August 2011 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

2010: SIGCIS's Year in Review
by Thomas Haigh 03 Nov '11

03 Nov '11

Dear SIGCIS members, I hope this end of year message finds you all well and in a relaxed holiday mood. SIGCIS has had another good year, reaching new heights on every measurable aspect of our activities. The number of members reached a new high (over 250), the number and quality of contributions to the email list was greater than ever before, we raised more money at our annual lunch with our book auctions and small than ever before ($1,486) and gave out more travel grants (www.sigcis.org/travelaward) to participants than ever before ($2,400). Our second annual workshop received more submissions than the first, and more people attended. The Mahoney Fund (www.sigcis.org/mahoney) holds its highest balance to date (over $8,000) after its best year of donations so far (at least $2,850). So does our operating account (around $3,500). For the most part, then, it was a year of consolidation and incremental growth. If something can be done annually for several years then it becomes a tradition, and perhaps the most crucial stumbling block is doing something twice. SIGCIS made the second Computer History Museum award (http://www.sigcis.org/chmprize) to Atsushi Akera for his book Computing a Natural World. The second SIGCIS Workshop, http://www.sigcis.org/workshop10, was a great success. See the full report at http://www.sigcis.org/node/13. We are already planning for next year's. SHOT's 2011 meeting is collocated with the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing editorial board meeting, as well as with several scholarly societies, and so we anticipate a particularly good turnout among the field's best known scholars. Despite our focus on institutional sustainability the SIGCIS team did launch several new projects. These fit with our philosophy of looking for simple, easy and low cost ways to strengthen the international scholarly community in history of computing. This year's breakout hit was the syllabus repository (http://www.sigcis.org/syllabi) It now holds around forty syllabi showcasing a broad range of approaches to teaching in the area. (Here's a new year resolution: if you have a new syllabus and are willing to share it please send a copy now to secretary(a)sigcis.org) Our team of international vice presidents added new resource guides for the history of computing in Britain (http://www.sigcis.org/britain) and Japan (http://www.sigcis.org/japan) We also added a new edition of Anne Fitzpatrick's Pioneers of Soviet Computing to the Member Contributions area (http://www.sigcis.org/contributions) Next year we will be looking for new ways to strengthen this part of the website. Another new initiative is currently unfolding. Behind the scenes we updated the site this year to use a current release of Drupal, fixing some glitches that had accumulated over the years. Our platform includes blogging and comment capabilities, and we have been experimenting with the best way to use it. Chris McDonald of Princeton and Marie Hicks of Duke have recently joined the SIGCIS executive committee (http://www.sigcis.org/node/6) and have taken special responsibility for this. Dag Spicer will also be blogging to keep us up to date with events at the Computer History Museum. You can see the latest from them at http://www.sigcis.org/blog. All SIGCIS members can login to post comments. If you would like your own blog on the site them please contact us. In the future we will be experimenting with ways to use blogs, wikis, and the email list together - for example by asking a question by email and then having answers accumulate on a blog page. Another good new year resolution: check your entry in our member directory at http://www.sigcis.org/members and make any updates needed by logging in at http://www.sigcis.org/user. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to SIGCIS over the past year, whether as email posters, organizers, donors, syllabus providers, bidders in the book auction, workshop attendees, or readers of our website and messages. If you have ideas on how to make 2011 another record breaking year for the SIG, or would like to get involved as a volunteer, then please get in touch. Happy holidays, Tom Haigh, SIGCIS chair www.tomandmaria.com/tom

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Paul Allen's Personal Museum
by Thomas Haigh 02 Sep '11

