October 2008 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Bletchley park preservation support
by Coopersmith, Jonathan 24 Oct '08

24 Oct '08

For anyone in the UK interested in supporting Bletchley Park preservation - http://www.cashandcarrion.co.uk/worthy_causes.html -- Jonathan Coopersmith Associate Professor 2008-09 Fulbright Researcher/Lecturer Department of History History of Science and Technology Group Texas A&M University Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology College Station, TX 77843-4326 Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-W9-406 6979.845.8584 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan 152-8552 979.862.4314 fax (080) 3750-4600 mobile http://aggiegaijin.blogspot.com/ Secretary Section L, History & Philosophy of Science American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) www.aaas.org

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job announcement: social informatics
by Medina, Eden 23 Oct '08

23 Oct '08

Faculty Positions in Social Informatics http://informatics.indiana.edu/hiring The Indiana University School of Informatics seeks to fill one junior and one senior position in Social Informatics starting in August 2009. We define Social Informatics as study of the ways in which social dynamics and contemporary information and communications technologies (ICTs) mutually shape each other. We wish to hire scholars who are excellent researchers and teachers and who will provide substantial leadership in furthering the work we have already begun in developing our new interdisciplinary field. The School of Informatics at Indiana University is the first of its kind and among the largest in the country, with a faculty of more than 80 full-time members<http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/people/faculty.asp>, 182 doctoral students<http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/people/phd.asp>, 312 master’s students<http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/people/grads.asp>, and nearly 400 undergraduates majoring in either Informatics<http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/academics/undergrad.asp> or Computer Science<http://www.cs.indiana.edu/Academics/undergraduate/programs/> on the Bloomington campus. Indiana University is home to the Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics<http://rkcsi.indiana.edu/>, a campus-wide center that supports social informatics research across multiple disciplines. IU offers a vibrant environment for innovative work in research and teaching. Successful candidates will hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field and will build on or complement our current areas of interest, which include: collaborative and community knowledge practices (e.g., free/libre and open source software projects); comparative methodologies for social informatics; ICTs and development; gender and technology; history of ICTs; political dimensions of ICTs; privacy and security in pervasive technologies (especially health-related applications); scientific work practices; science, technology, and society (STS); technology and social change; and technology and culture. We encourage applicants that link to other areas of strength within the School of Informatics, including Complex Systems, Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction and Design, Life Sciences, Music, and Security Informatics. The School of Informatics offers excellent work conditions including low teaching loads, attractive salaries, and world-class computing<http://www.iub.edu/compute/>, networking, and library facilities<http://www.libraries.iub.edu/>. Located on the wooded, rolling hills of southern Indiana, Bloomington is a culturally thriving college town with moderate cost of living. It is renowned for its top-ranked music school<http://music.indiana.edu/>, performing and fine arts<http://iub.edu/arts/>, historic campus<http://www.iub.edu/tour/>, food tourism<http://www.visitbloomington.com/listings/index.cfm?catID=5&notify=1&Content…>, cycling traditions<http://www.iusf.indiana.edu/Events_Programs/Little_500.html>, active lifestyle<http://bloomington.in.gov/parks/>, and natural beauty<http://www.visitbloomington.com/listings/index.cfm?catID=4&notify=1&Content…>. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a statement of research and teaching, and the names of three references (six for associate and full professors) using the online application form<http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/hiring/apply.asp>. Supporting materials can also be sent to: Chair, Faculty Search Committee School of Informatics 919 E. 10th Street Bloomington, IN 47408 E-mail: hiring(a)informatics.indiana.edu<mailto:hiring@informatics.indiana.edu> Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Indiana University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Applications from women and minorities are strongly encouraged.

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Claude Shannon scholars
by Deborah Douglas 21 Oct '08

21 Oct '08

As many on this list know, the family of Claude Shannon donated several of his mechanical toys to the MIT Museum two years ago. We created a modest display of this new acquisition but I am interested in identifying scholars who have a strong interest in Shannon's work. I'd be grateful for any referrals, contact information or citations. Thanks, Debbie Douglas Deborah G. Douglas, Ph.D. Curator of Science and Technology MIT Museum, N51-209 265 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 ddouglas(a)mit.edu • 617-253-1766 phone • 617-253-8994 fax http://web.mit.edu/museum • http://webmuseum.mit.edu

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ICA Media Technology History Preconference
by Fred Turner 07 Oct '08

