November 2014 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Design patterns in software
by McMillan, William W 09 Nov '14

09 Nov '14

Apropos my mention today of (pseudo?) architectural design patterns in software, here's the book that started the movement: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Patterns-Object-Oriented-Professional-Computin… Bill

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Fwd: News - The winners of the 2014 Tony Sale Award for computer conservation
by Brian Randell 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

Hi: I thought this news release might be of interest to SIGCIS members. Cheers Brian Randell Begin forwarded message: NEWS RELEASE from the Computer Conservation Society The winners of the 2014 Tony Sale Award for computer conservation are … a virtual 1930’s mechanical computer and a restored industry-changing computer. 7 November 2014 The 2014 Tony Sale Award for computer conservation has been jointly awarded to two outstanding and contrasting entries representing computing in the 1930s and the late 1950s. The winners are the IBM 1401 Demo Lab, a restoration of one of the most significant machines in computer history by the Computer History Museum in California, and Z1 Architecture and Algorithms, a virtual reconstruction of the 1930’s Konrad Zuse mechanical computer, by the Free University of Berlin. Run by the Computer Conservation Society and sponsored by Google UK, this is the second Tony Sale Award for computer conservation. The first was won in 2012 by Dr David Link for LoveLetters, a computer art installation that continues to tour the world. In announcing the 2014 winners, Martin Campbell-Kelly, computer historian and head of the judging panel, said: “The eight excellent entries for the 2014 Tony Sale Award from four different countries clearly demonstrates how computer conservation is flourishing more than 20 years after Tony Sale embarked on his pioneering and awe-inspiring reconstruction of a Colossus Mk II, a world-famous exhibit at The National Museum of Computing on Bletchley Park.” The IBM 1401 Demo Lab is a classic reconstruction of a 50-year old commercial computer. It marked the transition of IBM as a supplier of accounting machines to it becoming the dominant supplier of the mainframe era. Announced in 1959, the IBM 1401’s success took everyone by surprise. The company had expected to sell or lease about 1,000, but went on to deliver 15,000 and by the mid-1960s they amounted to half of the computers in the world. Its high-speed chain printer was a key to its success -- punched card machines were eagerly traded in for the IBM 1401 and business computing took a huge stride forward. In a project involving 20 volunteers over ten years, two 1401s have been restored at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. The computers and the ancillary equipment including the famous 1403 chain printer are on permanent display and the working system is demonstrated twice a week. Seehttp://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/restoring-the-ibm-1401/ for more information about the project. The judging panel said: “The IBM Demo Lab is a flawless restoration of a machine that signalled a turning point in the computer industry and the use of computers in business.” Z1 Architecture and Algorithms, the other joint-winner, is a virtual reconstruction of one of the world’s earliest computers, the Z1. Originally built in 1936-38, the Z1 was destroyed in a bombing raid in 1943. In the 1980s and then in his 70s, Konrad Zuse embarked on a reconstruction of the Z1 which is now a remarkable but static exhibit at the Technology Museum in Berlin. However, with 30,000 parts the reconstruction of the mechanical computer was unlikely to be robust or reliable enough for regular operation, so a team led by Professor Raul Rojas began a virtual reconstruction with a technical description. Through the meticulous research of Professor Rojas, a team of his students was able to construct a 3D visual simulation of the arithmetic unit for deployment on the web. In addition, hundreds of high resolution photos of the Z1 enable web users to explore the machine from any angle at very high resolution. See http://zuse-z1.zib.de/ for the virtual reconstruction. The judging panel said “Z1 Architecture and Algorithms is a remarkable vision of how such complex artefacts might be delivered to a worldwide audience. It is a project that will undoubtedly give museum curators pause for thought.” Rachel Burnett, Chair of the CCS, said “The late Tony Sale would have been delighted with the entries that we have had in the year of the silver jubilee of our Society that he co-founded with Doron Swade. “The computer conservation movement is dynamic and growing apace. Through the Tony Sale Award, we salute the computing pioneers of the past and the dedication of those today who breathe vibrant life into our incredible computing heritage.” Notes to Editors 1 The Computer Conservation Society Established in 1989, the Computer Conservation Society (CCS) started as a joint venture between BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, the Science Museum and later the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. In recent years The National Museum of Computing has become a key partner. 2 The CCS Judging panel Martin Campbell-Kelly, computer historian, was joined in the 2014 panel of judges by Chris Burton, engineer and computer conservationist , Nigel Sale, computer scientist and son of Tony Sale, and Doron Swade MBE, museum curator and author. 3 Links to other nominated entries for the 2014 Tony Sale Award The Analogue Computing Museum collection in Schwalbach, Germany. www.analogmuseum.org<http://www.analogmuseum.org/> The Jim Austin Computer Collection in York, England. www.computermuseum.org.uk<http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/> The restoration of 1970s DEC PDP computers at The Rhode Island Computer Museum (RICM), Rhode Island, USA. www.ricomputermuseum.org<http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/> The PRS 4, a restoration of a 1973 Polish micro-computer at the Muzem Historii Komputerow i Informatyki (MHKI) in Katowice, Poland. www.muzeumkomputerow.edu.pl<http://www.muzeumkomputerow.edu.pl/> The Technikum29 Computer History Museum collection in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. www.technikum29.de<http://www.technikum29.de/> The WITCH-E project, a trans-Atlantic educational project, by David Anders. www.elinux.org/WITCH<http://www.elinux.org/WITCH> 4 About Tony Sale Tony Sale (1931-2011), in whose honour the computer conservation award has been established, is perhaps best known for leading the team that rebuilt Colossus, the world's first electronic computer. He was also a key figure in starting the campaign to save Bletchley Park in the early 1990s, he co-founded The National Museum of Computing and jointly established the Computer Conservation Society. Media Contact Stephen Fleming, Palam Communications, for the Computer Conservation Society +44 1635 299116 s.fleming(a)palam.co.uk<mailto:s.fleming@palam.co.uk> School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk<mailto:Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk> PHONE = +44 191 208 7923 URL = http://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/staff/profile/brian.randell

