds an [[Airline Transport Pilot License]] and Flight Instructor certificates for both airplanes and helicopters, as well as type ratings for two turbojet-powered airplanes. Greenspun is listed as an instructor at the East Coast Aero Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eastcoastaeroclub.com/|title=Our instructors|publisher=East Coast Aero Club|year=2015|accessdate=2015-09-04}}</ref> and was interviewed by NPR regarding the success of a [[Groupon]] helicopter lesson offer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129386346|title=Half-off cupcakes and more|first=Tamara|last=Keith|publisher=NPR|date=2010-08-24|accessdate=2015-09-04}}</ref>
Greenspun was employed as a commercial pilot for [[Delta Air Lines]] subsidiary [[Comair (USA)|Comair]] from 2008 until it ceased operation in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=My own union job comes to an end|url=http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2012/09/12/my-own-union-job-comes-to-an-end/|date=2012-09-12|access-date=2013-08-04|first=Philip|last=Greenspun}}</ref> According to the FAA Airmen registry,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/interactive_airmen_inquiry/|title=Search airmen certificate information|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|access-date=2015-09-04}}</ref> Greenspun holds an [[Airline Transport Pilot License]] and Flight Instructor certificates for both airplanes and helicopters, as well as type ratings for two turbojet-powered airplanes. Greenspun is listed as an instructor at the East Coast Aero Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eastcoastaeroclub.com/|title=Our instructors|publisher=East Coast Aero Club|year=2015|access-date=2015-09-04}}</ref> and was interviewed by NPR regarding the success of a [[Groupon]] helicopter lesson offer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129386346|title=Half-off cupcakes and more|first=Tamara|last=Keith|publisher=NPR|date=2010-08-24|access-date=2015-09-04}}</ref>


==Publications==
==Publications==


Greenspun has written several textbooks on developing Internet applications, including ''Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/|title=Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing|author=Philip Greenspun|publisher=[[Morgan Kaufmann]]|date=1999-04-29}}</ref> ''SQL for Web Nerds'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/sql/|title=SQL for Web Nerds|author=Philip Greenspun|publisher=[[Morgan Kaufmann]]|date=January 2000}}</ref> and ''Software Engineering for Internet Applications'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/seia/|title=Software Engineering for Internet Applications|author=Philip Greenspun|publisher=MIT Press|date=2006-02-24}}</ref> the textbook for an MIT course. Greenspun is the editor of ''Medical School 2020'', which provides a first-person account by a medical student.<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenspun|first=Philip|date=2020-11-09|title=Medical School 2020|url=http://fifthchance.com/MedicalSchool2020|url-status=live|archive-url=|archivedate=|accessdate=2020-11-09|website=fifthchance.com}}</ref>
Greenspun has written several textbooks on developing Internet applications, including ''Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/|title=Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing|author=Philip Greenspun|publisher=[[Morgan Kaufmann]]|date=1999-04-29}}</ref> ''SQL for Web Nerds'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/sql/|title=SQL for Web Nerds|author=Philip Greenspun|publisher=[[Morgan Kaufmann]]|date=January 2000}}</ref> and ''Software Engineering for Internet Applications'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://philip.greenspun.com/seia/|title=Software Engineering for Internet Applications|author=Philip Greenspun|publisher=MIT Press|date=2006-02-24}}</ref> the textbook for an MIT course. Greenspun is the editor of ''Medical School 2020'', which provides a first-person account by a medical student.<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenspun|first=Philip|date=2020-11-09|title=Medical School 2020|url=http://fifthchance.com/MedicalSchool2020|access-date=2020-11-09|website=fifthchance.com}}</ref>


==Teaching==
==Teaching==


Greenspun and his co-founders at ArsDigita started a [[Non-profit organization|non-profit foundation]] that ran the [[ArsDigita Prize]], an award for young web developers, and the [[ArsDigita University]], a tuition-free one-year program teaching the core computer science curriculum, one course at a time. Winners of the Prize include a 12 year old [[Aaron Swartz]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2013/01/15/swartz-attorney-ortiz|title=Prosecution's Case Against Swartz Draws Scrutiny|website=www.wbur.org|language=en|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref>
Greenspun and his co-founders at ArsDigita started a [[Non-profit organization|non-profit foundation]] that ran the [[ArsDigita Prize]], an award for young web developers, and the [[ArsDigita University]], a tuition-free one-year program teaching the core computer science curriculum, one course at a time. Winners of the Prize include a 12 year old [[Aaron Swartz]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2013/01/15/swartz-attorney-ortiz|title=Prosecution's Case Against Swartz Draws Scrutiny|website=wbur.org|date=15 January 2013 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref>