02 Sep '11

An interesting story at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903596904576516552161014410.ht ml It states that Paul Allen has commissioned a kilt-wearing grizzly graduate student to roam the globe tracking down rare machines of a physical size impractical for lesser collectors, such as a PDP-7 and IBM 70XX series machines. They're being restored for a personal museum. I hadn't heard of Ian King, but apparently he's a computing veteran working on an historical Ph.D. in the University of Washington Information School. The museum is online at http://www.pdpplanet.com/. The more machines that get preserved the better, and it certainly does more good for history than most billionaire hobbies. Perhaps this will evolve into a sustainably endowed public museum, or the machines will eventually be donated elsewhere. Yet when I see something like this is does make me ponder the widening disconnect between the growing community of scholars working on many aspects of the history of computing with minimal financial support and the comparatively huge amounts of money being spent/given by billionaires to support preservation with no involvement from Ph.D. historians. Maybe it's inevitable that the interests of the two groups would evolve in different directions. It's also true that academic priorities may have moved further than necessary from micro-level practice and materiality over the past few decades. This might be one of the topics for discussion at the forthcoming SIGCIS workshop, where I'm pleased to say that the panelists include people from the Smithsonian, Henry Ford Museum, Charles Babbage Institute, and Computer History Museum as well as academics from a variety of disciplines. http://www.sigcis.org/workshop11 Tom

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CHM Revolution credits
by Evan Koblentz 31 Aug '11

31 Aug '11

Many SIGCIS members are cited throughout the CHM's Revolution exhibit credits: http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/credits

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Oral History Association
by Thomas Haigh 29 Aug '11

