February 2010 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Vacuum Tube Development Committee
by Evan Koblentz 09 Sep '10

09 Sep '10

Last week I visited Harvard's archives of the Radio Research Lab, and found some meeting minutes of the Vacuum Tube Development Committee (1943-1945 timeframe) .... I can't find much online that nicely summarizes this committee and its activity / purpose. Can someone here point me to a good overview?

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Quote on IT Productivity
by James Cortada 28 Feb '10

28 Feb '10

We have all heard variations of a quote that goes something like this, "If cars had improved as much as computers, you would be able to buy a Rolls-Royce for $5, etc." I may have found the original quote all quite by accident and thought you might want it: "If we compare the automotive and computer industries over the last 30 years, we find that if there had been similar progress in the auto industry as there was in the computer industry . . . then the auto industry would today be able to offer us a Rolls-Royce for $2.50 with an E.P.A. gas rating of 2 million miles per gallon." --an IT executive quoted in "Computing for Business Into the 1980s," Fortune (June 5, 1978), page 25 (full article pp. 23-86). If anybody has an earlier quote, share. Enjoy! Dr. Jim (James) W. Cortada IBM Institute for Business Value 2917 Irvington Way Madison, WI 53713 USA jwcorta(a)us.ibm.com 608-270-4462

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Oxford DNB: Sir Edwin Nixon
by Bernardo Batiz-Lazo 24 Feb '10

24 Feb '10

Hello Seems quite interesting and relevant but I don’t have capacity to deal with it. If anyone is interested then please contact Alex May at OUP directly. Kind regards, Bernardo From: MAY, Alex [mailto:alex.may@oup.com] Sent: 23 February 2010 11:22 To: b.batiz-lazo(a)leicester.ac.uk Subject: Oxford DNB: Sir Edwin Nixon Dear Dr Batiz-Lazo, As you may know, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography was published in September 2004 simultaneously in print (in 60 volumes) and online. Since then we have added some 2000 new lives to the dictionary – 1000 covering the recently-deceased (people who died in 2001-5), plus another 1000 or so covering people who died before our original cut-off date of the end of 2000 – as well as various lists, feature essays, teaching materials, etc. Thanks to an agreement with the Museums and Libraries Association the online version of the dictionary is now available in nearly all public libraries in the country (most of which allow ‘remote access’ from home computers), as well as in many university libraries throughout the world. There is more information about the dictionary on our website: http://www.oxforddnb.com. I am writing now to ask whether you might be willing to write the Oxford DNB entry on the late Sir Edwin Nixon, the chief executive of IBM, banker, and pro-chancellor of Leicester. What we would be hoping for is an article of approximately 1200 words to be delivered, if at all possible, by the end of April 2011. The fee we can offer for the article is £100. This is, I realise, no more than an honorarium. Nevertheless, I am confident that if you were to write this article, it would be consulted frequently. I hope, also, that you might enjoy writing it. If you are willing to write this entry, we will send copies of the obituaries in the national broadsheets, GRO certificates, some sample entries, and various other materials. I hope very much that you will feel able to say ‘yes’. With best wishes, Yours sincerely, Alex May --------------------- (Dr) Alex May Research editor, Oxford DNB Tel: 01865-355047 E-mail: alex.may(a)oup.com http://www.oxforddnb.com/ Oxford University Press (UK) Disclaimer This message is confidential. You should not copy it or disclose its contents to anyone. You may use and apply the information for the intended purpose only. OUP does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. Any views or opinions presented are those of the author only and not of OUP. If this email has come to you in error, please delete it, along with any attachments. Please note that OUP may intercept incoming and outgoing email communications. Oxford University Press (UK) Disclaimer This message is confidential. You should not copy it or disclose its contents to anyone. You may use and apply the information for the intended purpose only. OUP does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. Any views or opinions presented are those of the author only and not of OUP. If this email has come to you in error, please delete it, along with any attachments. Please note that OUP may intercept incoming and outgoing email communications. Oxford University Press (UK) Disclaimer This message is confidential. You should not copy it or disclose its contents to anyone. You may use and apply the information for the intended purpose only. OUP does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. Any views or opinions presented are those of the author only and not of OUP. If this email has come to you in error, please delete it, along with any attachments. Please note that OUP may intercept incoming and outgoing email communications.