Greenspun has taught electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.<ref>Abelson, Hal and Philip Greenspun, Teaching Software Engineering - lessons from MIT, http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/teaching-software-engineering</ref> One of Greenspun's most famous students is [[Randal Pinkett]], who built an online community for low-income housing residents in Greenspun's 6.171 Software Engineering for Internet Applications course. Pinkett went on to win [[NBC]] TV show ''[[The Apprentice (US TV Series)|The Apprentice]]''. In 2003, Greenspun helped teach a newly designed circuits and electronics course at MIT.<ref name='thetech'>{{cite news | first=Jay| last=Cameron| title=Circuits and Electronics Taking a New Approach | date=2003-05-13 | url =http://tech.mit.edu/V123/N26/26six002x.26n.html | work =[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]] | accessdate = 2011-02-06 }}</ref>
Greenspun has taught electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.<ref>Abelson, Hal and Philip Greenspun, Teaching Software Engineering - lessons from MIT, http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/teaching-software-engineering</ref> One of Greenspun's most famous students is [[Randal Pinkett]], who built an online community for low-income housing residents in Greenspun's 6.171 Software Engineering for Internet Applications course. Pinkett went on to win [[NBC]] TV show ''[[The Apprentice (US TV Series)|The Apprentice]]''. In 2003, Greenspun helped teach a newly designed circuits and electronics course at MIT.<ref name='thetech'>{{cite news | first=Jay| last=Cameron| title=Circuits and Electronics Taking a New Approach | date=2003-05-13 |url=http://tech.mit.edu/V123/N26/26six002x.26n.html | work =[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]] | access-date = 2011-02-06 }}</ref>


In January 2011 and again in January 2012, Greenspun taught an intensive RDBMS/SQL programming course at MIT using Google Docs to coordinate classroom instruction.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/02/guest-post-google-docs-for-classroom.html | title = GoogleDocsBlog Post | accessdate = 2011-02-27 | quote = Today (Greenspun) explains how he used Google Docs to develop and distribute curricular materials and to support in-classroom discussion of student solutions. }}</ref>
In January 2011 and again in January 2012, Greenspun taught an intensive RDBMS/SQL programming course at MIT using Google Docs to coordinate classroom instruction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/02/guest-post-google-docs-for-classroom.html | title = GoogleDocsBlog Post | access-date = 2011-02-27 | quote = Today (Greenspun) explains how he used Google Docs to develop and distribute curricular materials and to support in-classroom discussion of student solutions. }}</ref>


==Charitable work==
==Charitable work==


In 2007, Greenspun donated $20,000 to Wikimedia Foundation to start a project fund for the payment of illustrators to supply illustrations for use on Wikimedia Foundation projects.<ref name='nytimes'>{{cite news | first=Noam | last=Cohen | title=At Wikipedia, Illustrators May Be Paid | date=2007-12-03 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/technology/03wiki.html | work =[[New York Times]] | accessdate = 2008-09-28 }}</ref><ref>See [[m:Philip Greenspun illustration project|Philip Greenspun illustration project]]</ref>
In 2007, Greenspun donated $20,000 to Wikimedia Foundation to start a project fund for the payment of illustrators to supply illustrations for use on Wikimedia Foundation projects.<ref name='nytimes'>{{cite news | first=Noam | last=Cohen | title=At Wikipedia, Illustrators May Be Paid | date=2007-12-03 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/technology/03wiki.html | work =[[The New York Times]] | access-date = 2008-09-28 }}</ref><ref>See [[m:Philip Greenspun illustration project|Philip Greenspun illustration project]]</ref>