29 Aug '11

You probably don't want to house the Oral History Association's office (although it would be great if you did). However this message reminded me that people in the history of computing may not be aware of the Oral History Association, which is described in detail below and on its website: http://www.oralhistory.org/. Tom -----Original Message----- From: sighfis-l-bounces(a)asis.org [mailto:sighfis-l-bounces@asis.org] On Behalf Of Kathryn La Barre Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 12:52 PM To: sighfis-l(a)asis.org Subject: [Sighfis-l] Oral History Association Seeks New Institutional Home and Executive Director Of possible interest to HFIS members: The Oral History Association (OHA), the principal organization of practicing oral historians in the United States, is seeking a new home for its executive office and staff beginning in 2013. It also plans to hire an Executive Director to serve as its principal administrator after its new institutional home is determined. Institutions interested in hosting the OHA's offices are invited to send an initial expression of interest to OHA by November 1, 2011. (See details below). Viable candidates will be invited to submit a full proposal, due no later than March 1, 2012. A final decision is expected by May 2012. The OHA will initiate a search for the Executive Director during the spring/summer of 2012. Appropriate personnel from the host institution will be invited to participate in this search, and applicants affiliated with that institution will be welcome to apply. Our aim is to select the Executive Director by October 2012. Background A formal association since 1966, the OHA enjoys a national and international reputation as a leader in the field of oral history. Governed by an eight-member Executive Council, OHA has more than 600 individual members from a variety of disciplines and professional fields; and 250 institutional members, including university programs and centers, libraries and archives, museums, historical societies, and community-based projects. Each fall it hosts its annual meeting with an average participation of 500. OHA publishes a triannual Newsletter and sponsors the journal Oral History Review (OHR), the principal journal of the oral history field. Published by Oxford University Press, the OHR editorial offices are located in and supported by the University of San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 1998 the OHA executive offices have been hosted by Dickinson College and its operations overseen by Executive Secretary, Madelyn Campbell. With the expiration of our contract with Dickinson and Campbell's retirement, the OHA is seeking to strengthen its national office and advance new initiatives in the field by hiring an Executive Director, who will be assisted by additional staff. If you have questions, please contact the Transition Committee co-chairs, Rina Benmayor (rbenmayor(a)csumb.edu) or Linda Shopes (lshopes(a)aol.com) Initial expressions of interest, due November 1, 2011, should include a preliminary explanation of how OHA's presence would benefit your institution, as well as a description of the resources, facilities, personnel, programs, relationships, and other factors that would make your institution an outstanding home. While the OHA is open to considering a variety of institutional arrangements, it does expect a significant commitment of institutional resources to the executive office and staff. The letter of interest should be sent as an attachment to: oha(a)dickinson.edu, with "Letter of Interest" in the Subject line. To help guide prospective applicants, we are including here a more detailed Fact Sheet describing OHA's needs and expectations, as well as specifics for a Full Proposal. Proposal for Hosting Oral History Association Executive Office: Fact Sheet Below are summarized Oral History Association's (OHA) current financial arrangements for its Executive Secretary and Executive Office and its anticipated future needs. Responding institutions should take into account cost of living differentials for their geographical location. Our current host institution, Dickinson College, is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a relatively low-cost suburban area. OHA welcomes additional enhancements that a potential host institution might offer. It is also open to considering a variety of arrangements and anticipates a measure of flexibility in discussions with applicants. STAFF Current staff includes a part time Executive Secretary (ES) and occasional student assistants. The responsibilities of the ES include: budget development and financial management; coordination of OHA annual meeting; service to the Executive Council, standing committees, and membership; management of occasional publications, excluding the newsletter and the journal; coordination with Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oral History Review; as well as management of elections, the OHA website, and ongoing office affairs. The Executive Secretary currently has a 12-month, 2/3 staff appointment at Dickinson College, with an annual salary of $48,500. OHA contributes $30,950 and Dickinson College pays $17,550 plus FICA. Currently, no other benefits are attached to the position. OHA intends to hire an Executive Director (ED) and at least a 50% FTE, 12-month Program Associate. Initially, the OHA will contribute a total of $40,000 annually to the salaries and benefits of both positions. In addition to overseeing all current association operations, the Executive Director will have expanded responsibilities, including the development of special initiatives and fundraising. The ideal ED will have earned an advanced degree in a field related to oral history, have experience with oral history, and possess demonstrated administrative, program management, and fundraising abilities. The Executive Director will be hired by an open national search, with the participation of the host institution. Candidates affiliated with the host institution are welcome to apply. The Program Associate, to be hired by the ED, will have strong administrative, accounting, and communication skills and will work together with the ED to accomplish the association's business. In addition to the above, the OHA would like to develop stronger undergraduate and graduate student involvement in the work of the Executive Office through internships and other professional development opportunities. WORK SPACE AND EQUIPMENT The current Executive Office is located in a large office within Dickinson College's Community Studies Center. The college provides furniture, including desks, chairs, filing cabinet, bookshelves, and use of a dedicated phone line with voice mail, a computer, and appropriate business software. In addition, the college provides access to fax and photocopy machines with appropriate charge back for usage, and access to a laser printer. OHA pays for toner and paper. The College provides use of a dedicated mailbox and bulk mailing facilities with postage on a cost-reimbursement basis. OHA seeks appropriate accommodation and resources in the new host institution consisting of: furnished and maintained office space adequate for at least two OHA staff persons, and one student intern; storage space; three computer workstations and appropriate software, photocopier and fax access, voice and data lines, and Internet access. In addition, it is expected that the institution will replace the Executive Director's, Program Associate's, and intern's computers on a regular life cycle schedule with the best available replacement. The host institution will provide software installations, updates, and other technical services and support. Oral History Association: Proposal Guidelines for Hosting Executive Office Full proposals from institutions interested in hosting the Executive Office of the Oral History Association (OHA) are due no later than March 1, 2012. Proposals should include the following elements: 1. A narrative statement of no more than 1500 words explaining: a. why your institution would like to host OHA and why doing so can advance the mission of your institution; b. why the institution will be especially suitable for the OHA; c. where the OHA Executive Office will be located within the institution's administrative structure; the OHA is open to considering a variety of institutional arrangements. d. how the office, staff, programs, and expertise of the OHA might be integrated into the institution and the community; e. what financial and in-kind resources the institution will provide for: i) a significant contribution to the FTE salary and benefits of the Executive Director; ii) a contribution to the salary and benefits of a Program Associate; iii) graduate assistant(s), student intern(s), or equivalent; iv) appropriate office space, storage space, supplies, and equipment such as telephones, computers, and access to photocopier, with upgrades or replacements as necessary; v) computer workstation for each staff member with network/internet access, support, and regular lifecycle scheduled upgrades for the Executive Director and Program Associate and best available replacement for other staff. 2. A Letter of Support from the institution's chief administrative officer acknowledging the availability of and intention to commit resources for a minimum contract term of five years, beginning January 1, 2013, the projected starting date for OHA at the new institution. 3. Letters of Support from individuals, academic departments, programs, offices, agencies, institutions, or other entities who can contribute to a collaborative environment, in-kind support, cultural and intellectual resources, or other forms of assistance to the goals, staff, and operations of the OHA. Please submit one copy of the proposal and supporting documents via electronic attachments to the OHA Executive Office, at oha(a)dickinson.edu, with the subject line "Proposal for Executive Office." -- Kathryn La Barre Assistant Professor Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign _______________________________________________ Sighfis-l mailing list Sighfis-l(a)asis.org http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sighfis-l

