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Creator of cURL wins Polhem Prize 2017

daniel.haxx.se

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Re: Creator of cURL wins Polhem Prize 2017

#3
Seeing how this prize, named after the "Father of Swedish engineering", dates back to the 1800's, and is thus older than the Nobel prize, it has typically rewarded engineers from the classical engineering fields.

As such, it's very nice to see a feat almost exclusively carried out in the digital world of software get rewarded, and put right next to accomplishments in construction, metallurgy, etc.

Among notable earlier recipients with a tech connection (technnection?) stands Håkan Lans:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A5kan_Lans

Re: Creator of cURL wins Polhem Prize 2017

#6
post #5

I wonder if the media attention due to him getting banned from traveling to the USA contributed to him being known to a wider audience, and thus on the radar of whoever picks the award winner.

That story went by me. Was there a rationale for banning him?

Re: Creator of cURL wins Polhem Prize 2017

#7
post #4

If I remember correctly, Daniel has been working on curl for at least 2 hours a day for ~20 years. I hope he and his family have a well deserved vacation. Thanks Daniel for your hard work.

Agreed. The prize money is 250k SEK ($30k). That should buy a pretty sleek vacation. Even if the prize money is taxed (I'm unsure of that. My thinking is it counts sort of as a scholarship or grant, tax-wise, and should thus be exempt of taxation in this case.).

Re: Creator of cURL wins Polhem Prize 2017

#9
post #5

I wonder if the media attention due to him getting banned from traveling to the USA contributed to him being known to a wider audience, and thus on the radar of whoever picks the award winner.

That story went by me. Was there a rationale for banning him?

https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2017/06/28/denied-entry/

I can't see any follow-up on why he was denied entry though.

Re: Creator of cURL wins Polhem Prize 2017

#10

Seeing how this prize, named after the "Father of Swedish engineering", dates back to the 1800's, and is thus older than the Nobel prize, it has typically rewarded engineers from the classical engineering fields. As such, it's very nice to see a feat almost exclusively carried out in the digital world of software get rewarded, and put right next to accomplishments in construction, metallurgy, etc. Among notable earli…

> tech connection (technnection?)

I’d call that a portman-nooo. But thanks for that bit of context to the award. Made me appreciate it more coming from the the industry that created “the webbys” (sorry webbys.)

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