November 2013 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Social Sudies of Inormation and the iConfernce
by Thomas Haigh 01 Dec '13

01 Dec '13

Hello SIGCIS people, This message will be of interest to a subset of you, but I think it's worth sending anyway. It's about a chance to participate in a new community and an upcoming conference workshop. Some background. These is such a thing as an "iSchool." The "I" is for "information." Most of them used to be library schools, but now they do things to do with computers as well/instead of things to do with libraries. The schools vary widely, but they have an organization and a conference. It's called the "iConfernce." Quite a few SIGCIS people, including Bill Aspray, Nathan Ensmenger, Eden Medina, Paul Edwards, Greg Downey, Dave Stearns, and me find ourselves employed in iSchools. History itself is marginal, at best, in most of these schools but STS is somewhat better established and easier to position on the curriculum. Given the job market, people with STS training have also been going to work in iSchools. However, STS-like perspectives are spread over many different sub communities with names like "social informatics," "values in design," "information policy," "internet studies" whose currency varies from school to school. My experience with SIGCIS has made me realize the value that simple tools, such as a listserv and syllabus repository, can have for a scattered community. I'd also seen people looking to send messages to the iSchool STS community making their own long lists of email names, because there is no established list that reaches this group. Thus was born www.socialstudiesof.info, which (as I can admit here among friends) is basically trying to repeat some of the things that more or less worked with SIGCIS over the past eight years to bring together the metacommunity of people with STS interest in iSchools. If you find this project interesting I encourage you to sign up, submit your syllabi, spread the word, etc. More specifically, and as explained in the message below, the iConference is in Berlin next March. Early registration runs out on Dec 15. I'm the lead organizer of a full day workshop there on "Exploring the Social Studies of Information." It's going to be informal and participatory, but if you're interested or need this for travel money I can probably find a spot for you on a roundtable or discussion group somewhere on the program. I'd love to see a strong showing at the workshop from this community, and a renewed attempt (in this niche at least) of finding ways to integrate history of computing with STS and with the broader iSchool concept of "information history." Best wishes, Tom From: Thomas Haigh [mailto:thaigh@computer.org] Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 11:35 PM To: 'ssi_discussion(a)googlegroups.com' Subject: iConference: please help us in "Exploring the Social Studies of Information" Hello SSI colleagues, You may recall that some time ago we posted a call for those interested in contributing to a workshop proposal for the upcoming iConference in Berlin (March 4-7). Happily our proposal for a full day event "Exploring the Social Studies of Information" was accepted, is featured on the iConference registration form, and will indeed be taking place. Our current description is at www.socialstudiesof.info/workshop14. We have a little more than three months before the workshop, and will be tweaking the exact format and lineup for much of that period based on the number of people registering and the lineup of people we can persuade to take part. However early registration for the iConference closes on December 15 so we'd like to get as many people as possible on board by then. http://ischools.org/the-iconference/registration/ All of you would be most welcome at the workshop. Anything you could do to spread the word without your own communities would also be much appreciated. So . If you are already going to the iConference, please do register for this workshop and include it in your plans. . If you are NOT already going to the iConference, but would like to, we would love to put you on our program. . In either case, if you would be willing to participate in a roundtable discussion or help to lead a breakout discussion on the relationship of a specific research community/tradition to SSI then please let me know and we will try to find a suitable spot for you on the program. This is compatible with any plans you might have in regular sessions. (All workshops are held at the same time, on Tuesday, 4 March. This means that you can combine participation in the workshop with whatever session you may be scheduled in on the main conference which runs Wednesday to Friday). . If you aren't going to the iConference and don't want to, umm, no action is necessary. The workshop will be quite informal, with no traditional research presentations and few formal talks of any kind. The program is being structured around roundtable "plenaries" and smaller breakout discussions on specific topics. Everyone who comes will have a chance to introduce themselves and their interests. It's a community, or metacommunity, building opportunity. We do not intend SSI to be a competitor or alternative to established identities such as "social informatics" or "information history" which will have their own sessions at the conference, and in fact are seeking participants from as many different research traditions within the iSchool world as possible. The event will be, in large part, a chance to get to know people with complementary interests from different research traditions. Best wishes, Tom Haigh www.tomandmaria.com/tom

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Johnniac - in Memory of Willis Ware
by Dag Spicer 30 Nov '13