Greenspun is a volunteer for [[Angel Flight]] and, on December 6, 2010, assisted in the first nationally arranged kidney paired-donation in which kidneys were flown from Lebanon, New Hampshire to St. Louis and vice versa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2010/12/13/kidneys-and-gyros-in-pittsburgh/|title=Kidneys and gyros in Pittsburgh|first=Philip|last=Greenspun|date=2010-12-13|accessdate=2015-09-04}}</ref>
Greenspun is a volunteer for [[Angel Flight]] and, on December 6, 2010, assisted in the first nationally arranged kidney paired-donation in which kidneys were flown from Lebanon, New Hampshire to St. Louis and vice versa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2010/12/13/kidneys-and-gyros-in-pittsburgh/|title=Kidneys and gyros in Pittsburgh|first=Philip|last=Greenspun|date=2010-12-13|access-date=2015-09-04}}</ref>


In December 2013, Greenspun donated $10,000 to [http://www.kidsoncomputers.org Kids on Computers] (KOC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit which sets up computer labs in areas where kids do not have access to technology. In recognition of Greenspun's donation, the KOC lab at Escuela Manuel Gonzalez Gatica was named the Gittes Family Lab in honor of his grandfather.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kidsoncomputers.org/gittes-family-lab|title=Gittes Family Lab at Escuela Manuel Gonzalez Gatica « Kids On Computers|publisher=}}</ref> Avni Khatri, President of  Kids on Computers in 2012 credits his time at Arsdigita for him learning the value of FOSS and how it can help bridge and connect virtual and real-world communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opensource.com/article/16/12/interview-kids-on-computers|title=Kids on Computers establishes computer labs in five countries|last=Watkins|first=Don|date=2016-12-27|website=Opensource.com|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref>
In December 2013, Greenspun donated $10,000 to [http://www.kidsoncomputers.org Kids on Computers] (KOC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit which sets up computer labs in areas where kids do not have access to technology. In recognition of Greenspun's donation, the KOC lab at Escuela Manuel Gonzalez Gatica was named the Gittes Family Lab in honor of his grandfather.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kidsoncomputers.org/gittes-family-lab|title=Gittes Family Lab at Escuela Manuel Gonzalez Gatica « Kids On Computers}}</ref> Avni Khatri, President of  Kids on Computers in 2012 credits her time at ArsDigita as where she learned the value of FOSS and how it can help bridge and connect virtual and real-world communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opensource.com/article/16/12/interview-kids-on-computers|title=Kids on Computers establishes computer labs in five countries|last=Watkins|first=Don|date=2016-12-27|website=Opensource.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Greenspun's tenth rule]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<references />


==External links==
==External links==
* {{official website|http://philip.greenspun.com/}}
* {{official website|http://philip.greenspun.com/}}
* {{cite web |url= http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/ |title= Philip Greenspun |series= Blog |publisher= Harvard }}
* {{cite web |url=http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/ |title= Philip Greenspun |series= Blog |publisher= Harvard }}
* [http://www.photo.net/ Photo Net]
* [http://www.photo.net/ Photo Net]
* [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E4DF1E3DF93AA35751C0A96E958260 E-Mail Alerts Show Growing Potential]
* [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E4DF1E3DF93AA35751C0A96E958260 E-Mail Alerts Show Growing Potential]
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* [http://www.waxy.org/random/arsdigita/ Philip Greenspun]
* [http://www.waxy.org/random/arsdigita/ Philip Greenspun]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051125130423/http://pinds.com/articles/2002/02/08/goodbye-arsdigita Lars Pind]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051125130423/http://pinds.com/articles/2002/02/08/goodbye-arsdigita Lars Pind]
* {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20041214094043/http://www.eveandersson.com/arsdigita-history |title= Eve Andersson |date= December 14, 2004}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214094043/http://www.eveandersson.com/arsdigita-history |title= Eve Andersson |date= December 14, 2004}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130115123435/http://michael.yoon.org/arsdigita Michael Yoon]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130115123435/http://michael.yoon.org/arsdigita Michael Yoon]


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[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:American aviators]]
[[Category:American male bloggers]]
[[Category:American male bloggers]]
[[Category:American bloggers]]
[[Category:American bloggers]]
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[[Category:American photographers]]
[[Category:American photographers]]
[[Category:American technology writers]]
[[Category:American technology writers]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni]]
[[Category:People from Bethesda, Maryland]]
[[Category:People from Bethesda, Maryland]]
[[Category:Commercial aviators]]
[[Category:American commercial aviators]]
[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]

Latest revision as of 19:43, 8 October 2024

Philip Greenspun
Philip and Alex, 1997, by Elsa Dorfman
Born (1963-09-28) September 28, 1963 (age 61)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
EducationMassachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, PhD)
Known forPioneering database-backed Internet applications
and online learning communities
Scientific career
FieldsComputer science
Doctoral advisorPatrick Winston

Philip Greenspun (born September 28, 1963) is an American computer scientist, educator, early Internet entrepreneur, and pilot who was a pioneer in developing online communities like photo.net.