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SIGCIS 2011 Workshop schedule online, chairs and commentators needed
by Marie Hicks 24 Aug '11

24 Aug '11

Dear All, The schedule for the 2011 SIGCIS workshop at SHOT is now online: http://www.sigcis.org/workshop11 Tom Misa of CBI will present the keynote address, on the theme of "Cultures and Communities in the History of Computing." We need chairs and commentators for several sessions, and we're hoping to get participation from people who will be at SHOT but might not be presenting at the SIGCIS workshop already (particularly in the case of commentators). The sessions that need both a chair and a commentator are: 1) Creating Culture through Materials and Methods * "Preserving the Material Culture of Computing Communities," Peggy Kidwell, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution * "Macromodules, Miniaturization, and the CPU's Brief Removal from the Black Box," Joseph November, University of South Carolina * "Before the Web, there was the NABU Network," Zbigniew Stachnaik, York University, Toronto 2) Insider and Outsider Communities in the History of Computing * "Big Red, White, and Blue: Communities of Policy and Computing in Mainframe-era Washington, DC," Andrew Meade McGee, University of Virgina * "Computing, Video, and Radical Software," Peter Sachs Collopy, University of Pennsylvania * "Punched Card Table Libraries as a Communal Resource," Allan Olley, University of Toronto We also need a moderator for one of the works in progress sessions: Works in Progress: Why does the Study of How Communities are Formed Matter to the History of Computing? * "From Universal Project to Sunken Culture: Algol in France," Pierre Mounier-Kuhn, CNRS & Université Paris-Sorbonne * "The Learning Region Restructured," Janet Toland and Pak Yoong, Victoria University of Wellington * "Murray Turoff and the Birth of Computer Mediated Comunications," Ramesh Subramanian, Quinnipiac University Please let me know if you'd like to comment on or chair one of these sessions. And feel free to send any questions you might have my way as well. We're looking forward to an exciting workshop and this year. We're trying a new closing plenary format that brings together scholars from academia, publishing, museums, and archives to talk about the workshop theme, and we hope many of you will be able to participate in that discussion. Best, Marie Chair of the 2011 SIGCIS Workshop program committee -- Marie Hicks, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of History of Technology Lewis Department of the Humanities Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL mhicks1(a)iit.edu www.mariehicks.net

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Syllabus Repository -- please contribute (soon!)
by Thomas Haigh 17 Aug '11

