September 2017 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Konrad Zuse's 1936 patent - German text?
by Brian Randell 24 Sep '20

24 Sep '20

Hi Mark: I have a copy of the original 1936 Zuse patent application that I had translated into English for my Origins book. (It took some finding - some of my Zemanek documents had strayed into the middle of the Zuse documents, and so had obscured them! :-) It is a type-written document, on the letterhead of Zuse’s patent attorney Dr.-Ing. Bruno Wolf, Berlin Charlottenberg 5, Kantstrasse 85, dated 9.4.36 (i.e. 9 April 1936). It is some twenty or so pages in length. However I should warn you that some of the pages are barely legible (though could probably be deciphered by someone who knows German - which I don’t). I could scan this document for you if you wish. (I have about two inches thick of documents about Zuse’s work, including a number of patents and patent applications, some pre-war, immediately some post-war, together with several typescripts from him. My plan is that this material will be added to the archive of my files held in the Special Collections section of Newcastle University Library. This already holds all the extensive correspondence that I was involved in while compiling Origins.) Cheers Brian On 24 Jan 2017, at 10:58, Mark Priestley <m.priestley(a)gmail.com<mailto:m.priestley@gmail.com>> wrote: Dear list, Zuse's 1936 patent "Method for Automatic Execution of Calculations with the Aid of Computers" is reprinted in Brian Randell's "Origins of Digital Computers" collections. Does anyone know if/where I can get hold of the German original? Thanks in advance. Mark _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<http://sigcis.org>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org -- School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk<mailto:Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk> PHONE = +44 191 208 7923 FAX = +44 191 208 8232 URL = http://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/people/profile/brianrandell.html

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IBM 610
by John Impagliazzo 25 Apr '18

25 Apr '18

Hi All, Allegedly, some consider the IBM 610 Auto-Point computer (1959) the ‘first personal computer’. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/plugboard.html Is this true – even slightly true?? John John Impagliazzo, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Hofstra University IEEE Life Fellow ACM Distinguished Educator

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SIGCIS events at SHOT in Philadelphia
by Andrew Russell 23 Oct '17

23 Oct '17

Dear colleagues - With the SHOT and SIGCIS meetings about a month away, I’m writing with a few reminders and requests about SIGCIS-related events and happenings. I’m guessing I and others will be back in touch with more announcements as the time draws near, but what follows should be plenty to get us started. 1. Friday SIGCIS Lunch Our annual lunch will take place on Friday from 12:30-2. When you registered, you should have checked the box. If you didn’t, I’m sure that SHOT can find a way to accommodate you when you register in Philadelphia. As usual, our agenda for the lunch, beyond eating, will be (1) introductions from first-time attendees; and (2) the SIGCIS book auction, once again starring Tom Haigh as auctioneer. Regarding the latter, I have two reminders: a. Please bring books you would like to donate for the cause. It would help our accounting and record-keeping system if you can tell me ahead of time what book you plan to bring. b. Please bring cash to pay for books, or to otherwise donate to SIGCIS. We are lucky to have so many generous members in SIGCIS, since member donations allow us to award travel grants to students and others who need travel support. This year we are awarding over $2000 in travel support; to make this sustainable, we need to recoup those costs. If you’d rather donate to SIGCIS online or by check, we would be happy to facilitate that as well. 2. SHOT Sessions of Interest The SHOT program may be found from the following link: https://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual-meeting/2017-shot-annual-meeting… <https://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual-meeting/2017-shot-annual-meeting…>. In keeping with the trends of current years, the program has a great variety of sessions and papers that features, were organized by, or will be of interest to SIGCIS members, including: Nathan Ensmenger on the opening plenary panel on Thursday evening; Friday panels on the future of work (F2), computerized futures (F6), governance in IT (F17), communication (F22), AI history (F28), material histories of data (F30), AI history part 2 (F40); and Saturday panels on data management (S5), democracy & communication technologies (S14), computerized futures part 2 (S20), radio & politics (S25), visual media (S28), visual environments (S37), women and gender in computing (S39), ‘hidden figures’ (S41), and Cold War IT (S43). My goodness. 3. Sunday SIGCIS Conference: Measure, Model, Mix: Computer as Instrument Once again we have an amazing lineup of presentations for our Sunday SIGCIS conference. Details are available from http://meetings.sigcis.org/conference-schedule.html <http://meetings.sigcis.org/conference-schedule.html>. I’ll only highlight a couple of aspects here: at 8:45 we will introduce the workshop and announce our SIGCIS Travel Awards, the Mahoney Prize, and Computer History Museum Prize, which is always an exciting occasion; and we will then move into our keynote address by Prof. Joanna Radin at Yale University. More information about the conference will be forthcoming - stay tuned…. I hope to see you in Philadelphia! All the best, Andy Russell SIGCIS Chair

