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

[Moritz Feichtinger]

Dear List,

Terribly sorry for the "reply all" fail!

Best,

Moritz

Am 22.03.25 um 17:33 schrieb Moritz Feichtinger via Members:
> 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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>
>
> _______________________________________________
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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!