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History of Nordic Computing: Final call
by Per Lundin 24 Feb '10

24 Feb '10

This is a reminder that the deadline (28 February) of HiNC3 is approaching. Please check http://dsv.su.se/hinc3/. Per Lundin & Benkt Wangler IPC co-chairs ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Per Lundin Div. of History of Science and Technology Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) SE-100 44 Stockholm Sweden Phone: +46 8 790 87 41 Fax: +46 8 24 62 63 http://www.teknikhistoria.se ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

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CFP SHOT 2010 -- SIGCIS Proposals?
by Thomas Haigh 22 Feb '10

22 Feb '10

Hello Everyone, The Call for Papers for the 2010 SHOT Meeting is pasted below. The SHOT deadline in 31 March, and the conference takes place in Tacoma, Washington September 30-Oct 3. We also plan to hold a full day SIGCIS workshop on Oct 3, following the successful format of our 2009 workshop. A separate call for this will go out later. The current call is for the main conference. People can submit for both. This email list is available as a clearinghouse for those interested in assembling coherent panel proposals for the meeting. In addition, one of my main activities as chair has been to organize SIGCIS sponsored panels and work with authors to shape their abstracts accordingly. Weve proposed 3 panels for each of the past three meetings. In 2007 all 3 were accepted, in 2008 just 1, and in 2009 2 of 3. So that's a two thirds success rate overall. Our sessions tend to be lively and well attended. If you are interested in taking part in a SIGCIS organized panel send me an informal message by the END OF THIS MONTH with an idea of what topic you would present. Try not to let cost put you off. As always, SHOT has travel grants available -- primarily for presenters who are graduate students, coming from poorer countries, or recent graduates without permanent jobs. Funding is not guaranteed but is often quite generous and well worth applying for. http://www.historyoftechnology.org/travel_grants.html In addition SIGCIS expects to have funds to make some small supplemental grants ($200 to graduate student members (and perhaps others in the same categories) to top up SHOT's awards. We will announce details for 2010 later. The statement of themes seems very inclusive and somewhat vague with the proximity of Seattle IT is mentioned as a welcome topic. Other themes we might be able to hit: globalization, consumption, the Pacific world. The program committee mentions that it would like to see panels with diversity of countries, institutions, and outreach to scholars in aligned and/or related fields. A welcome is also extended to those "new to SHOT." SIGCIS is well placed to satisfy those requirements. The call includes the usual statement to indicate if a proposal is sponsored by one of SHOTs special interest groups. However no policy on SIG sponsorship seems to exist, so were not sure there is a maximum number of panels beyond which sponsorship becomes counterproductive. Also were not sure if we can put the SIG stamp of approval on relevant sessions organized by others. Perhaps in response to some requests for clarification we made last year the latest call clarifies a few items of SHOT practice formerly assumed to be tacit knowledge. It states that the Program Committee discourages scholars from presenting papers at two consecutive meetings held in North America. Exceptions can be made for scholars traveling from overseas. If you presented in the main conference at Pittsburgh but would like to be a chair or commentator then please let me know. Unless we hear otherwise we'll assume that having presented in the SIGCIS workshop in 2009 does NOT count against you in competition for the main SHOT program in 2010. Another clarification in the new CFP: in general we discourage panels with more than three papers. Let's make 2010 another record setting year for the history of computing at SHOT. Tom ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- OFFICIAL CALL FOLLOWS, taken from http://www.historyoftechnology.org/shot2010cfp.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Deadline: 31 March 2010 SHOT 2010Call For Papers The Society for the History of Technology will hold its annual meeting in Tacoma, Washington from September 30 to October 3, 2010. The Program Committee invites paper and panel proposals on any topic in the history of technology, broadly defined. Sessions dealing with non-Western technologies are particularly welcome. Of special interest for 2010 are proposals that engage in themes that resonate with the concerns of the specific locale. These include: Consumption: In the popular imagination, the Tacoma-Seattle area is associated with several important corporate entities (Boeing, Microsoft, Nintendo, Starbucks, etc.) whose goods and services are deeply embedded in global consumer culture. At a moment