Biography

[edit]

Greenspun was born on September 28, 1963, grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, and received a B.S. in Mathematics from MIT in 1982. After working for HP Labs in Palo Alto and Symbolics, he became a founder of ICAD, Inc. Greenspun returned to MIT to study electrical engineering and computer science, eventually receiving a Ph.D.

Working with Isaac Kohane of Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Greenspun was the developer of an early Web-based electronic medical record system. The system is described in "Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web" (1996).[1] Greenspun and Kohane continue to work together on a medical informatics at Harvard Medical School.[2]

In 1995, Greenspun was hired to lead development of Hearst Corporation's Internet services, which included early e-commerce sites. In 1997 he co-founded ArsDigita, a web services company which grew to $20 million in annual revenues by 2000.

Photo.net and ArsDigita

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In 1993, Greenspun founded photo.net, an online community for people helping each other to improve their photographic skills. He seeded the community with "Travels with Samantha",[3] a photo-illustrated account of a trip from Boston to Alaska and back. Photo.net became a business in 2000 with the help of some of his cofounders Rajeev Surati and Waikit Lau. Having grown to 600,000 registered users, it was acquired by NameMedia in 2007 for $6 million, according to documents filed in connection with a planned public offering of NameMedia shares.[4] Greenspun founded the open-source software company ArsDigita and, as CEO, grew it to about $20 million in revenue before taking a venture capital investment.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Greenspun was an early developer of database-backed Web sites,[15] which became the dominant approach to engineering sites with user contributions, e.g., Amazon.com. Greenspun was also a developer of one of the first Web-based electronic medical record systems.[16] Greenspun's Oracle-based community site LUSENET was an important early host of free forums.

Aviation

[edit]

Greenspun was employed as a commercial pilot for Delta Air Lines subsidiary Comair from 2008 until it ceased operation in 2012.[17] According to the FAA Airmen registry,[18] Greenspun holds an Airline Transport Pilot License and Flight Instructor certificates for both airplanes and helicopters, as well as type ratings for two turbojet-powered airplanes. Greenspun is listed as an instructor at the East Coast Aero Club[19] and was interviewed by NPR regarding the success of a Groupon helicopter lesson offer.[20]

Publications

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Greenspun has written several textbooks on developing Internet applications, including Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing,[21] SQL for Web Nerds,[22] and Software Engineering for Internet Applications,[23] the textbook for an MIT course. Greenspun is the editor of Medical School 2020, which provides a first-person account by a medical student.[24]

Teaching

[edit]

Greenspun and his co-founders at ArsDigita started a non-profit foundation that ran the ArsDigita Prize, an award for young web developers, and the ArsDigita University, a tuition-free one-year program teaching the core computer science curriculum, one course at a time. Winners of the Prize include a 12 year old Aaron Swartz.[25]

Greenspun has taught electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.[26] One of Greenspun's most famous students is Randal Pinkett, who built an online community for low-income housing residents in Greenspun's 6.171 Software Engineering for Internet Applications course. Pinkett went on to win NBC TV show The Apprentice. In 2003, Greenspun helped teach a newly designed circuits and electronics course at MIT.[27]

In January 2011 and again in January 2012, Greenspun taught an intensive RDBMS/SQL programming course at MIT using Google Docs to coordinate classroom instruction.[28]

Charitable work

[edit]

In 2007, Greenspun donated $20,000 to Wikimedia Foundation to start a project fund for the payment of illustrators to supply illustrations for use on Wikimedia Foundation projects.[29][30]

Greenspun is a volunteer for Angel Flight and, on December 6, 2010, assisted in the first nationally arranged kidney paired-donation in which kidneys were flown from Lebanon, New Hampshire to St. Louis and vice versa.[31]

