[SIGCIS-Members] Proposal for paper at "Code Histories" Panel – SHOT 2025

[Moritz Feichtinger]

Dear colleagues,


Please find below (and attached) my paper proposal the "Code Histories" 
panel at SHOT 2025. My paper explores the US military’s role in early 
software standardization through a historical analysis of the National 
Military Command System Information Processing System 360 Formatted File 
System (NIPS 360 FFS). By examining the materiality of its components 
and conducting a close reading of Job Control Language (JCL) statements, 
I investigate how code both reflected and shaped military culture, with 
particular attention to its use during the Vietnam War.


I would be delighted to contribute to the discussion on the cultural and 
historical dimensions of coding practices, and I look forward to your 
feedback.


Best,

Moritz


= = = = = = = =
*Coding Control: A Close Reading of NIPS 360 FFS*
The role of the US military in shaping modern computing has been a key 
focus in research on Cold War technology and software history. During 
the early digital age, the military’s demand for automated data 
processing and system compatibility drove efforts to standardize 
hardware, software, and data formats. In response to growing command and 
control needs, the Department of Defense developed the National Military 
Command System Information Processing System 360 Formatted File System 
(NIPS 360 FFS), introduced by IBM in 1963. This system established a 
standardized data format and routines programmed in IBM’s Job Control 
Language (JCL).
This paper traces the historical development of NIPS 360 FFS, focusing 
on challenges of implementation and standardization, particularly 
regarding the materiality of system components. A close reading of JCL 
statements will analyze how specific code elements reflect military 
culture, alongside an examination of the system’s use during the Vietnam 
War and its broader legacy in digital computing.

Dr. Moritz J. Feichtinger, University of Basel – Department of History

= = = = = = = =


Am 13.03.25 um 10:19 schrieb FICHEN Mathilde via Members:
> Dear colleagues,
>
> We are organizing a panel on the social history of code creation and 
> programming practices for the _SHOT conference 
> <https://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual-meeting/2025-shot-annual-meeting/open-sessions-list-2025/>_, 
> and we invite you to submit proposals. While software history has 
> gained traction, the cultural, social, and technical dimensions of 
> coding remain underexplored. This panel seeks to address this gap, 
> drawing on Critical Code Studies and related fields to examine how 
> source code and programming practices shape and reflect broader 
> historical contexts.
>
> The _full proposal 
> <https://www.historyoftechnology.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025_shot_hocquet_code_histories.pdf>_ can 
> be found on the conference website. If you are interested, please 
> submit a 150 word abstract as well as name, title, affiliation, and 
> e-mail address before March 23. Please feel free to share this with 
> interested colleagues.
>
> Best,
> Mathilde
>
> /Organizers: Alexandre Hocquet (Université de Lorraine), Frédéric 
> Wieber (Université de Lorraine), Titaÿna Kauffmann (University of 
> Luxembourg), Mathilde Fichen (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers)/
>
>
> Mathilde Fichen
> Ph.D Candidate
> CNAM - HT2S 
> <https://technique-societe.cnam.fr/histoire-des-technosciences-en-societe-ht2s--913760.kjsp>
> Personal page: mathfichen.github.io <https://mathfichen.github.io/>
>
>
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-- 
Dr. Moritz J. Feichtinger
Universität Basel | Departement Geschichte
SNF-Ambizione Fellow
Hirschgässlein 21 | CH-4051 Basel
moritz.feichtinger at unibas.ch
moritzfeichtinger.net
computingthesocial.net
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1260-8884
--> offline fridays!
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