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on the nature of analog computing
by Paul Fishwick 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

I recently had a discussion about analog computing with someone who works actively on hybrid analog-digital systems at the integrated circuit level. My proposal was that there seems to be, based on historical accounts and reflection, two differing views on “analog”: 1) analog reflecting the continuous or discrete character of magnitude of a variable, and 2) isomorphism indicated by construing analog to be associated closely with analogy. To take one example which can serve for discussion: Are Minecraft circuits analog, digital, or both? It depends on how we define “analog” and where we focus (on the issue of representation or magnitude). For example, redstone circuits could be viewed as analog computing in the sense that the circuits are analogous to electronic circuits containing gates such as and, or, xor, etc. And yet, at the bottom of the vast hierarchy of translation, we have Minecraft servers and clients working on top of a digital substrate. In the mid 90s, I bought a Nord Lead for my synthesizer collection, and Nord uses “virtual analog” to characterize their lineup (an analog front end and a digital back end): http://www.nordkeyboards.com/products/nord-lead-2x My view is that the issue of magnitude is a side-effect of “analog as analogy and, thus, isomorphism", and thus not primary. Tangible objects when juxtaposed and configured together to form physical analogies happen to be continuous simply because reality and our physiology is continuous, and we employ real objects (at least in the mind) when forming analogies. This view may need tweaking, but it seems as though the knowledge of such things is present in this forum. What are the thoughts on this? Is this an ongoing point of debate among historians? -paul Paul Fishwick, PhD Chair, ACM SIGSIM Distinguished University Chair of Arts & Technology and Professor of Computer Science Director, Creative Automata Laboratory The University of Texas at Dallas Arts & Technology 800 West Campbell Road, AT10 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick Blog: creative-automata.com

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Origin of 'language'?
by Marie Gevers 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

