JOSS: Conversational Computing for the Nonprogrammer

JOSS, the JOHNNIAC Open-Shop System, is a conversational time-sharing system developed at the Rand Corporation to demonstrate, on a small scale, the value of time-sharing and easy access to computing power for the nonprogrammer. In three computer implementations from May 1963 to the 198Os, JOSS has provided an English-like language that is easy to learn and use by trial and error at a terminal. Thus this earliest of simple on-line systems has enabled the computer novice to explore to advantage many small computational problems that might not be worth the effort in another computing environment.