December 2018 - 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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Book announcement: GAMING THE IRON CURTAIN out Dec 18 on MIT Press
by Jaroslav Švelch 17 Jan '19

17 Jan '19

Dear colleagues, I have mostly been just a lurker on this list, mainly because I have never been to a SHOT conference and don’t know most members in person. This might change next year, as I’m planning to come to Milan. However, I would like to announce the release of my book Gaming the Iron Curtain: How Teenagers and Amateurs in Communist Czechoslovakia Claimed the Medium of Computer Games. The book tells a social history of computer games in 1980s Czechoslovakia in seven chapters, starting with technology policies and hardware manufacturing, and ending with activist games about the 1988-89 demonstrations that led up to the Velvet Revolution. Along the way, I peek into paramilitary youth clubs, arcades on wheels, and bedrooms and kitchens of computer enthusiasts. I also dicuss informal software distribution, gaming fanzines, DIY joysticks, illegal arcade machine manufacturing, ports and conversions, and some very local computer game genres. I’m hoping the book will be of interest not only to game scholars, but also to historians of computing and technology in general. Also, it has cool photos! The book is coming out December 18 with MIT Press in the Game Histories series: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/gaming-iron-curtain If you’d like to ask for a review copy, please contact David Ryman at MIT Press: dryman(a)mit.edu Best, Jaroslav An official summary follows: ================================================ GAMING THE IRON CURTAIN How Teenagers and Amateurs in Communist Czechoslovakia Claimed the Medium of Computer Games Jaroslav Švelch https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/gaming-iron-curtain ================================================ Summary ------------------ Aside from the exceptional history of Tetris, very little is known about gaming culture behind the Iron Curtain. But despite the scarcity of home computers and the absence of hardware and software markets, Czechoslovakia hosted a remarkably active DIY microcomputer scene in the 1980s, producing more than two hundred games that were by turns creative, inventive, and politically subversive. In Gaming the Iron Curtain, Jaroslav Švelch offers the first social history of gaming and game design in 1980s Czechoslovakia, and the first book-length treatment of computer gaming in any country of the Soviet bloc. Švelch describes how amateur programmers in 1980s Czechoslovakia discovered games as a medium, using them not only for entertainment but also as a means of self-expression. Sheltered in state-supported computer clubs, local programmers fashioned games into a medium of expression that, unlike television or the press, was neither regulated nor censored. In the final years of Communist rule, Czechoslovak programmers were among the first in the world to make activist games about current political events, anticipating trends observed decades later in independent or experimental titles. Drawing from extensive interviews as well as political, economic, and social history, Gaming the Iron Curtain tells a compelling tale of gaming the system, introducing us to individuals who used their ingenuity to be active, be creative, and be heard. ------------------ Jaroslav Švelch, Ph.D. New media and digital games scholar (http://svelch.com) Postdoctoral fellow, University of Bergen Games and Transgressive Aesthetics project: http://gta.b.uib.no/ Assistant professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague (on leave) ________________________________________________________ My book GAMING THE IRON CURTAIN: How Teenagers and Amateurs in Communist Czechoslovakia Claimed the Medium of Computer Games Coming out December 2018 with MIT Press, https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/gaming-iron-curtain Phone: +420 773 988 425 --- Tato zpráva byla zkontrolována na viry programem Avast Antivirus. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Assistant Professor Position @ University of Washington, Seattle (January 15, 2019)
by Daniela K Rosner 01 Jan '19

