May 2015 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

CFP: SIGCIS 2015 Workshop - Infrastructures - submissions due June 30
by Andrew Russell 23 Jun '15

23 Jun '15

Greetings all - Please find below the call for papers for the annual SIGCIS workshop. The theme for 2015 is “Infrastructures.” As always, we hope that submissions will engage the theme, although, as always, we warmly welcome submissions on the history of computing and information (broadly conceived) that have no connection to the theme. Please share, tweet, like, fax, photocopy, and cross-post this CFP widely! Full details about submissions, travel grants, etc. are available from http://www.sigcis.org/workshop15. Cheers, Andy Russell SIGCIS Chair https://www.facebook.com/SIGCIS https://twitter.com/SIGCIS http://www.sigcis.org —————————————————————— SIGCIS Workshop 2015: Infrastructures Sunday, October 11, 2015 Albuquerque, New Mexico Deadline for submissions: June 30, 2015 The Special Interest Group for Computers, Information and Society (SIGCIS<http://www.sigcis.org>) welcomes submissions for our annual one-day scholarly workshop to be held on Sunday, October 11, 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is immediately after the end of the regular annual meeting of our parent organization, the Society for the History of Technology, details of which are available from http://www.historyoftechnology.org/features/annual_meeting/. Questions about the SIGCIS 2015 workshop should be addressed to Andrew Russell (Stevens Institute of Technology), who is serving as chair of the workshop organizing committee (e-mail: arussell(a)stevens.edu<mailto:arussell@stevens.edu>). Workshop Theme: Infrastructures Across academic, artistic, and popular domains, curiosity and concern over the information and computing infrastructures that sustain economic, cultural, and social interaction has never been more salient. In contrast to the hype generated by the gadgetry of innovation prophets and venture capitalists, an emphasis on infrastructure highlights networks of labor and focuses on the human, material, and ecological cost and scale of information and computing technologies. For the SIGCIS 2015 Workshop, we invite papers that engage historical dimensions of the prosaic work of building networks, cultivating workforces, and maintaining computing and information infrastructures. Related themes necessarily include maintenance, labor, and ordinary experiences with information and computing technologies. Proposals for individual papers or complete sessions might include the following topics: * the maintenance of legacy hardware and software * the training and treatment of labor and workforces * the lived realities of computers and IT * digital archives and their sustainability * cyberinfrastructures for bureaucratic and scientific collaboration * materiality of computing, media, and information technologies * specific infrastructural technologies such as cables, fiber-optics, switching, and wireless * political and economic aspects of infrastructure maintenance and development * tensions between local or national legal regimes and global information infrastructures As always, SIGCIS welcomes all types of contributions related to the history of computing and information, whether or not there is an explicit connection with the annual theme. Our membership is international and interdisciplinary, and our members examine the history of information technologies and their place within society from a variety of scholarly perspectives including the history of technology, labor history, social history, business history, the history of science, science & technologies studies, communications, media studies, gender and sexuality studies, and museum studies. Suggested Formats for Submissions Proposals for entire sessions and individual presenters are both welcome. We hope to run special sessions featuring dissertations in progress and other works in progress. The workshop is a great opportunity to get helpful feedback on your projects in a relaxed and supportive environment. All proposals will be subject to a peer review process based on abstracts. As we attract submissions from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, it is best to be explicit: SIGCIS follows traditional practices for the submission of papers for professional historical conferences. These include selection based on abstracts rather than full papers; no dissemination of full papers (with the exception of works in progress and dissertations in progress, as noted in the CFP); and the requirement that presenters share their full papers with the session commentators at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting. The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2015; the program committee will send notifications no later than July 15, 2015. For complete details about the workshop, the submissions procedure, travel grants, and previous workshops, please visit http://www.sigcis.org/workshop15. ——————————————————————

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Diagrammatic models of human computing
by Paul Fishwick 22 Jun '15

22 Jun '15

I recently listened to a podcast on Pickering's human-intensive computing for processing astronomical data. Here is a wiki page that contains an overview and photograph from 1890: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Computers I am seeking diagrammatic workflow models of the types of computation that occurred under Pickering's direction, but more generally, any articles or texts that contain such diagrams for human computing. I am familiar with modern formalisms such as BPMN: http://www.bpmn.org/ in which business workflows might be formalized. I also have read Grier's excellent book: http://www.amazon.com/When-Computers-Human-David-Grier/dp/0691091579/ref=sr… The history and cultural context is interesting to me, and most appropriate for engaging readers, however, the main end-point in this story-telling process, for me, is for people to appreciate the path toward the diagrammatic formalisms with their nodes, merges, branches, and connections. If I need to, I can embark on a path toward creating some models with the written historical accounts as a guide, but I thought that checking here would be the best starting location in this quest for diagrammatic evidence. -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 Lab Blog: creative-automata.com SIGSIM Blog: modelingforeveryone.com

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EuroScience OpenForum, Manchester, July 2016
by James Sumner 25 May '15

