“Which way did the programmer go?”/“He went data way!”

A riddle has been printed on many images:
 
Q: Which way did the programmer go?
A: He went data way.
   
A version of the joke was printed in Boys’ Life magazine in May 1975.
 
           
Google Books
May 1975, Boiys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 65, col. 3:
Sheriff, to rancher: Quick—did you see which way that computer programmer went?
Rancher: He went data way l— Gary Spangler, Millersville, Md.
   
Google Books
The Gigantic Joke Book
By Joseph Rosenbloom
Illustrations by Joyce Behr
New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
1978
Pg. 39:
Sheriff to Cowboy: Quick—did you see which way the computer programmer went?
Cowboy: He went data way!
 
18 May 1985.

(Windsor, ON), “Joke of the Week,” pg. E6, col. 3:
Q.: Which way did the computer programmer go?
A.: He went data way.
By Christie Stitzinger
Age 9, Essex
 
2 June 1985, Newsday (Long Island, NY), “Smiles,” Kidsday sec., pg. 1, col. 3:
Which way did the computer programmer go?
He went data way.
—Michael Ferrera, North Babylon
     
Google Groups: it.discussioni.folli
Sign on a mainframe
Al
9/11/98
Beware of computer - it bytes.
     
Which way did the programmer go?
He went data way.
   
Google Books
The Mammoth Book of Really Silly Jokes:
Humour for the whole family
By Geoff Tibballs
London, UK: Constable & Robinson Ltd
2011
Pg. ?:
Which way did the programmer go?
He went data way.
     
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/Erektshunz October 28, 2016
Which way did the programmer go?
He went data way.
 
Facebook
Puns
December 23, 2016 ·
Which way did the programmer go?
He went data way!
 
Facebook
Dad Jokes
June 2, 2018 ·
Which way did the programmer go?
He went data way!
 
Reddit—3amjokes
Posted by u/danielsoft1 June 14, 2019
Where did this programmer go?
He went data way.