01 Jan '19

*Faculty Position Announcement. **Please share widely!* *Assistant Professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering* (Tenure Track) https://apply.interfolio.com/57463 Review of applications will begin *January 15, 2019.* The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington seeks an individual dedicated to excellence in teaching and research programs to join our dynamic interdisciplinary intellectual community in 2019. HCDE is a vibrant, welcoming, and engaged interdisciplinary community that incorporates a range of intellectual traditions. We offer BS, MS, and PhD degrees and serve as a founding contributor to three interdisciplinary graduate degrees. Candidates will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and will supervise doctoral students. The yearly teaching load is three courses (one per quarter) plus supervision of for-credit directed research groups. Teaching opportunities will be based on our current course offerings and the individual’s areas of scholarly expertise. Successful candidates will join a dynamic faculty conducting interdisciplinary research in the design and engineering of sociotechnical systems broadly defined. More information about our department can be found at http://www.hcde.washington.edu. The successful candidate will be expected to expand on one or more emerging areas within the department, including: 1. *Design* (e.g., data visualization; design education; research-through-design) 2. *Engineering* (e.g., data science; human-robot interaction; machine learning/artificial intelligence; augmented and virtual reality; infrastructure development) 3. *Technology & Society* (e.g., policy and ethics in the designing of technologies such as those listed in 1 and 2 above). Successful candidates will be expected to address the societal implications of technology and think globally in their research. Successful candidates will be expected to deal directly or indirectly with design, engineering, and policy issues such as data use/misuse; social and environmental justice; and equity and civic engagement. Successful candidates are expected to develop substantial programs of research including peer-reviewed publications and external funding. Candidates should show evidence of strong promise in teaching as well as scholarship. All UW faculty engage in teaching, research and service. The College of Engineering regularly sets visions for strategic research areas; current areas can be found here: https://www.engr.washington.edu/facresearch/strategicareas. Faculty members also routinely collaborate with colleagues across campus and with affiliates from the region’s noted high-tech industry. Seattle is a culturally diverse urban center with growing racial, ethnic and immigrant communities. It is also home to many prominent technology companies, along with a robust startup and global health community. The University of Washington is building a culturally diverse faculty and encourages applications from women and minority candidates. *Qualifications* Applicants for this Assistant Professor (tenure-track) position should be recent or soon to graduate PhDs and must have earned a doctorate (or foreign equivalent) by the date of appointment. This is a 9-month, full-time appointment. *Application Instructions* Appointment begins in Autumn 2019. Review of applications will begin January 15, 2019. To apply, send (1) a letter of application, (2) a current c.v., (3) a statement of research and teaching goals, (4) a diversity statement*, (5) up to three representative papers and (6) and contact information for at least three people from whom we may request letters of recommendation. *Inquiries: *Stacia Green at greens6(a)uw.edu or Dr. Daniela Rosner at dkrosner(a)uw.edu. Our department's social justice mission leads us to invest in recruiting colleagues who in their scholarship, teaching, and service demonstrate experience with, knowledge of, and sensitivity to the needs of culturally diverse and oppressed populations. As a program with a core mission of social justice and a deeply diverse student body, we seek candidates with a demonstrated commitment to work with marginalized communities and with students holding a range of worldviews. In accord with the University’s expressed commitment to excellence and equity, contributions in scholarship and research, teaching, and service that address diversity and equal opportunity may be included among the professional and scholarly qualifications for appointment and promotion. *A Diversity Statement helps applicants reflect on how their approach to teaching and/or service contributes to positive social change and supports people who represent differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national and cultural boundaries, national origin, worldview, intellectual origin, ability, and other identities. We invite you to reflect and describe your related experiences in teaching and service and also where you stand to grow with regard to issues of diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice, and your potential to mentor and educate students who will serve diverse populations. -- ~-:~-:~-:~-:~-:~-:~-:~ Daniela K. Rosner danielarosner.com @danielarosner <https://twitter.com/danielarosner> she//her/hers My new book Critical Fabulations <https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Fabulations-Reworking-Methods-Thinking/dp/0…> now out with MIT Press!

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desktop publishing, digital typography, etc., , a couple of pointers
by Dave Walden 31 Dec '18

31 Dec '18

Some of you will have seen issue 3 of 2018 of the Annals of the History of Computing on the history of desktop publishing. And a few of you may have read my interview with Charles Bigelow who has lived and worked through much of the digital type revolution. There is a parallel interview at http://tug.org/TUGboat/tb39-3/tb123holmes-walden.pdf of Kris Holmes who is the other half of the Bigelow and Holmes Design Studio. See also http://tug.org/TUGboat/tb39-3/tb123walden-cary.pdf -- the Cary Collection with which Chuck and Kris are affiliated. The "web extras" page for the DTP special issue of the Annals -- continues to be updated -- https://history.computer.org/annals/dtp/ While TeX and LaTeX are just a tiny corner of the computing world, the TUG website (tug.org) does have some content that goes beyond TeX and may be useful for people researching the digital typography and DTP area of computing history; - the group's journal (http://tug.org/tugboat/contents.html) is now open access for all but the most recently published issue; look at book reviews, typography, etc., in the category list for high probability of finding topics closer to computing history. - the group's interview series (http://tug.org/interviews/) naturally looks backward (i.e., history); also there are lots of links to interviews of Knuth (http://tug.org/interviews/#knuth) By the way, Knuth has produced another massive computing/artistic effort outside the volumes of The Art of Computer Programming: https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/fant.html Best wishes for 2019.