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Manufacturers of Punch Cards
by Kidwell, Peggy 22 Sep '17

22 Sep '17

I write in preparation for next month's meeting in Philadelphia. Those of you staying late will be able to hear about punch cards, particularly punch cards in the Smithsonian collections, as symbols of the spread of computing from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. This is the result of a cataloging project based on looking at eighty-odd punch cards and groups of punch cards in Smithsonian mathematics and computer collections (as well as one from textiles). A small matter that interests me is who actually made and/or distributed the cards. Sometimes this was a manufacturer like IBM or Remington Rand UNIVAC. At other times, businesses seem to have specialized in printing punch cards - or at least distributing them. At present, I'm still mystified as to who made/distributed the punch cards listed below, and would welcome identifications: 1. A punch card marked ISC 5081. This isn't the IBM card by that name, though It looks like it. 2. Another IBM clone, the MIDCO C-5081. 3. The Pryor 5280 4. The NECS/WIC-282 5. The ths 942/3/2367 - this was designed for use in Stockholm 6. A card designed for use at the University of Wisconsin with the name OEI M73926 - we also have a punch card with number OEI E19618 used at the DeVry Institute of Technology in Chicago 7. SDC A1004 punch cards - used in Canada 8. BP-16309 BSC punch cards Many thanks! Peggy Kidwell Curator of Mathematics National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution

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Computers in Marketing (1960 Fortune Films, at Hagley Library)
by Erik Rau 21 Sep '17

21 Sep '17

Our video of the month for September is from our Sperry Univac collection, “The Computer Comes to Marketing,” 1960. Sponsored by Fortune Films. https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/selling-computer-business-1960 Enjoy! Erik -- Erik P. Rau, PhD Director, Library Services Hagley Museum & Library P.O. Box 3630, 298 Buck Road Wilmington, DE 19807 302.658.2400, ext. 344 erau(a)hagley.org<mailto:erau@hagley.org> www.hagley.org<http://www.hagley.org>

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STS Position in Data Studies -- UC Davis
by Gerardo Con Diaz 20 Sep '17

20 Sep '17

Dear Colleagues, Please find below an announcement for a search at UC Davis. Best, Con -- Gerardo Con Diaz Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies University of California, Davis *STS Position in Data Studies - Assistant/Associate Professor* *University of California, Davis* The University of California, Davis invites applicants for a tenure-track assistant professor or recently tenured associate professor in the social studies of data and data science including the scientific, political, social, and scholarly use and creation of data. Experience and a genuine interest in working in a collaborative environment and especially in collaborating with data scientists are highly desired. The successful applicant will be appointed in the Science and Technology Studies Program, with expectation for cross-appointment in an emergent multidisciplinary data science program. The appointee is expected to actively participate in the growing interdisciplinary team of the Data Science Initiative and to take a central role in teaching in and developing a new Data Studies minor. Aimed at social science and humanities students, this minor is designed to introduce students to data science concepts and techniques, teach them to critically analyze and contextualize data questions and results, and prepare them to collaborate with data scientists in work environments. Applicants should have expertise in one or more of the following areas: ethnography or history of the scientific, political, social, and scholarly use and creation of data; computational media; software studies; or ethics, law, and policy of data. Applicants should be prepared to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in STS on topics related to critical approaches to data science; data visualization; information ethics, privacy and policy. Successful applicants will also be expected to teach introductory Data Studies courses focusing on data analysis using Excel, R, or similar. A Ph.D. in either science and technology studies, anthropology, media studies, philosophy, cultural studies, communication, sociology, or a related field should be completed by September 23, 2018. Applicants should submit a cover letter, a CV, contact information for three references, and a writing sample. Applicants should also submit 2-3 example syllabi, one of which should propose a version of either STS 101 or STS 115 (course descriptions available at http://sts.ucdavis.edu/cour ses/course-descriptions/data-studies). Applications must be submitted by November 13, 2017, through the online application form: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF01850. The University of California, Davis, is an affirmative action / equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity.