30 Nov '13

Dear Friends, Since Willis Ware has passed, I thought I’d pass along some links related to his work, which you might otherwise not know about. Here is a “eulogy” to the Johnniac computer, written by Willis Ware in March 1966 at Johnniac’s decommissioning: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/papers/2008/P3313.pdf It’s also a useful source document in the history computing. Johnniac lives at CHM now. See it on online exhibit here: http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/birth-of-the-computer/4/94 In September of 1998, CHM hosted a panel discussion on Johnniac, which included Willis Ware: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVnOCT_r3so&list=UUHDr4RtxwA1KqKGwxgdK4Vg&in… (Ware appears at 25:30 ff.) Best wishes, Dag -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View, CA 94043 650.810.1035 direct 650.810.1055 fax Follow Us: CHM Blog I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube

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John Miller-Kirkpatrick, UK home computing pioneer
by Tony Smith 29 Nov '13

29 Nov '13

John Miller-Kirkpatrick created arguably the first British home computer, but his death in 1978 at the ridiculously young age of 31 means he has largely been forgotten and the limelight focused instead on the likes of Clive Sinclair and the Acorn team. Here is an essay about John's life, his important place in the history of British home computing, and why he should be remembered: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/29/unsung_heroes_john_miller_kirkpatri… Tony Smith Features Editor The Register http://www.theregister.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)203 189 4611 Mobile: +44 (0)7793 440 395 Mail: The Register, First Floor, The Lightwell, 12-16 Laystall Street , London, EC1R 4PF, UK ABCe independent audit Nov 2012 for The Register: 43.66m page impressions, 7.33m unique readers.

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Recordings of the 1976 International History of Computing Conference
by Grider, Gary A 29 Nov '13

29 Nov '13

I am told by our physics library that the International History of Computing Conference at Los Alamos in 1976 was recorded (audio). Are others aware of these recordings? I am attempting to recover these recordings from our library and do something sensible with them as part of our history of computing at Los Alamos project. Talks by Stan Ulam, Mauchly, Burks, and dozens of others are potentially salvageable (something like 30 hours of audio). If someone has already restored these gems, let me know and I won't bother. Thanks Gary Grider High Performance Computing Division Leader Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Willis Ware - Passes Away at 95
by Dag Spicer 28 Nov '13

28 Nov '13

A major figure in the history of computing has passed… http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/28/tp-computer-pioneer-built-early-… Rand obit: http://www.rand.org/blog/2013/11/willis-ware-computer-pioneer-helped-build-… CHM proudly displays Ware’s Johnniac computer system in its exhibition Revolution: The First 2,000 Years of Computing. Best, Dag -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View, CA 94043 650.810.1035 direct 650.810.1055 fax Follow Us: CHM Blog I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube

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Social Sudies of Inormation
by Taylor-Smith, Ella 28 Nov '13