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ISOC Live 12 Streams 5 - Digital Preservation (with Vint Cerf)
by Joly MacFie 31 Dec '18

31 Dec '18

Vint did a great job of facilitating at these two. I hope we can do some follow ups in 2019. I'd love to to see him share a stage with Jason Scott <https://blog.archive.org/author/jasonscott/> of the Internet Archive, perhaps on practicalities. <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/DigitalCooperation> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/coppaat20> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/CITIDFS-ICO> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/ConnectedNE> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety2/js-nyc-nov18> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/swissigf18> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/iotsecurity2018-4> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/ukigf18> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/routingsecurity/> <http://www.mnn.org/live/2-lifestyle-channel> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/diversity/> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/VisionsIG> <http://www.mnn.org/live/2-lifestyle-channel> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days01/> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days02> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days03/> <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days04> [image: livestream] <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days05/> Today, *Sunday December 30 2018*, at *7pm EST* (00:00 UTC), for the *fifth installment* of the *Internet Society Livestreaming <https://isoc.live/>*‘s ‘*12 Days of Streams <https://isoc.live/tag/12-streams/>‘* annual highlights we turn to another Internet Hall of Famer, Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist *Vint Cerf <https://www.internethalloffame.org/inductees/vint-cerf>*. Early in 2018 Vint collaborated with the *Internet Society New York Chapter <http://isoc-ny.org/>* for two forums on *Digital Preservation <https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2018/01/preserving-future-one-bit-time/>* – the *first in DC <https://isoc.live/9792/>* focused on policy, the *second in NYC <https://isoc.live/9869/> *focused on incentives. With guest experts *Kate Zwaard*, chief of National Digital Initiatives at the Library of Congress, *Michelle M. Wu*, Associate Dean for Library Services at Georgetown University Law Center, *Robert Cartolano*, AVP for Technology and Preservation, Columbia University Libraries, and *Brad Burnham*, Managing Partner, Union Square Ventures, these well attended events fostered lively discussions and an (ironically unpreserved) *dedicated website* <https://web.archive.org/web/20180119020333/http://digitalpreservationnow.co…> . *VIEW ON LIVESTREAM: https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days05/ <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/12days05/>* *TWITTER: @isocny + #digitalpreservation http://bit.ly/isocnydp <http://bit.ly/isocnydp>* *Permalink* https://isoc.live/10758/ -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast -------------------------------------------------------------- -

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Invention of the concept of process
by Brian Randell 30 Dec '18