07 Oct '08

Hi All -- For those who go to the International Communication Association conference, this might be of interest. -- Fred The Future is Prologue: New Media, New Histories? New media encompass both new opportunities and new dilemmas for scholars. This ICA pre-conference invites participants to reflect on ways to analyze, preserve , and understand new media in a manner that is both sensitive to the past and to future needs of historical research. The history of new media is a burgeoning new subfield, but one aspect that often goes overlooked is how new media involve new ways of doing history. The purpose of this pre-conference is to focus attention on the shifting needs of historical scholarship about new media. It will include a demonstration of new technologies for collaboration and visualization under development at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago. We welcome papers on a wide array of historically-grounded themes. The following illustrations of topics suggest - but are not intended to limit - topics suitable for paper submissions: * The idea of 'storage' as it relates to new media and historiography. * The contextualization of historical problems in a new media milieu. * The changing meanings and implications of inscription as the internet more fully embraces a range of audio-visual forms of communication. * Ideological implications of speculations regarding the future. * The changing place of 'the virtual' in new media studies. * Digital history. * The reputed move away from print media to new media. * Changing meanings of the 'global' in relation to new media. * Ubiquity, indexing, correlation and access. * New media and transformations in the scholarly enterprise. Abstracts of 300 words should be submitted no later than November 1,2008. Send abstracts to: David Park, Chair of the ICA Communication History Interest Group, at park(a)lakeforest.edu. Authors will be informed whether abstracts have been accepted by 21 November 2008. Papers will be due by May 1, 2009. The program for this pre-conference will take place all day on May 21, 2009, the date established for ICA pre-conferences. The available time allows for three consecutive blocks of short presentations and roundtable-style discussions. The pre-conference is a joint initiative by the Communication History Interest Group of the ICA, New Media & Society and the Electronic Visualization Laboratory and Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The pre-conference will be held at The University of Illinois at Chicago, and there will be transportation available for participants and attendees between the conference hotel and the UIC campus. Organized by * Dave Park, Chair, Communication History Interest Group, http://www.icahdq.org/sections/secdetinfo.asp?SecCode=DIV23 * Nicholas Jankowski and Steve Jones, co-editors New Media & Society, http://newmediaandsociety.com Click here for more information: http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/2009/future.asp ___________________________________________________________________ Fred Turner Assistant Professor Department of Communication Building 120 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-2050 Office: 650-723-0706 Fax: 650-725-2472 http://fredturner.stanford.edu

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SIGCIS program, possible dinner, for SHOT 2008
by Thomas Haigh 07 Oct '08