in time when consumption, sometimes excessive, sometimes globalized, sometimes exploitative, is of great concern to both the public and policy-makers, Tacoma is an appropriate place for historians to (re)consider technologies of consumption. We are especially interested in papers that see production and consumption as coterminous processes and which historicize consumption as part of broader processes in the history of technology. We define consumption very broadly to include the publics active engagement with technologies and technological systems, which may include environmental, communications, and obsolete technologies. The Program Committee encourages sessions dealing with topics appropriate to the meeting location, such as aerospace and maritime history, labor history, forest products, information technology, and themes relevant to the Pacific world. We also encourage historians of technology to reach out to scholars in aligned and/or related fields when constructing research proposals as one way to create a more interdisciplinary environment. Finally, we invite papers and panel proposals that emphasize the longue durée, particularly those that problematize demarcations such as modern/premodern, colonial/postcolonial, and preindustrial/industrial. As always, sessions dealing with pre-modern, Medieval, and ancient topics are especially welcome. The Program Committee's highest priority in evaluating paper and panel proposals is scholarly excellence. The Committee welcomes proposals for individual papers or sessions, as well as works-in-progress from researchers of all stripes (including graduate students, chaired professors, and independent scholars). It welcomes proposals from those new to SHOT, regardless of discipline. Multinational, international, and cross-institutional sessions are also desirable. We especially encourage proposals from non-Western scholars. For the 2010 meeting the Program Committee continues to encourage unconventional sessions; that is, session formats that vary in useful ways from the typical three/four papers with comment. These might include round-table sessions, workshop-style sessions with papers that are pre-circulated electronically, or "author meets critics" sessions. We also welcome poster proposals for presentation in poster sessions. Please note that in general we discourage panels with more than three papers. The DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS 31 March 2010. Please submit your proposals to The Shot Program Committee. Proposals for individual papers must include: 1. a one-page abstract (maximum 600 words) 2. a one-page curriculum vitae, including current postal and e-mail addresses Proposals for complete sessions must include: 1. a description of the session that explains how individual papers contribute to an overall theme. 2. the names and paper titles of the presenters 3. for each presenter, a one-page summary (maximum 600 words) of the papers topic, argument(s), and evidence used 4. for the commentator, chair, and each presenter: one-page c.v., with postal and e-mail addresses Please indicate if a proposal is sponsored by one of SHOTs special interest groups. Submission Instructions: 1. Materials should be sent as a single text attachment to an e-mail message to the Program Committee Chair, Asif Siddiqi at shot.tacoma2010(a)gmail.com 2. Proposals for complete sessions as well as individual papers should be submitted in one file. 3. Please adhere to the 600-word limit for each paper. Use no unusual fonts or special formatting, and save your attachment either as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx) or as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) file. Nearly all word processing programs, including those used on Apple computers can save text in the Rich Text Format. Do not use Adobe Acrobat (pdf). 4. Name your attachment with your last name and the word proposal, e.g. Smith_proposal.doc. 5. A session organizer should also deliver a description of the overall session. If you are organizing a session and proposing a paper in that session, you will be delivering both an abstract and proposal, plus your c.v. 6. If you are proposing a non-traditional session you may indicate that in the abstract. These also require a curriculum vitae. General information: While SHOT rules exclude multiple submissions (i.e., submitting more than one individual paper proposal, or proposing both an individual paper and a paper as part of a session), scholars may both propose a paper and serve as a commentator or session chair. Generally speaking, the Program Committee discourages scholars from presenting papers at two consecutive meetings held in North America. Exceptions can be made for scholars traveling from overseas. Individuals are always welcome to serve as chairs and commentators and are encouraged to let the Program Committee know if they are available. For questions, please contact SHOT Secretary Bernie Carlson at shotsecy(a)virginia.edu.