30 Dec '18

Hi Paul: Off and on over a period of several years starting in the late 60s I worked with the late Jim Horning on attempting to clarify and formalise the concept of a process, and to understand the various ways in which processes could be usefully structured - the eventual result was a lengthy survey paper: Horning J.J., Randell B. Process Structuring. ACM Computing Surveys 1973, 5(1), 5-30. Quoting from this: "It has been said that “The concept of process is . . . an abstract one, and may be compared with that of the life of an organism; in neither case is it very easy to pin the concept down in a definition.” [36] Even a casual survey of the literature [e.g., 3, 8-11, 13, 17, 18, 23, 28, 29, 34] shows the lack of any general agreement on a precise definition of “process.” Three distinct aspects of the process concept are emphasized in various definitions. The process concept is used to model: 1) The status of a system. “A process is a locus of control within an instruction sequence. That is, a process is that abstract entity which moves through the instructions of a procedure as the procedure is executed by a processor.” [10] 2) Some sequence of status values. “ . . . a ‘sequential process’ can be considered as a sequence of actions that will be performed when an input tape has been supplied to an abstract machine.” [18] 3) A means of generating a class of such sequences. “An ALGOL program (block) specifies a sequence of operations on data local to the program, as well as the structure of the data themselves. SIMULA extends ALGOL to include the notion of a collection of such programs, called processes, conceptually operating in parallel. . . The process concept is intended as an aid for decomposing a discrete event system into components, which are separately describable. In general a process has two aspects: it is a data carrier and it will execute actions.” [8] Although no one of these provides a complete basis for the definition of “process”, each is important to our study, and it is helpful to use different names for each. Thus, we will refer to the “state” of a process, or to a “computation,” which is a sequence of its states, or to the “action function,” which generates its computations. We will discuss each of the concepts in some detail, and then present what we believe to be an adequate and precise definition of “process”." The above referenced-publications are: [3] BRINCH HANSEN, P. “The nucleus of a multiprogramming system.” Comm. ACM 13, 4 (1970), 238-241, 250. [8] DAHL, O. J., AND NYGAARD, K. “SIMULA–an ALGOL-based simulation language.” Comm. ACM 9, 9 (1966), 671-678. [9] DENNING, P. J. “Third generation computer systems.” Computing Surveys 3, 4 (1971), 175-216. [10] DENNIS, J. B., AND VAN HORN, E. C. “Programming semantics for multiprogrammed computations.” Comm. ACM 9, 3 (1966), 143-155. [11] DIJKSTRA, E. W. Cooperating sequential processes. Report EWD 123, Mathematical Department, Technological University, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, September 1965. [Reprinted in Programming Languages (F. Genuys Ed.) Academic Press, London, 1968.] [13] DIJKSTRA, E. W. “The structure of the “THE” multiprogramming system.” Comm. ACM 11, 5 (1968), 341-346. [17] GILBERT, P.; AND CHANDLER, W. J. “Interference Between Communicating. Parallel Processes.” Comm. ACM 15, 6 (1972), 427-437. [18] HABERMANN, A. N. “On the harmonious cooperation of abstract machines.” PhD Thesis, Technological University, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 1967. [23] LAMPSON, B. W. “A scheduling philosophy for multi-processing systems.” Comm. ACM 11, 5 (1968) 347-360. [28] PARNAS, D. L. On identifying processes within an operating computer system. Dept. of Computer Science, Carnegie-Mellon Univ. Pittsburgh, Pa. (unpublished). [29] SALZTER, J. H. “Traffic control in a multiplexed computer system.” PhD Thesis, MIT, Cambridge, Mass., July 1966. [34] VAN HORN, E. C. Computer design for asynchronously reproducible multi-processing. MIT Project MAC Technical Report, MAC-TR-34 November 1966. [36] WILKES, M. V. Time-sharing computer systems. Macdonald & Co., London, 1968. The introduction to our chapter "Processes and Processors: Basic Definitions" started: "In this paper we use the concept of “process” as a mathematical tool to explain, predict, and understand the behavior of a class of physical devices exemplified by digital computer systems. These devices (which are viewed as “processors”) are characterized by the fact that their interesting behavior is predictable, and consists of sequences of values of well-defined physical quantities (e.g., voltages on wires, magnetizations of cores, characters printed on paper), which represent the “information” of the system at discrete instants of time. The relation of a process to a processor is similar to the relation of a theory of physics (e.g., the “law of gravitation”) to the objects of that theory (e.g., the motion of planets); the theory is useful to the degree that it provides a sufficiently close approximation to its objects, yet remains understandable. An important difference is that processes are often developed before the processors they model exist. If a process exhibits desirable properties, then it is generally possible to construct a corresponding processor, using the process as a specification." The formal definition of process that we arrived at was: "A process is a triple (S, f, s), where S is a state space, f is an action function in that space, and s is the subset of S which defines the initial states of the process." I hope the above will help the present discussion