I wonder by whom and when the word 'language' was used for the first time in the framework of computer sciences. Can anybody enlighten me? Thanks in advance. Marie -- Prof. Marie d'UDEKEM-GEVERS Chargée de cours Conseillère à la formation Professeure invitée au Collège Belgique Faculté d'Informatique et Centre d'Etudes Sciences et PHIlosophie à Namur (ESPHIN) Centre de Recherche Information, Droit & Société (CRIDS) T. +32 (0)81 724 973 F. +32 (0)81 724 967 marie.gevers(a)unamur.be <mailto:marie.gevers@unamur.be> http://www.unamur.be/universite/personnes/page_view/01001574/ http://www.academieroyale.be/cgi?usr=bb58g68qxq&lg=fr&pag=919&tab=111&rec=5… Université de Namur ASBL Rue de Bruxelles 61 - 5000 Namur Belgique Lets respect the environment together. Only print this message if necessary!

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Origin of 'language'?
by Paul Fishwick 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

@DavidNofre: > "If I am allowed to speculate, I wonder if we shouldn't look at the developments of the early 19th-century, and specially the interest on mechanical agency and language, as Mark has put in, rather as part of the longer tradition of automata construction, and particularly late 18th- century fascination with speaking automata (see, most recently: Kang's Sublime Dreams of Living Machines and Adelheid Voskuhl's Androids in the Enlightenment)." Yes. This also brings in a discussion of analog computing which is reflected by these mechanical automata (e.g., principles of program, memory, iteration, and conditional branching in the form of a geometric discontinuity are intrinsic to these machines): http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2601391 . As to when 20th century computing theoreticians used the word “automata,” I wish I knew. -p Paul Fishwick, PhD Chair, ACM SIGSIM Distinguished University Chair of Arts & Technology and Professor of Computer Science Director, Creative Automata Laboratory The University of Texas at Dallas Arts & Technology 800 West Campbell Road, AT10 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick Blog: creative-automata.com

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Charles Babbage Institute --> Tomash Fellowship in the History of Information Technology
by Thomas J. Misa 06 Nov '14

06 Nov '14

Please note the deadline of 15 January 2015 for the CBI-Tomash fellowship. ===TJM ============================= The Charles Babbage Institute is accepting applications for the 2015-2016 Adelle and Erwin Tomash Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship will be awarded to a graduate student for doctoral dissertation research in the history of computing. The fellowship may be held at the recipient's home academic institution, the Charles Babbage Institute, or any other location with appropriate research facilities. The stipend is $14,000. It is intended for students who have completed all requirements for the doctoral degree except the research and writing of the dissertation. Tomash Fellowship recipients must remain students in good standing throughout the term of their fellowship, but there is no restriction on holding other fellowships, scholarships, or awards concurrent to the Tomash Fellowship. Preference will be given to applicants indicating a need to use CBI materials, planning research in residence at CBI, and willing to make a brief presentation of their research findings to CBI staff. On-line finding guides to CBI archival collections . . . <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/archmss.html> For directions on applying (and list of past recipients) . . . . <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/tfellowship.html> =============================

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Charles Babbage Institute --> Arthur L. Norberg Travel Fund
by Thomas J. Misa 06 Nov '14

06 Nov '14

Please note the deadline of 15 January 2015 as well as our aim to award a slightly larger number of modestly larger travel grants. ===TJM =========================== The Arthur L. Norberg Travel Fund provides short-term grants-in-aid to help scholars with travel expenses to use archival collections at the Charles Babbage Institute. Each year we plan to award up to five $1,000 travel grants. The Charles Babbage Institute (CBI) is an internationally recognized research center and archives focused on the history of information technology. CBI conducts major research projects; publishes books and articles; and collects, processes, and provides open public access to the most diverse and extensive collection of archival materials on computing, software, and networking in the world. CBI collections include the records of corporations, technical and trade associations, personal papers, industry publications, oral histories, photographs, film/video, and an extensive reference library. The Norberg Travel Fund is named for CBI’s founding director, Arthur L. Norberg, and is funded by generous gifts from his friends and colleagues. On-line finding guides to CBI archival collections . . . <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/archmss.html> For directions on applying . . . . <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/ntravelfund.html> List of past recipients . . . <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/ntfrecipients.html> =============================