28 Nov '13

Hi Tom the Captcha on that site is really difficult. It took me 4 goes to get through. I am not a robot. best wishes -Ella Ella Taylor-Smith Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation Edinburgh Napier University 10 Colinton Road Edinburgh, EH10 5DT Email: e.taylor-smith(a)napier.ac.uk http://www.iidi.napier.ac.uk/e.taylor-smith http://about.me/EllaTaylorSmith @EllaTasm ________________________________________ From: members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [members-bounces(a)sigcis.org] on behalf of members-request(a)sigcis.org [members-request(a)sigcis.org] Sent: 27 November 2013 17:00 To: members(a)sigcis.org Subject: Members Digest, Vol 41, Issue 17 Send Members mailing list submissions to members(a)sigcis.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to members-request(a)sigcis.org You can reach the person managing the list at members-owner(a)sigcis.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Members digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Social Sudies of Inormation and the iConfernce (Thomas Haigh) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 00:03:24 -0600 From: "Thomas Haigh" <thaigh(a)computer.org> To: <members(a)sigcis.org> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Social Sudies of Inormation and the iConfernce Message-ID: <012101ceeb36$62766250$276326f0$(a)computer.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello SIGCIS people, This message will be of interest to a subset of you, but I think it's worth sending anyway. It's about a chance to participate in a new community and an upcoming conference workshop. Some background. These is such a thing as an "iSchool." The "I" is for "information." Most of them used to be library schools, but now they do things to do with computers as well/instead of things to do with libraries. The schools vary widely, but they have an organization and a conference. It's called the "iConfernce." Quite a few SIGCIS people, including Bill Aspray, Nathan Ensmenger, Eden Medina, Paul Edwards, Greg Downey, Dave Stearns, and me find ourselves employed in iSchools. History itself is marginal, at best, in most of these schools but STS is somewhat better established and easier to position on the curriculum. Given the job market, people with STS training have also been going to work in iSchools. However, STS-like perspectives are spread over many different sub communities with names like "social informatics," "values in design," "information policy," "internet studies" whose currency varies from school to school. My experience with SIGCIS has made me realize the value that simple tools, such as a listserv and syllabus repository, can have for a scattered community. I'd also seen people looking to send messages to the iSchool STS community making their own long lists of email names, because there is no established list that reaches this group. Thus was born www.socialstudiesof.info, which (as I can admit here among friends) is basically trying to repeat some of the things that more or less worked with SIGCIS over the past eight years to bring together the metacommunity of people with STS interest in iSchools. If you find this project interesting I encourage you to sign up, submit your syllabi, spread the word, etc. More specifically, and as explained in the message below, the iConference is in Berlin next March. Early registration runs out on Dec 15. I'm the lead organizer of a full day workshop there on "Exploring the Social Studies of Information." It's going to be informal and participatory, but if you're interested or need this for travel money I can probably find a spot for you on a roundtable or discussion group somewhere on the program. I'd love to see a strong showing at the workshop from this community, and a renewed attempt (in this niche at least) of finding ways to integrate history of computing with STS and with the broader iSchool concept of "information history." Best wishes, Tom Edinburgh Napier University offers industry informed courses which combine the optimum balance of theory and practice to equip graduates for success in today's competitive global job market. 92.3% of our graduates are in work or further study within six months of leaving. With over 17,000 students from over 110 countries, we are an international University and are also proud to be the largest UK provider of higher education in Hong Kong. This message is intended for the addressee(s) only and should not be read, copied or disclosed to anyone else outwith the University without the permission of the sender. It is your responsibility to ensure that this message and any attachments are scanned for viruses or other defects. Edinburgh Napier University does not accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from this email or any attachment, or for errors or omissions arising after it was sent. Email is not a secure medium. Email entering the University's system is subject to routine monitoring and filtering by the University. Edinburgh Napier University is a registered Scottish charity. Registration number SC018373

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Give SIGCIS Your Money (please) - planned Mahoney Prize
by Thomas Haigh 25 Nov '13

25 Nov '13

Hello SIGCIS Members, SIGCIS does not have membership dues, but if you have found our activities and resources useful over years then I hope you will consider making a donation to our Mahoney Fund. Details at www.sigcis.org/Mahoney. This message marks the public launch of Phase II of our fundraising, intended to support the launch of the Mahoney Prize: an annual article prize for an outstanding article on the history of information technology. The fund was set up in 2008 to honor that late Michael S. Mahoney, a Princeton professor and central figure in the history of computing community. It began with a five year pledge from Ann Johnson, one of Mahoney's students. Thanks to the generous support of our community by the end of 2012 we had accumulated $14,400 from donations and investment returns. We are treating this balance as a quasi-endowment to support the Michael S. Mahoney Travel Awards, of which six have so far been made to student presenters at the SIGCIS workshops. Our new goal is to grow the accumulated balance to at least $25,000 during the four year period 2013-2016. That will ensure that we can support the new Mahoney Award indefinitely without compromising our support for graduate students. Awards and prizes of this kind are probably the most cost effective investments possible in the future of our field as they help to build competitive resumes and integrate the winners into our scholarly community. Thus even a pledge at one of the lower levels could still make a real difference. This use of the fund's resources for an article prize seems particularly fitting as Mahoney made his own contribution to our field via a series of influential articles and book chapters. Over the past month I've made individual appeals to our existing donors to sign on as pre-launch supporters of the new campaign. I've been pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm and generosity. Most of those I contacted made pledges of support, often within an hour or two of me clicking "send," and usually for a series of for annual contributions. I'd like to thank Joseph November, Thomas L. Drucker, James W. Cortada, Jonathan Coopersmith, Richard T. Snodgrass, Wendy Vogenitz Tinsley, Daniel J. Feldman, Angela Creager, Andrew Russell, Paul Ceruzzi and Burton Grad for their recently pledged donations. With their support we have moved towards our goal faster than I had dared to hope. However the current pledges will not, in themselves, be enough to reach the $25,000 goal. That is where you come in. All donations are managed and invested by SHOT, so you can be sure that the money will be treated responsibly and that you will receive the usual tax benefits for a charitable contribution (if you are a US taxpayer who can claim charitable contributions). SHOT strongly prefers donations to be made by check (details and address on the web at www.sigcis.org/Mahoney) but if you would like to contribute and do not have a U.S. checking account then contact me for alternative arrangements. An article prize is something we have been discussing since at least 2007 but have never secured the resources to endow. As you may remember, Andrew Russell will be taking over from me as SIGCIS chair at next year's SHOT meeting. I'd like to deliver the SIG in the best shape possible. Collecting enough pledges from our members to send a formal proposal for the new prize to SHOT's executive council would free Andy from having to begin his term dealing with unfinished business. Thanks again to all those who have given to SIGCIS over the years whether in response to my recent messages, over the first five years of the Mahoney Fund, or at our annual meeting events. Tom Haigh (SIGCIS Chair) www.tomandmaria.com/tom