on the origins of the concept. Cheers Brian Randell On 30 Dec 2018, at 04:23, Paul McJones <paul(a)mcjones.org<mailto:paul@mcjones.org>> wrote: Laurent, Edsger Dijkstra’s “Cooperating Sequential Processes" (EWD123) was written in 1965 (http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/ewd01xx/EWD123.PDF) His original paper on semaphores (EWD35) was written in Dutch several years before that (http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/transcriptions/EWD00xx/EWD35.html) By 1965, the term process was becoming fairly well-known in operating systems circles. For example, in a paper presented in 1965, Jack Dennis wrote: Processes. We consider that the system hardware comprises one or more processors, which we can identify as being distinct from the main memory, the file storage devices and the input/output devices. Each processor is capable of executing algorithms that are specified by sequences of instructions. A process is a locus of control within an instruction sequence. That is, a process is that abstract entity which moves through the instructions of a procedure as the procedure is executed by a processor. This is from: Jack B. Dennis and Earl C. Van Horn. 1966. Programming semantics for multiprogrammed computations. Commun. ACM 9, 3 (March 1966), 143-155. DOI=http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/365230.365252 Paul On Dec 29, 2018, at 8:09 PM, Laurent Bloch <lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org>> wrote: Le dimanche 30 décembre 2018 Grider, Gary Alan a écrit ceci : Hasn’t there been great debate about when the first "stored program" was accomplished? Some said on Maniac by Metropolis but others disagree I think. I would say that the concept of a process may appear when there are more than one program, potentially ready to execute, and in competition to access the processor. If that is what you are looking for I am pretty sure it was well before CTSS or Multics. I think CTSS and Multics were in pursuit of time sharing (or multiple stored programs). I think the first implementation of process pipes might have been Demos but that was way after CTSS days. Gary On 12/29/18, 8:37 PM, "Members on behalf of Laurent Bloch" <members-bounces(a)lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org>> wrote: Le samedi 29 décembre 2018 McMillan, William W a écrit ceci : "..., my question was about computer processes, i.e. programs in execution ..." Laurent, do you mean process in the sense of a computer program loaded (at least partially) into primary memory, described by a process control block, and managed by an operating system? Yes, it is precisely the kind of entity I am asking about. I would say it appears with CTSS or Multics, but I am not sure. Once I read the name of the creator of the concept, but I did not write it down and I forgot, hence my question. Or is the topic more broad than that? Bill ________________________________________ From: Members [members-bounces(a)lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org>] on behalf of Laurent Bloch [lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org>] Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2018 6:03 PM To: James Cortada Cc: SIGCIS Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Invention of the concept of process Le samedi 29 décembre 2018 James Cortada a écrit ceci : It might help to give us some context for your question. For example, if interested in process in business, then it emerges in the late 19th century and in the second half of the 20th becomes process management, TQM etc. If in science, then it is language substituted for what otherwise we all think of as the scientific method. Even earlier the notions of methods and techniques are embodiments of the idea of process. Hence, my request for context. Well, my question was about computer processes, i.e. programs in execution in a computer, sometimes also called tasks. On Sat, Dec 29, 2018 at 4:56 PM Laurent Bloch <lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org>> wrote: Hi, Surely many of you know the answer: who invented the concept of process, and when? Thank you for your answers. Have a nice Sunday! -- Laurent Bloch - https://laurentbloch.net<https://laurentbloch.net/> - lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org> Si vous trouvez que l'éducation coûte cher, essayez l'ignorance ! (A. Lincoln) _______________________________________________ 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 -- James W. Cortada Senior Research Fellow Charles Babbage Institute University of Minnesota jcortada(a)umn.edu<mailto:jcortada@umn.edu> 608-274-6382 -- Laurent Bloch - https://laurentbloch.net<https://laurentbloch.net/> - lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org> Si vous trouvez que l'éducation coûte cher, essayez l'ignorance ! (A. Lincoln) -- Laurent Bloch - https://laurentbloch.net<https://laurentbloch.net/> - lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org> Si vous trouvez que l'éducation coûte cher, essayez l'ignorance ! (A. Lincoln) -- Laurent Bloch - https://laurentbloch.net<https://laurentbloch.net/> - lb(a)laurentbloch.org<mailto:lb@laurentbloch.org> Si vous trouvez que l'éducation coûte cher, essayez l'ignorance ! (A. Lincoln) _______________________________________________ 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 _______________________________________________ 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, Newcastle University, 1 Science Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5TG 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/people/profile/brianrandell.html