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British computer pioneers and their links
by Brian Randell 14 Feb '10

14 Feb '10

Hi: Here is a better link to the set of pages that the BBC has just produced about early British computer projects. (Previously I'd only found (unlinked) individual pages.) Cheers Brian Randell -- School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 FAX = +44 191 222 8232 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell

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New member- about Dan Holbrook
by Holbrook, Daniel 14 Feb '10

14 Feb '10

Hello all, Having just joined this email list, I am obeying the request to post a brief paragraph about myself. I am an associate professor and department chair in the Department of History, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. While I am not a historian of computing per se, I have done a bit of work on the history of electronic components, in particular semiconductor device manufacturing. My current research is focusing on contamination control technologies; again, not the history of computing, but, given the importance of clean rooms to the manufacture of electronic components, certainly related. More specifically, I am working on related histories of high efficiency air filtration, particle counters, dust and dirt in manufacturing, and, believe it or not, wiping and wipers, all within the context of contamination control in manufacturing.. I earned my Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University, studying under David Hounshell, Steve Klepper, and Wes Cohen. The latter two are organization economists, but sincerely interested in history. I have been reasonably active in SHOT, having served on several prize committees and the Program Committee. Dan

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FW: [Sighfis-l] ASIST History Fund awards for 2010 announcement
by Thomas Haigh 10 Feb '10

10 Feb '10

Hello everyone, Please find below this year's call for the ASIST paper ($500) and research ($1000) awards. They've been clarified a little this year, so it's clear that the paper must be unpublished and not committed to another venue. (The call also specifies APA style for submissions). ASIST's historical interest group has focused on the history of library and information science, but the addition of IT to its remit may open up the scope for proposals on the history of computing. Tom From: sighfis-l-bounces(a)asis.org [mailto:sighfis-l-bounces@asis.org] On Behalf Of WILLIAMS, ROBERT Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:25 PM To: sighfis-l Subject: [Sighfis-l] ASIST History Fund awards for 2010 announcement ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ASIST HISTORY FUND 2010 RESEARCH AWARD AND RESEARCH PAPER AWARD The ASIST History Fund Advisory Board announces the following two competitive awards for 2010: The ASIST History Fund Research Award: This award will be for a maximum of $1,000 and will be awarded for the best research support proposal submitted by July 1, 2010. All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology may be proposed. The proposal should state: central topic or question to be researched, qualifications of the researcher (a brief vita should be included), a budget, and how the funds will be expended. All funds must be expended by June 30, 2011. Submit proposals to: http://www.softconf.com/asist/History_Fund/ by July 1, 2010. The ASIST History Fund Research Paper Award: This award will be for a maximum of $500 and awarded for the best paper submitted by July 1, 2010. All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology will be considered. The paper should not have been previously published or submitted to a journal. The paper should not exceed 30 pages double-spaced, including notes/references, using the APA style manual. The ASIST History Fund Advisory Board will review all submissions and decide if an award is to be made by Sept. 1, 2010. If an award is made the winner will be expected to present the paper at the 2011 ASIST Annual Meeting and give first rights of refusal for publication to the Journal of The American Society for Information Science and Technology. Submit papers to: http://www.softconf.com/asist/History_Fund/ by the due date of July 1, 2010. For additional information contact: Robert V. Williams at: bobwill(a)sc.edu ************** The ASIST History Fund was established by the ASIST Board of Directors in June, 2000 for the purposes of supporting and encouraging research and publication in the history of information science and technology. The Fund is supported by donations (including book royalties) from ASIST members and others with an interest in the history of information science and technology. The Fund Advisory Board encourages further donations from anyone interested in supporting historical study of information science and technology. Members of the ASIST History Fund Advisory Board for 2010 are: Michael Buckland, Chair Julian Warner, Chair-Elect Trudi B. Hahn Ben-Ami Lipetz Samantha Hastings

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Query: Babel metaphor
by Nofre Mateo, David 10 Feb '10

10 Feb '10

Dear colleagues, I am trying to chart the use of the Babel metaphor in the history of programming languages. Particularly, I am curious about the use of the visual metaphor. But I am a bit stuck with some basic factual information about the circumstances of the following two images : 1) The now famous cover of the issue of January 1961 of the Communications of the ACM is a obvious point of departure. I know that Alan J. Perlis was the editor at that time of the journal, but I cannot find any information related to the production of the picture (author, source, etc.). 2) The second picture is the supposedly first language history chart, which appeared in Jean E. Sammet, Programming languages: history and future, Comm. of ACM, 15, July 1972. According to Sammet, she got the idea from Christopher J. Shaws article Milestones in Computer Programming, published in SIGPLAN Notices February 1965. But I have been unable to find any issue online or printed copy in the libraries in the Netherlands of the SIGPLAN Notices before August 1966, which it appears in all the collections as the first issue. Does anybody know about Shaws article? I would appreciate any information about these two images. Thank you very much. David Nofre .................................................. David Nofre, PhD Program of History of Computing Informatics Institute - Faculty of Science University of Amsterdam Science Park 107 1098 XG Amsterdam d.nofremateo(a)uva.nl

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FW: 4S Meeting in Tokyo -- 9 more days to submit papers and sessions
by Thomas Haigh 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