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Hacking Europe book out now! With special offer for SHOT
by Alberts, Gerard 06 Nov '14

06 Nov '14

Dear collaegues, I am proud to announce that the Hacking Europe, From Computer Cultures to Demoscenes book is really out now. It was announced earlier, but I have a material copy in my hands now. I will bring this very copy for Tom's Friday auction. Ruth Oldenziel and I were lucky to harvest a spin-off from the Software for Europe project, bringing together fascinating stories of hacker scenes in various European countries, East, Central, and West. Not only is it a fresh subject, the authors represent a new generation of historians of computing. They are good, and it has been an honor to work with them in the creation of this book. Hacking Europe is also my "first" in the Springer History of Computing Series http://www.springer.com/series/8442?detailsPage=titleshttp://www.springer.c… For the book itself and the chapter http://www.springer.com/computer/general+issues/book/978-1-4471-5492-1http:… As the book comes out today there is a special offer on the occasion of SHOT for those who want to purchase the hardcover or the e-book version: Get 20% o? the printed book or eBook! Use the following token on springer.com ? tCmCBtT43NBdmWr (Valid 06/11/14 - 06/12/14) For the e-book version we have made sure that the downloadable chapters are selfcontained, i.e. bring their own bibliogrpahy. Springer books are also available for us mortals: if your library has the appropriate Springer package, you can order a print on demand copy for yourself at the price of 25 Euro's or Dollars. In my experience the pod copies ordered through Springer are better than the Amazon ones. Hope to see you all on Friday and Sunday, Gerard Alberts

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Coming to SHOT? Bring us your spare books!
by Thomas Haigh 04 Nov '14

04 Nov '14

Hello everyone, If you are coming to SHOT this year then please look around your office shelves before you depart and grab any history of computing books you can part with - desk or review copies, copies of your own books, etc. We will then auction them off at our annual lunch meeting on Friday to raise money for the graduate student travel grants. This is particularly important this year, as we do not expect to receive anything like as many MIT Press books as has been the case in recent years. We're anticipating fewer than a dozen books from this source. So we need our members to help to fill the gap so that we can maintain our travel grant program for SIGCIS workshop presenters (we committed a record $2,900 for ten awards this year). The awards rely entirely on the generosity of our members. Also, please bring plenty of cash or a check book to the meeting to bid on books with or to stuff into our money bowl as it circulates. BTW: any books you contribute are a donation to SHOT, and thus whatever they sell for should be tax deductible if you are a US tax payer who itemizes deductions. Usual disclaimer of "consult your tax professional" applies. Best wishes, Tom

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Fwd: Digital Material Culture Course
by Andrew Russell 03 Nov '14

03 Nov '14

Hi everyone - please see the email below from Allison Marsh, from the SHOT TEMSIG list. I’m guessing there will be interest here too, Cheers, Andy Begin forwarded message: > From: "MARSH, ALLISON" <MARSHA(a)mailbox.sc.edu> > Subject: [temsig] Digital Material Culture Course > Date: November 3, 2014 at 2:26:28 PM EST > To: "temsig(a)lists.rit.edu" <temsig(a)lists.rit.edu> > Reply-To: "Technology Museums Special Interest Group (TEMSIG) mailing list" <temsig(a)lists.rit.edu> > > Hello Temsig! > > I am looking forward to seeing many of you in Dearborn this week. > > Something that may interest many of you: I am in the process of developing an online course on digital material culture. This was sparked through discussions with several Smithsonian colleagues as well as with the SHOT pre-conference workshop held last year at the MIT Museum. For my course, I am interviewing museum professionals on a variety of topics. The course is somewhat in flux as I find people & topics, and I am totally open to suggestions. If anyone wants to be a part of this, just let me know. > > -Allison > > Allison C. Marsh, Ph.D. > Assistant Professor > Department of History > University of South Carolina > Columbia, SC 29208 > 803-777-0041 > _______________________________________________ > TEMSIG mailing list > TEMSIG(a)lists.rit.edu > https://lists.rit.edu/mailman/listinfo.cgi/temsig

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