25 May '15

Dear SIGCIS members With the usual apologies for floating a possibility far too close to the deadline: The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) is a two-yearly summit and showcase, aimed at the European science community and its "global partners", which leans particularly to the engagement of science and engineering with policymakers, business and public audiences and tends to be well covered by international science journalists. The next meeting will be happening in Manchester (UK) from Friday 22 to Wednesday 27 July 2016, and the University of Manchester is keen to use its international networks to develop contributions. Formally, the ESOF definition of "science" extends to arts and humanities research of all kinds, although the opportunities are unsurprisingly particularly strong in fields connected to science, engineering and innovation. Full details are at http://www.esof.eu/ One of the official themes is particularly close to SIGCIS community interests: === Turing’s legacy - data and the human brain In the city of Alan Turing we put forward a theme which combines his direct legacy in artificial intelligence and the interface of humans with machines, together with the wider issues posed by data, online information exchange and communication in our society. As major projects address the nature of the human brain and our ability to simulate it, we ask where this is taking us? In the world of big data, what is the significance of the new analytics for scientific and citizen activities? What ethical, social and legal challenges are raised? Communication and learning as a sub-theme opens up issues of human development. Suggested issues to explore: * Artificial intelligence * Mapping the brain * Human-computer interface * Mathematical logic and computer science * Visualisation * Big data and behavioural analytics * Privacy, security, ethics and integrity * The future internet * The Internet of Things * Communication and learning === -- while another theme, "Science in our cultures", has possibilities for the history and social studies of IT more broadly. ESOF seeks speaker panels for relatively brief speaker sessions (75 minutes, can be doubled) and favours non-traditional formats. The challenge, as so often the case with this kind of meeting, is that there's a strong requirement for international participation ("the proposed speakers/participants within sessions should come from multiple countries and overall geographical balance will be sought in the programme") but no funding for travel or accommodation, so contributors would need to be self-supporting. Is anyone interested in proposing or contributing to a session? If so, please send me details of a possible area of coverage, and I'll do my best to co-ordinate. Submissions do not (as far as I can see) require detailed paper information, but the deadline for outline session abstracts is *early on Monday morning* (1 June), so I'd need to hear from you by Friday at the latest. All best James

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Seeking Logitech contact, expertise in peripherals
by Brent Strang 24 May '15

24 May '15

Dear All, I am doing research on the co-evolution of gamepads, remote controls and computer peripherals and opening a case study on Logitech, who make all three. If anyone has any contacts with the company, or knows someone who formally worked there, I’d be grateful for their contact info. That said, I would like to interview anyone here in the SIGCIS group who has has design and/or engineering expertise in working on gamepads/mice/remote controls. More specifically, I’m researching IR & RF frequency protocols, analogue sticks/trackballs, ergonomics and general look & feel. I understand basically how they work; I’m more interested in how design, engineering, and administrative departments coordinate in addition to their working within the parameters of third-party manufacturing contracts. Any feedback is most welcome! -- Brent Strang Ph.D. candidate, Cultural Studies Stony Brook University, New York 347.265.2933

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Computer Programming at the BSHS Annual Conference
by david nofre 19 May '15

19 May '15

Dear all, During the first weekend of July we will be organizing a session on 'Codifying Knowledge in Early Computer Programming' at the BSHS Annual Conference, Swansea University. The session will count with the participation of Stephanie Dick who will talk about early use of computers in mathematics and logic, Mark Priestley on Von Neumann's attempts to codify knowledge on computer programming, and David Nofre and Edgar Daylight on the role of abstraction in the emergence of computer science. Abstracts and a detailed description of the session can be found at: http://www.bshs.org.uk/conferences/annual-conference/2015-swansea Regards, David Nofre

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Raymond Dudley, unsung inventor of parallel processing and digital spreadsheet?
by Janet Abbate 18 May '15

18 May '15

I got an odd letter recently from someone named Raymond Dudley, who claims he invented a chess-playing computer in 1973. Apparently he thought that as a member of the SHOT Editorial Committee, I was in a position to "correct the historical record" by alerting the "scientific establishment" of this "important breakthrough." He has a website at http://www.chessilluminated.com/ The device is an electronic chessboard hooked up to a minicomputer. The "digital spreadsheet" he refers to is the illuminated chessboard and a corresponding program that keeps track of the state of each cell on the board. Supposedly the program is implemented in parallel, though I think the underlying processor is not. The chess pieces are electronically encocded so that when they are placed on the board, the machine recognizes each unique piece. The squares on the board will light up to indicate which moves a given piece can legally make; the pieces themselves light up to warn when they are in danger of being captured. It's not clear to me from my brief survey of the site whether the machine actually plays against the human player or simply provides the player with useful information to aid them in playing against another person. Dudley got a patent on the machine in 1983. Anybody heard of this? He seems to have kept a lower profile than some of our other cranks--er, unsung inventors. A google search for "Raymond Dudley chess computer" only turned up his patent information. Janet Dr. Janet Abbate Associate Professor, Science & Technology in Society Co-director, National Capital Region STS program Virginia Tech www.sts.vt.edu/ncr www.linkedin.com/groups/STS-Virginia-Tech-4565055 www.facebook.com/VirginiaTechSTS