07 Oct '08

Hello everyone, The annual SHOT meeting is almost upon us. This time in Lisbon. I have sent a message on lunch arrangements to everyone who has signed up for it or previously let me know they were attending. If you think you are coming but did NOT get the email with map, etc. then let me know as soon as possible otherwise there will be no food for you. We have 40 registered so far, and last time I saw the figures were tied with the environmental history people as the biggest SIG! Weve tended to run an informal dinner (just eat drink chat, no speeches or business) as well as the official lunch. With the need to make lots of announcement and conduct business at the lunch the dinner tends to be more relaxed and smaller, so it can be a good chance to get to know people working in the field. Looking at the program weve got a reception on Saturday, the banquet on Monday, so that seems to leave Sunday night, where the only thing programmed after 7:30 appears to be an international comics festival with a reception. So wed probably meet around 8pm on Sunday. This will only happen if I hear people are interested, and details on final arrangements will only be sent to people who reply to this message. As well as the lunch we have a number of computing related sessions. I count four panels devoted to some form of IT (including cybernetics) and three more papers scattered over panels with other themes or assembled from individually contributed papers. Thats down from last year, but still a very healthy trend compared with five years ago. Its not too soon to start thinking about the 2009 meeting (10/15/2009 - 10/19/2009 Pittsburgh, PA). We hope to run at least one extra session and possibly an additional full day of programming in conjunction with this meeting. The one SIGCIS organized panel this year is 1:30-3:30 on Sunday, Oct 12. 17. <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session17/Session17Abstract.pdf > Looms, Chips, Users and Code: The Business of Computing Room: Arts II Chair: Helmuth Trischler, Deutsches Museum , Munich Organizer: Thomas Haigh, University of Wisconsin , Milwaukee Commentator: Thomas Haigh, University of Wisconsin , Milwaukee Janet Delve, University of Portsmouth , <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session17/Paper%201.pdf> New Perspectives on Jacquard Looms and the Development of Punched Cards" Jeffrey Yost, University of Minnesota , <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session17/Paper%202.pdf> Manufacturing Mainframes: The Evolving Semiconductor Strategies of IBM and Sperry Univac, 1960- 1975 Pierre Mounier, CNRS/Université Paris-Sorbonne, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session17/Paper%203.pdf> A Department for Ordinary Business: Application Software in the French Plan Calcul (1966-1975) Peter B. Meyer, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session17/Paper%204.pdf> Computer Use and Earnings Inequality, 1960- 2000 At the same time, there is one IT history paper in this session. 19. Networks and Large Technological Systems Room: Ruby II Chair: Johan Schot, Eindhoven University of Technology Commentator: Marc Jacquinet, Universidade Aberta, Portugal Daniela Helbig, Harvard University , Cambridge , MA , <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session19/Paper%201.pdf> Beyond the systems limits: Marga von Etzdorfs last flight (Robinson Prize Candidate) Ana Paula Silva, New University of Lisbon, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session19/Paper%202.pdf> Portugal in the building of a transnational network - a winner or a loser? Katja Girschik, ETH Zurich, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session19/Paper%203.pdf> Taming the mass of goods and data. The emergence of a computer-aided merchandise management system at the Swiss retailer Migros Elsewhere on the program and later in the day from 3:45-5:45. Note: Simon had to drop out, so there will just be three papers. 25. <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session25/Session25Abstract.pdf > Computing at Transnational Cross-Roads: Technology and Politics in the Cold War Room: Arts II Chair: Gerard Alberts, University of Amsterdam Organizer: Corinna Schlombs, University of Pennsylvania Commentator: Eden Medina , Indiana University Corinna Schlombs, University of Pennsylvania , <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session25/Paper%201.pdf> The Mission of Marshall Plan technical aid: Productivity machines for Europe Petri Paju, University of Turku, Finland, Helena Durnova, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session25/Paper%202.pdf> Computing Close to the Iron Curtain: Inter/national Computing Practices in Czechoslovakia and Finland Ksenia Tatarchenko, Paris - Sorbonne, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session25/Paper%203.pdf> Visiting Akademgorodok : in(s) and out(s)A portrait of Siberian computing from an international perspective Simon Donig, University of Passau , Germany , <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia12/Session25/Paper%204.pdf> Computing as modernisation: technology transfer and the emergence of a culture of management in the GDR (1964-1969) At Monday 1:30-3:30 42. <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session42/Session42Abstract.pdf > Standardizing Technology: Lesson Learned Room: Arts I Chairs: Andreas Fickers, University of Maastricht Organizer: Andrew Russell, Duke University Commentator: Pascal Griset, Université Paris - Sorbonne Peter Van den Bossche, Erasmus University College Brussels, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session42/Paper%201.pdf> The Interaction Between Standardization, Technology and Market: The Early Development of the Electric Vehicle as an Example Jeffrey Tang, James Madison University, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session42/Paper%202.pdf> Gateway to Success: LPs, 45s, and the Format War that Wasnt Gard Paulsen, Norwegian School of Management, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session42/Paper%203.pdf> Programmed Tensions and Standardized Transitions: The Design of CCITTs Programming Language for Telephone Switches" Dong-oh Park, Science and Technology Policy Institute, Korea, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session42/Paper%204.pdf> Making National Character Code: Debates Over Korean Standard Character Code and its Effect in Unicode (Robinson Prize Candidate) Monday 3:45-5:45 49. <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Session49Abstract.pdf > Cybernetics and Information Theory 1948 and beyond Room: Arts I Chair: Nathan Ensmenger, University of Pennsylvania Organizers: Frank Dittmann, Deutsches Museum, Germany Bernard Geoghegan, Northwestern University, USA Rudolf Seising, Jena, Germany, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%201.pdf> Cybernetics, System Theory, and Information Theory in the 1950s and 1960s Lars Bluma, Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%202.pdf> Early Cybernetic machines: artifacts, discourses, and organisms Jan Mueggenburg, Vienna, Austria, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%203.pdf> From Cybernetics to Bionics: The Biological Computer Laboratory Ronald Kline, Cornell University, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%204.pdf> The Disunity of Cybernetics Bernard Geoghegan, Northwestern University, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%205.pdf> Informed Ideology: The Politics of Information Theory from French Structuralism to British Cultural Studies Philipp Aumann, Munich, Germany, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%206.pdf> Between Ideology and Methodology. Cybernetics in Western Germany Frank Dittmann; Deutches Museum Munich, Germany, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia13/Session49/Paper%207.pdf> Cybernetics in GDR between euphoria and rejection Tuesday 8:30 to 10:00. 53. <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session53/Session53Abstract.pdf > New Research Tools for Contemporary History Room: Diamante I Chair: Thomas Misa, University of Minnesota Organizer: Thomas Misa, University of Minnesota Commentator: TBD Per Lundin, Isabelle Dussauge, Department of History of Science and Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session53/Paper%201.pdf> Documenting the Use of Computers in Society between 1950 and 1980: Witness Seminars and Writers Web Andreu Veà, Barcelona , <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session53/Paper%202.pdf> Internet history and Internet research methods: Engineering the worldwide WiWiW project Thomas Misa, Joline Zepcevski, Univertiy of Minnesota, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session53/Paper%203.pdf> Realizing user-centered computer history: Designing and using NSFs FastLane (1990-present) And at the same time, with one IT paper 54. <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session54/Session54Abstract.pdf > Beyond Eureka!: Maintenance and Operations in the History of Technology Room: Arts I Chair: Alexander B. Magoun, David Sarnoff Library, Princeton Organizer: Kenneth Lipartito, Florida International University Commentator: David Edgerton, Imperial College London Kevin L. Borg, James Madison University, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session54/Paper%201.pdf> Maintenance Made Visible: How Policy Makers Helped Engineers Create Dependable American Cars Nathan Ensmenger, University of Pennsylvania, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session54/Paper%202.pdf> Fixing Things That Can Never be Broken: Software Maintenance as Heterogeneous Engineering Kenneth Lipartito, Florida International University, <http://www.shotlisbon2008.com/program/dia14/Session54/Paper%203.pdf> Flying on the Ground: Maintenance, Operations and the Space Shuttle Best wishes, Tom Haigh