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Call for Papers: DRS Track 'Design, Technology and Society' (Deadline: Nov. 6, 2017)
by Theodora Vardouli, Prof. 20 Sep '17

20 Sep '17

Announcing a call for papers for the DRS (Design Research Society) Limerick, Ireland, 25th-28th June 2018 Deadline: November 6, 2017 On the theme: Design, Technology and Society The Design, Technology and Society track at DRS 2018 focuses on critical perspectives and creative insights into the roles of technological systems and discourses in the design and production of our built environment. As computation, software, simulations, digital fabrication, robotics, ‘big data,’ artificial intelligence, and machine learning configure new imaginaries of designing and making across fields, we seek to approach these subjects critically from enriched socio-material, technical, and historical perspectives —exploring how conceptions of creativity, materiality, and labor have shifted and continue to shift in conjunction with technological change. We seek contributions that reflect on themes including but not exclusive to: * Historical papers examining the roles of university laboratories, government sponsored research, public policies, or technology companies in shaping ideas, systems and practices of design; * Studies of specific computational artifacts, formal languages, algorithms, or software systems which examine their material and cultural histories, and their role in enabling new design practices and discourses; * Ethnographic studies unveiling cultures where technological ideas or methods have shaped conceptual or practical aspects of design; * Research projects addressing design critically from an enriched socio-material perspective accounting for the agencies —both human and non-human— involved in the design, operation of and interaction with computational systems; * Studies reporting on speculative or critical technologies addressing questions about the design process, envisioning alternative modes of design participation or engagement with traditions, materials, and the body, or probing innovative theories and practices of design. <http://www.drs2018limerick.org/track/design-technology-and-society> Track Subchairs Daniel Cardoso Llach, Carnegie Mellon University, USA (dcardoso(a)cmu.edu<mailto:dcardoso@cmu.edu>); Terry Knight, MIT, USA (tknight(a)mit.edu<mailto:tknight@mit.edu>); Co-conveners Ignacio Farías, Technische Universität München, Germany; Lilly Irani, UC San Diego, USA; Theodora Vardouli, McGill University, Canada. Track Website http://www.drs2018limerick.org/track/design-technology-and-society Submission Deadline: 6th November 2017 Submission details: See conference website<http://drs2018limerick.org/participation/call-papers>. -- Theodora Vardouli Assistant Professor | School of Architecture | McGill University 815 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal Québec, Canada H3A 0C2 | 514.398.6709 theodora.vardouli(a)mcgill.ca<mailto:theodora.vardouli@mcgill.ca> | openarchitectures.com<https://openarchitectures.com/>

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resources about online harassment
by Irish, Sharon Lee 20 Sep '17