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New CBI Newsletter (Spring 2015, Vol. 37:1)
by Charles Babbage Institute 12 May '15

12 May '15

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Gadgets to God Advice Sought
by David Wortley 07 May '15

07 May '15

Dear SIGCIS list members, I am new to this list but I am delighted to receive all the posts because it feels like a spiritual home. I am seeking advice on my book "Gadgets to God" which was published a couple of years ago as an autobiographical reflection on mankind's changed relationship with technology during my lifetime. My publisher indicated a possible problem with classifying the book because it falls between an autobiography and a historical narrative of computing history. I am wondering if I should strip out the autobiographical elements and republish as a more academic book - any advice would be welcome - the main point of my book and its title is that I believe that mankind's relationship with technology today is indistinguishable in its characteristics with our relationship with our deity. Regards David Wortley FRSA FOUNDER AND CEO GAETSS EMail: david(a)gaetss.com Mobile: +601123180284 (Malaysia) +447896659695 (UK) Gamification and Enabling Technologies Strategic Solutions Shaping the Future of Business and Society through Human Development and Motivation - www.gaetss.com Strategic Enabling Technologies Director at IORMA http://www.iorma.com/iorma-executive-board-and-advisory-board.html Author of Reflections on our changing relationship with technology - www.gadgetstogodbook.com This message was sent from my iPad

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CBI --> dropping troublesome "H" 's
by Thomas J. Misa 06 May '15

06 May '15

Two misplaced "H's snuck into the first message . . . . no more, 'enry 'iggins . . . . TJM -------------------------------------------------- Hi all, We are posting short blurbs on https://www.facebook.com/babbageinstitute profiling some of our newer and/or interesting collections. Sometimes, the collection's formal title (visible at http://www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/archmss.html) does not adequately describe the collection's content. We hope these FB postings, continuing now through August (each Tuesday morning), might help get the word out. "American National Standards Institute. X3H2 records" is pretty cryptic . . . its 11 boxes come direct from the committee's secretary (1978--) documenting the NDL (network database language) and SQL (structured query language) standards. This is how relational databases percolated from IBM (which had donated SEQUEL) out into the wider world. "X3H3 records" hardly captures that. See <http://purl.umn.edu/40837> "Ada Programming Language Materials, 1981-1990" is not quite so cryptic. Three boxes contain product literature, project reports, technical reports, working papers, newsletters; and user group information. Ada Lovelace was born 200 years ago with the bicentennial coming up 10 December 2015. See <http://purl.umn.edu/41474> "SC34 committee records" is also somewhat cryptic . . . this collection documents SGML, the ur-standard from which HTML, XML, and much else derives. Ten boxes document development of SGML and current XML tools . . . early drafts of SGML administrative materials, documentation, working group papers, and standards for computer languages. See <http://purl.umn.edu/42431> Please contact CBI's archivist-curator Arvid Nelsen <nels0307(a)UMN.EDU> for more information about using these or other CBI collections. CBI's collections are open to the public, without charge. We have a modest travel grant program with a deadline each January. Five researchers are supported this year <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/ntravelfund.html>. All the best, Tom Misa ===========================

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CBI --> "Archive collection Tuesdays"
by Thomas J. Misa 06 May '15

06 May '15

Hi all, We are posting short blurbs on www.facebook.com/babbageinstitute profiling some of our newer and/or interesting collections. Sometimes, the collection's formal title (visible at www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/archmss.html) does not adequately describe the collection's content. We hope these FB postings, continuing now through August (each Tuesday morning), might help get the word out. "American National Standards Institute. X3H2 records" is pretty cryptic . . . its 11 boxes come direct from the committee's secretary (1978--) documenting the NDL (network database language) and SQL (structured query language) standards. This is how relational databases percolated from IBM (which had donated SEQUEL) out into the wider world. "X3H3 records" hardly captures that. See <purl.umn.edu/40837> "Ada Programming Language Materials, 1981-1990" is not quite so cryptic. Three boxes contain product literature, project reports, technical reports, working papers, newsletters; and user group information. Ada Lovelace was born 200 years ago with the bicentennial coming up 10 December 2015. See <purl.umn.edu/41474> "SC34 committee records" is also somewhat cryptic . . . this collection documents SGML, the ur-standard from which HTML, XML, and much else derives. Ten boxes document development of SGML and current XML tools . . . early drafts of SGML administrative materials, documentation, working group papers, and standards for computer languages. See <purl.umn.edu/42431> Please contact CBI's archivist-curator Arvid Nelsen <nels0307(a)UMN.EDU> for more information about using these or other CBI collections. CBI's collections are open to the public, without charge. We have a modest travel grant program with a deadline each January. Five researchers are supported this year <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/ntravelfund.html>. All the best, Tom Misa ===========================

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