The Most Important Software Innovations
Summary
David Wheeler's article defines criteria for 'most important software innovations' and surveys a chronological list of ideas that transformed software, from early concepts like subroutines and LISP to modern ideas like DNS, HTML/XML/SGML, and MapReduce. It also argues that most key innovations were not patented, discusses the role of open source, and critiques software patents as a barrier to innovation. This provides a historical lens valuable for understanding foundational IT concepts behind modern automation and security.