In December 2013, Greenspun donated $10,000 to Kids on Computers (KOC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit which sets up computer labs in areas where kids do not have access to technology. In recognition of Greenspun's donation, the KOC lab at Escuela Manuel Gonzalez Gatica was named the Gittes Family Lab in honor of his grandfather.[32] Avni Khatri, President of  Kids on Computers in 2012 credits her time at ArsDigita as where she learned the value of FOSS and how it can help bridge and connect virtual and real-world communities.[33]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kohane, I S; Greenspun, P; Fackler, J; Cimino, C; Szolovits, P (1996). "Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web". Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 3 (3): 191–207. doi:10.1136/jamia.1996.96310633. ISSN 1067-5027. PMC 116301. PMID 8723610.
  2. ^ "Knowing the Unknown". hms.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  3. ^ Philip Greenspun. "Travels with Samantha".
  4. ^ Weisenthal, Joseph (2007-11-02). "Domain name marketplace NameMedia files for $172 million IPO". Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  5. ^ Philip Greenspun. "ArsDigita: From Start-Up to Bust-Up".
  6. ^ Livingston, Jessica (2008-11-01). Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days. Apress. ISBN 9781430210771.
  7. ^ Esser, Teresa (2002-03-14). The Venture Caf?: Secrets, Strategies, and Stories from America's High-Tech Entrepreneurs. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 9780759527126.
  8. ^ Hartl, Michael; Prochazka, Aurelius (2007-07-20). RailsSpace: Building a Social Networking Website with Ruby on Rails. Addison-Wesley Professional. ISBN 9780132701860.
  9. ^ D, Lytras, Miltiadis (2006-12-31). Open Source for Knowledge and Learning Management: Strategies Beyond Tools: Strategies Beyond Tools. Idea Group Inc (IGI). ISBN 9781599041193.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Network World. IDG Network World Inc. 1999-06-28.
  11. ^ Spolsky, Joel (2009-07-01). "Joel Spolsky: The Day My Industry Died". Inc. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  12. ^ "Four companies that failed spectacularly, and the lessons of their premature demise". managers.org.uk. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  13. ^ Lee Yohn, Denise (2019-05-01). "Why Startups Fail". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  14. ^ ChubbyBrain, Jamie Kingsbery. "33 Startups That Died Reveal Why They Failed". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  15. ^ Greenspun, Philip (1997). Database backed Web sites: the thinking person's guide to Web publishing. Ziff-Davis Press. ISBN 9781562765309.
  16. ^ Kohane, I.S.; Greenspun, P.; Fackler, J.; Cimino, C.; Szolovits, P. (1996). "Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web". Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. 3 (3): 191–207. doi:10.1136/jamia.1996.96310633. PMC 116301. PMID 8723610.
  17. ^ Greenspun, Philip (2012-09-12). "My own union job comes to an end". Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  18. ^ "Search airmen certificate information". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  19. ^ "Our instructors". East Coast Aero Club. 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  20. ^ Keith, Tamara (2010-08-24). "Half-off cupcakes and more". NPR. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  21. ^ Philip Greenspun (1999-04-29). Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing. Morgan Kaufmann.
  22. ^ Philip Greenspun (January 2000). SQL for Web Nerds. Morgan Kaufmann.
  23. ^ Philip Greenspun (2006-02-24). Software Engineering for Internet Applications. MIT Press.
  24. ^ Greenspun, Philip (2020-11-09). "Medical School 2020". fifthchance.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  25. ^ "Prosecution's Case Against Swartz Draws Scrutiny". wbur.org. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  26. ^ Abelson, Hal and Philip Greenspun, Teaching Software Engineering - lessons from MIT, http://philip.greenspun.com/teaching/teaching-software-engineering
  27. ^ Cameron, Jay (2003-05-13). "Circuits and Electronics Taking a New Approach". The Tech. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  28. ^ "GoogleDocsBlog Post". Retrieved 2011-02-27. Today (Greenspun) explains how he used Google Docs to develop and distribute curricular materials and to support in-classroom discussion of student solutions.
  29. ^ Cohen, Noam (2007-12-03). "At Wikipedia, Illustrators May Be Paid". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  30. ^ See Philip Greenspun illustration project
  31. ^ Greenspun, Philip (2010-12-13). "Kidneys and gyros in Pittsburgh". Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  32. ^ "Gittes Family Lab at Escuela Manuel Gonzalez Gatica « Kids On Computers".
  33. ^ Watkins, Don (2016-12-27). "Kids on Computers establishes computer labs in five countries". Opensource.com. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
[edit]

ArsDigita histories

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