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Work Begins on the Records of the Association for Computing Machinery at the Charles Babbage Institute
by Arvid Nelsen 07 Oct '08

07 Oct '08

The Charles Babbage Institute is extremely pleased to announce that the new Project Archivist for the records of the Association for Computing Machinery started work on Monday, Sept. 29. Loralee J. Bloom ("Lora") has many years of experience in archives and libraries, including ten years with the Minnesota Historical Society as the Archivist for the records of the 3M Corporation. Lora will be with CBI for nine months, working solely on processing the ACM records, in a position generously funded by the ACM. Materials selected for inclusion in the collection to be held at CBI were identified in two different projects. First, in 2005 then-CBI Archivist Elisabeth Kaplan and then-Assistant Archivist Carrie Seib travelled to the ACM offices in New York to assess currently held materials and make recommendations for long-term retention and preservation. This past summer current CBI Archivist R. Arvid Nelsen went to the new ACM offices to identify the locations of materials previously recommended as well as to consult with various department heads and examine additional materials to be retained. About half of the materials identified for housing at CBI have now arrived at our offices in the Elmer L. Andersen Library on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Materials include (but are not necessarily limited to) minutes, reports, correspondence, and publications from originating units such as Publications, Member Services, the Executive Director's Office, Administration, SIG Services, Marketing, and Policies & Procedures. Further information will be available as collection processing is completed. In addition to a completed online finding aid, the project will also include the creation of a web page on the history of ACM. A physical exhibit and celebration to promote the completed project will be announced later. If you have any questions in the meantime, please direct them to CBI Archivist, R. Arvid Nelsen at nels0307(a)umn.edu. Thank you R. Arvid Nelsen, Archivist Charles Babbage Institute 211 Elmer L. Andersen Library 222 - 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 Office: 612-625-4867 Fax: 612-625-8054 http://www.cbi.umn.edu/ NOTA BENE! Check out the new CBI Blog with Instant Messaging at: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/horow021/cbi/

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Please review/update/create SIGCIS directory entries
by Thomas Haigh 06 Oct '08

06 Oct '08

Hello everyone, With the annual meeting coming up there is no better time to update your member profile and description of research interests at http://www.sigcis.org/?q=profile. As we will have 40 people or more at the lunch there won't be time for everyone to make a public introduction. We will stick with the practice of recent years and pull together the online statements from attendees for precirculation. You'll then know who at the conference has relevant interests and can keep an eye out for them. I will be distributing the directory of SHOT attendees by email on Thursday, so if your entry is updated then please Of the two hundred or so SIGCIS members only about 70 have directory entries, and about 20 of those are blank. Populating or creating your directory entry is a great way of introducing yourself to the community. It may be particularly useful for graduate students. This is the community hub for people with a scholarly interest in the history of information technology. We still don't have a new secretary, so I am handling the reminder myself this year. Here's how to create or update your directory entry: 1. Login to SIGCIS here: http://www.sigcis.org/?q=user. You should have received an email with your password when you registered. If you've forgotten your password, then go here http://www.sigcis.org/?q=user/password, enter your email address, and it will send you a new one. If you were on the listserv prior to our move to SIGCIS.org then you may not have a SIGCIS account, but creating one is easy. http://www.sigcis.org/?q=user/register 2. The system will then take you directly to the screen where you view your member profile. 3. To edit the member profile click the "edit" tab toward the top of the screen. 4. Then to get to the screen with your affiliation and statement of interests click the "Member Information" tab which will have appeared just below the "Edit" tab. 5. Make changes, or paste in an updated statement. Then click "Submit." I just did mine - it really only takes a minute. While you're logged in, you can change your password to something more memorable. Best wishes, Tom Haigh www.tomandmaria.com/tom

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