Hello everyone, If any of you are sitting on the fence or meaning to reply to my earlier call for possible participants in a SIGCIS panel then now would be a good time to do it. I had just one person so far express interest. The reminder below is full of links carefully chosen to excite you with Tokyo’s exotic allure… Tom From: webmaster(a)4sonline.org [mailto:webmaster@4sonline.org] Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 4:08 PM To: thaigh(a)computer.org Subject: 4S Meeting in Tokyo -- 9 more days to submit papers and sessions <https://netforum.avectra.com/public/EmailTrack.aspx?cli=SSSS&img=daf7da8b-9…> Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) August 25 – 29, 2010 | Tokyo Held jointly with Japanese Society for Science and Technology Studies Haven't decided whether to go? Check out these Tokyo travel links. (The first two support multiple languages.) <http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/> Tokyo Tourism Info http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/ <http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/> Japan National Tourism Organization http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/tokyo> Lonely Planet http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/tokyo <http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tokyo/0085020004.html> Frommer's on Japan http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tokyo/0085020004.html <http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/> Tokyo Convention and Visitors' Bureau http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/ One <http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/travel/31ramen.html?emc=eta1> Noodle at a Time in Tokyo http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/travel/31ramen.html?emc=eta1 <http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/SUB/MOVIE/index.htm> "Tokyo Colors" movie http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/SUB/MOVIE/index.htm Session Matchmaking Post/view session calls on the new 4S message board <http://4sonline.org/forum> , http://4sonline.org/forum. Call for Papers: "STS in Global Contexts" Deadline for Submissions of Paper Abstracts and Session Proposals is February 15, 2010. The 2010 4S conference will be held with JSSTS (Japanese Society for Science and Technology Studies). This is the first 4S annual meeting in Asia. 4S members will have a chance to experience, interact with, and understand the cultural diversity of Asia. Furthermore, holding 4S in Asia opens the door to questions relating to universalities and cultural differences in STS concepts. This meeting will provide a good opportunity for reconsidering STS in global contexts as well as strengthening STS network worldwide. Submit paper and <http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/ssss/4s10> session proposals now. (http://convention2.allacademic.com/one/ssss/4s10) We are using the same submission site as last year. If you submitted or were included in a proposal last year, you already have a user ID. Guidelines Given the growing size of the 4S conferences and the desire to be as inclusive as possible, the program committee will need to make full use of the available time slots. Therefore, individuals may be listed for a paper presentation and one other role (such as session chair or discussant but not a second paper) for a maximum of two appearances. Paper abstracts may be submitted individually or by a session organizer. Submissions are in the form of abstracts of 500 words or less, and must include a summary of the paper's main arguments and methodology, as well as a brief statement on the contribution to the STS literature. Please choose the most suitable categories for your paper: A) Environmental Studies B) Biomedicine C) Food D) Information and Communication Technology E) Energy / Nuclear Power F) Engineering G) Gender Studies H) Economics / Market Studies I) Public Engagement / Social Movement J) Science Communication K) Science, Technology, and Public Policy L) Theory and Method M) Others Session proposals should be limited to 500 words total, and should contain a summary and rationale for the session, as well as a brief discussion of its contribution to STS. Session proposals should list names of all session organizers and panelists, including institutional affiliations and (electronic) addresses. Session proposals should be based on the assumption of one-and-half hour time slots with fifteen minutes per presentation. A typical session may have four papers, one discussant, and open discussion slot. You must have a minimum of three complete paper abstracts in order to submit a session proposal. The program committee may need to assign additional papers to proposed sessions. Session proposals must also indicate a subject category. Proposals for double and triple sessions on a single topic may receive a request to consolidate the topic into one panel or to break the multiple sessions into different topics. The meeting welcomes papers, sessions and events that are innovative in their delivery, organization, range of topics, type of public and which bring new resources to the STS community to explore these new relations and themes. Yuko Fujigaki, Porgram Chair sec4S2010(a)hps.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp Meeting home page: http://4sonline.org/meeting This e-mail was sent from Society For Social Studies Of Science (webmaster(a)4sonline.org) to thaigh(a)computer.org. To unsubscribe, please click on this link and follow the instructions: Unsubscribe <https://netforum.avectra.com/public/EmailUnsubscribe.aspx?msm=7ec7cc8a-94d0…> <https://netforum.avectra.com/public/EmailTrack.aspx?msm=7ec7cc8a-94d0-40c0-…>

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