20 Sep '17

Dear colleagues, My campus is hosting Wendy Hui Kyong Chun this week and I am finally reading her 2016 book, Updating to Remain the Same: Habitual New Media. In chapter 4 (p. 158) she asks, “how might we occupy networks differently? How can we understand publicity not in terms of a need for safety and protection, which is neither safe nor protecting, but rather the fight for a space in which one can be vulnerable and not attacked?” These challenging questions prompted me to share the following resources, which may contribute to shaping networks “that develop new habits of connecting” (Chun, p. 160). Perhaps some of you know about past practices that would be useful to revive. Even if you think what you do is not especially “risky,” it is a good idea to prepare yourself so that you are not so susceptible to e-attacks. Last year, Alice Marwick, Lindsay Blackwell and Katherine Lo published “Best Practices for Conducting Risky Research and Protecting Yourself from Online Harassment,” for Data & Society. Their report can be downloaded here: https://datasociety.net/output/best-practices-for-conducting-risky-research… There’s also a 2-page pdf linked there that can be shared with administrators. I’d also like to call attention to the excellent resources of the Center for Solutions to Online Violence<http://femtechnet.org/csov/>, which offers guidance for educators, as well as survivors and journalists, and ways to lock down your own digital identity. As one of the moderators of the SIGCIS listserv, I have been fortunate to have e-conversations with the other moderators over the last few months. Barbara Walker alerted me to this recent and really <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0213-3https://www.nature.com/art…> useful <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0213-3> article<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0213-3> “Moral outrage in the digtial age," by MJ Crockett, in nature.com. Sharon Sharon Irish Center for Digital Inclusion School of Information Sciences; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 501 East Daniel Street, MC-493 Champaign, Illinois 61820 USA slirish(a)illinois.edu<mailto:slirish@illinois.edu> sharonirish.org femtechnet.org cdi.ischool.illinois.edu

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ACM History Committee research awards -- deadline 1 March 2018
by Thomas Misa 19 Sep '17

19 Sep '17

The Association for Computing Machinery's History Committee invites proposals for research projects related to ACM’s professional and educational activities and/or to ACM’s rich institutional history including its organization, publications, SIG activities, and conferences. We will support up to four projects with awards of up to $4,000 each. Successful candidates may be of any rank, from graduate students through senior researchers. To Apply: Applicants should send a 2-page CV as well as a 500-word project description that [a] describes the proposed research; [b] identifies specific ACM historical research materials, whether traditional archival collections or online historical materials (oral histories, digitized conference papers, ACM organizational records, et al.); [c] discusses project outcomes (e.g. journal article, book or dissertation chapter, teaching resource, museum exhibit, website); [d] outlines a timeline for completing the project; [e] agrees to write a one-page blog entry during the project and, on completion, to promptly report the project’s results. In preparing a proposal, applicants should examine the document “ACM Research Materials” posted at <history.acm.org/content.php?do=links <http://history.acm.org/content.php?do=links>> as well as “Sources for ACM History,” CACM 50 #5 (May 2007): 36-41 <doi.acm.org/10.1145/1230819.1230836 <http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1230819.1230836>>. Other research materials relating to ACM history may also be used. Applicants should include a short letter of endorsement from their institution or an external scholarly reference. Proposals are due by 1 March 2018. Proposals should be submitted as a single pdf-format document to <history-webmaster(a)acm.org <mailto:history-webmaster@acm.org>>. Notification of awards will be made in 6-8 weeks. Previous Results: Since 2009 ACM HC has supported 25 research projects. Results include the recent edited volume Communities of Computing: Computer Science and Society in the ACM (ACM Books 2016; DOI 10.1145/2973856). ACM HC also sponsors workshops in oral history methods and archiving practices. =======================================

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Email "inventor" claimant to run for U.S. Senate -- alternative facts about technology and democracy collide
by Andrew Meade McGee 18 Sep '17

18 Sep '17

Continuing with the ongoing saga of V. A. Shiva and his claims regarding the invention of e-mail, that gentleman has just announced his candidacy for the United States Senate. https://twitter.com/va_shiva/status/835420061993218048 As several SIGCIS contributors noted earlier this month, this nicely parallels the upcoming SHOT themes of technology and democracy. "Alternate facts" about the history of technology will play a major public element of this campaign next year. --Andrew

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