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Invention of the concept of process
by Laurent Bloch 30 Dec '18

30 Dec '18

Hi, Surely many of you know the answer: who invented the concept of process, and when? Thank you for your answers. Have a nice Sunday! -- Laurent Bloch - https://laurentbloch.net - lb(a)laurentbloch.org Si vous trouvez que l'éducation coûte cher, essayez l'ignorance ! (A. Lincoln)

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death of an Arpanet/Internet/etc. pioneer
by David Walden 28 Dec '18

28 Dec '18

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Sad News about Larry Roberts From: Leonard Kleinrock <lk(a)cs.ucla.edu> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2018, 1:29 PM Hi, I just heard from Pasha Roberts that his father, Larry Roberts, passed away on December 26. Larry was a gifted and accomplished researcher and was a dear friend and colleague. I thought you would want to know that his passing was sudden and peaceful. I will miss Larry. Sadly, Len Kleinrock P.S. Please feel free to pass this on.

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Request for Information Table
by James Cortada 26 Dec '18

26 Dec '18

Does anyone have a table or chart that lists the introductory dates of the various consumer goods that had digital components, say from Microwave ovens from the 1970s, through digital watches, PCs, cameras to cell phones AND that also have data on when x percent of consumers had these, e.g., 50% of consumers had a PC by 19xx? I can even partial lists of introductions and/percents of appropriation. I am trying to understand rates of adoption (i.e., diffusion of consumer digital technologies). US data is ideal, but I'll take it for any country. Thanks. -- James W. Cortada Senior Research Fellow Charles Babbage Institute University of Minnesota jcortada(a)umn.edu 608-274-6382

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SIGCIS Travel Awards - Year-end fundraising drive
by Andrew Russell 21 Dec '18

21 Dec '18

Dear colleagues - I’m writing to request your support, once again, for the SIGCIS Travel Awards <https://www.sigcis.org/travelaward>. We raise funds for these awards to help emerging scholars attend our meetings and present their work. We now have 10 years of experience running SIGCIS workshops and conferences, and there is no doubt in my mind that these travel awards are the single most important mechanism we have to broaden the range of participants at our meetings, which, in turn, serves as an investment in the future of our field. The full history of our award recipients is available on our website <https://www.sigcis.org/travelaward> - it really is a remarkable group of scholars and subjects. At the SHOT and SIGCIS meetings in St. Louis in October 2018, we had a very successful fundraising campaign. I am deeply grateful for the generosity of our members who bid on books at our auction on Friday, contributed to the money cup at the SIGCIS lunch on Friday, and/or put money in Laine’s hat at the beginning of our Sunday conference. However: with the 2019 SHOT and SIGCIS conferences taking place in Milan, Italy <https://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual-meeting/2019-shot-annual-meeting…>, we’re seeking more support for the additional costs of travel to Milan - hence my appeal to you today. We are an all-volunteer organization, and SHOT’s umbrella means that we are in the wonderful position of being able to use every penny that you donate to support our Michael S. Mahoney Travel Awards. It’s simple, and direct, and an amazingly efficient way to support emerging scholars. Here’s how you can contribute: - If you are a SHOT member, you can make a contribution online <https://shot.press.jhu.edu/membership/contribute> - you’ll simply need to log in with your SHOT username and password, and then provide credit card information. - If you are not a SHOT member - or if you prefer writing checks to online donations - you can send a check to SHOT Treasurer Richard Hirsh. The check should be payable to “Society for the History of Technology”; please be sure to indicate that the donation is for SIGCIS. Richard’s address is: Richard Hirsh SHOT Treasurer Virginia Tech Dept. of History (0117) 220 Stanger Street Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 USA richard(a)vt.edu <mailto:richard@vt.edu> I’d be very happy to answer any questions you might have about our travel awards program, or about SIGCIS in general. Thank you all for your generous support of SIGCIS, and I hope you all enjoy a peaceful holiday season. Best wishes, Andy Russell SIGCIS Chair — — — — — — — — — — — Andrew L. Russell, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts & Sciences SUNY Polytechnic Institute Donovan Hall - 2123B 100 Seymour Road Utica, NY 13502 t. 315-792-7317 w. https://sunypoly.edu/ e. arussell(a)arussell.org

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