Between Matilde and the Internet: Computerizing the University of Costa Rica (1968-1993)

Abstract

This article analyzes the process of development of a scientific community of computer experts at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), emphasizing the historical interactions among scientists, students, and institutions, while showing the main debates and features of a specific technological project. The analysis centers on the period from UCR's acquisition of Matilde, the first mainframe for numerical data processing (1968), to its final connection to the Internet (1993).