17 Aug '11

Hello Everyone, A year ago we unveiled the first full version of the SIGCIS syllabus repository at http://www.sigcis.org/syllabi. This is intended as a central resource for classes dealing with all aspects of the history of computing. It now features 38 syllabi covering a range of different approaches. If you have taught a course related to the history of computing and your syllabus is not included in the repository (or you have a newer version) then please contribute it to my Ph.D. student assistant, Edward Benoit at eabenoit(a)gmail.com. Ed can work with you to get them into shape and he will handle the uploading. If possible please send them in the next week or two, as his summer appointment will be finishing at the end of this month. Guidelines: We prefer to receive syllabi as a single attached .PDF or MS Word file as they will be posted as one document. Include as much detail as you feel comfortable sharing discussion questions, readings, notes, etc are all welcome. However if necessary Ed can handle the job of consolidating several files down into a single syllabus. If the syllabus is currently available online please include a URL as well as the attached archival version. Please include in the email an explicit permission to us to post the syllabus online at www.sigcis.org. We will accept this in good faith, but of course will comply with the relevant provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act if contacted by an institution claiming to hold copyright over your syllabus and asking us to remove it. If you are not willing to have us host the syllabus at www.sigcis.org we would still be happy to link to it instead. But links can decay very rapidly. This is particularly true for syllabi. In addition an ever greater proportion of syllabi are hidden inside course management systems and so nobody can see them in the first place. Best wishes, Tom Haigh www.tomandmaria.com/tom

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Book Software Industry in China & India
by Nofre Mateo, David 16 Aug '11

16 Aug '11

Dear colleagues, Just come across with the following review in h-net: Neil F. Gregory, Stanley D. Nollen, Stoyan Tenev. New Industries from New Places: The Emergence of the Hardware and Software Industries in China and India. Stanford: Stanford Economics and Finance/Stanford University Press, 2009. http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=29377 Best, David .................................................. David Nofre, PhD Program of History of Computing Informatics Institute University of Amsterdam Postbus 94323 - 1090 GH Amsterdam d.nofremateo(a)uva.nl http://www.science.uva.nl/history-of-computing Telf: +31 20 525 5204

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eBook and oral histories on Cornell computer services
by Thomas Haigh 13 Aug '11

13 Aug '11

Hello everyone, A chance Google hit just led me to http://hdl.handle.net/1813/82 from which the text of a 2004 ebook called "The History of Computing at Cornell" by John W. Rudan, a former manager there, can be downloaded. The book seems to be a worthy and well documented institutionally oriented history, though the intended audience is unclear as it devotes a lot of space to "industry overview" sections recapping well known things like the rise of the PC. Clearly of interest for those researching academic computing and its relationship to computer science. There's also a useful website, with more than 50 interview summaries. These could be of broader use to historians, as they capture some user experiences and give good insights into the challenges of the 1960s, particularly the shift to timesharing. The later interviews cover things like early use of the Web in the 1990s. http://www2.cit.cornell.edu/computer/history/ Tom

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IT History Society Update
by Info ＠ IT History Society 04 Aug '11

04 Aug '11

Here is an update on the following- The fully indexed searchable IT historical archival database is now at 555 entries - http://ithistory.org/resource_sites/resource-sites.php The IT Honor Roll is now at 714 entries - http://ithistory.org/honor_roll/honor-roll-alpha.php If anyone wishes to add entries to the above databases, the technology quotation database - http://ithistory.org/quotes/quotes.php, calendar of archival events -http://ithistory.org/events/events-other.php, or our BLOG - http://ithistory.org/blog/, please use the links in these sentences. We are expecting soon to have online three new databases- All IT companies All software All hardware Thank you. IT History Society One Blackfield Drive Suite 331 Tiburon, CA 94920 (415) 435-2263 info(a)ITHistory.org www.ITHistory.org Ensuring the Future by Preserving the Past

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apropos our discussion a while ago about Knuth and his Vol. 4A
by Dave Walden 01 Aug '11

01 Aug '11

A nice relatively new interview of Knuth has been posted at <http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/40462>http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/40462 PS, I can't remember if I have ever pointed out to this list the list of interviews of Knuth that I maintain at <http://tug.org/interviews/#others>http://tug.org/interviews/#others Dave -- home address: 12 Linden Rd., E. Sandwich, MA 02537 home ph=508-888-7655; cell ph = 508-280-0446 email address: dave(a)walden-family.com; website(s): http://www.walden-family.com/

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