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History of speech-generating software
by Meryl Alper 23 Nov '13

23 Nov '13

Hi all, I am writing to ask if anyone knows of a good book that either in whole or part provides an overview of the history of speech-generating software and/or devices - essentially, a history of humans making computers "talk." For background, my dissertation is primarily a qualitative study of how US parents of young non-verbal children with developmental disabilities incorporate the iPad into their families' lives when the child uses the mobile device partly or primarily as a speech-generating system. I am pairing this fieldwork with archival research on how parents have historically navigated the world of personal computers equipped with software for producing synthetic speech. Thanks! Meryl Alper Ph.D. Candidate in Communication Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism University of Southern California

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Career question
by Evan Koblentz 21 Nov '13

21 Nov '13

SIGCIS'ers, I'm currently between jobs in my daytime career as a technology journalist, so I am looking for some advice. How might I proceed in turning my avocation and passion for technology history in a living? (Unfortunately I do not have the option of entering a Ph.D. program at this time.) All work at NJ's InfoAge Science Center, where I am based, is volunteer in nature.

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HiNC4 Call for Papers
by Lars Heide 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

Call for Papers HiNC4, History of Nordic Computing, The Fourth IFIP WG 9.7 Working Conference at IT University, Copenhagen, 13-15 August 2014. Hereby we cordially invite you to submit contributions to HiNC4, where the main theme will be The NordicWay - Transforming the Nordic Societies through ICT Innovation Theme The conference concentrates on how ICT has influenced the welfare societies in the Nordic countries since the 1960ies. The focus shall be on the new ideas, systems and solutions that helped create the welfare societies of today, organized in three sub-themes: 1. ICT Solutions and Systems for Public Services >From tax to social benefits, from education to health care, from police info systems to Network Centric Operations, from democracy and social inclusion to culture. 2. ICT Solutions and Systems for the Infrastructure of the Society >From railroads to energy, from telephone to wireless, from banking and insurance to supply chain management. 3. The innovation and systems Technologies behind the major milestones, such as user centric innovation, modular programming, service orientation. More information about the conference - such as the names of PC members and proceedings editors - may be found at the website http://www.hinc4.org/ Important Dates February 1, 2014 Deadline for submission of summary March 10, 2014 Notification of acceptance June 15, 2014 Deadline for submission of full paper August 13-15, 2014 Conference November 1, 2014 Final papers ready for publication Submissions The summary, specifying which of the three sub-themes it relates to, should be submitted as a pdf-file, at most one page A4-size, before February 1, 2014. It must be e-mailed to HiNC4(a)City.dk<mailto:HiNC4@City.dk> The full paper of at most 10 pages should also submitted by e-mail as a pdf-file before June 15, 2014 to HiNC4(a)City.dk<mailto:XXX@YYY> The layout of the paper must follow the guidelines from Springer Verlag (copied at at the HiNC4 website.) Christian Gram, chr.gram(a)ddf.dk<mailto:chr.gram@ddf.dk> Per Rasmussen, pbras(a)itu.dk<mailto:pbras@itu.dk>

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