April 2019 - 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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Where is this ivory Roman hand abacus?
by herbert.bruderer＠bluewin.ch 10 Jun '19

10 Jun '19

Dear all Does anyone know where this very rare Roman hand abacus made of ivory is? https://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/235956-in-search-of-a-rare-roman-pocke… Many thanks for your help. Best, Herbert -- Bruderer Informatik Seehaldenstraße 26 Postfach 47 CH-9401 Rorschach Switzerland Telefon +41 71 855 77 11 Amazon https://tinyurl.com/y9upwagp

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Reminders: CHM Prize and Mahoney Prize deadlines
by Andrew Russell 24 Apr '19

24 Apr '19

Hi everyone - As a reminder, the submission deadlines for the Computer History Museum Prize and Mahoney Prize are approaching rapidly. Computer History Museum Prize Awarded to the author of an outstanding book in the history of computing. Deadline: April 30, 2019 Details: https://www.sigcis.org/chmprize Mahoney Prize Recognizes an outstanding article in the history of computing. Deadline: May 1, 2019 Details: https://www.sigcis.org/mahoneyprize Please help spread the word, and/or nominate the work of someone you admire! Thanks, Andy — — — — — — — — — — — 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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FINAL CFP: History of Formal Methods 2019
by Troy Astarte (PGR) 17 Apr '19

17 Apr '19

Dear all, This is the final reminder about the History of Formal Methods 2019 workshop, to be held in Porto this October. Full information is in the email below; the key date is 30 April for submission of abstracts. Call for papers: History of Formal Methods 2019 Workshop, 11th October 2019, Porto, Portugal (co-located with FM’19) We invite submissions to the HFM2019 workshop<https://sites.google.com/view/hfm2019/home>. See the website (https://sites.google.com/view/hfm2019) for complete details and instructions on how to submit. Submission is via EasyChair<https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hfm2019> (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hfm2019) This is a workshop on the history of formal methods in computing. The aim is to bring together historians of computing, technology, and science with practitioners in the field of formal methods to reflect on the discipline’s history. There will be a round of abstract submission prior to the workshop which will determine who is invited to give a presentation at the workshop. Afterwards, presenters may submit papers based on their presentations for inclusion in the workshop’s proceedings. Scope The theme of the workshop is the history of formal methods in computing. By 'formal methods' we mean mathematical or logical techniques for modelling, specifying, and reasoning about aspects of computing. This could include programming language description, concurrency modelling, theorem proving, program specification and verification, or mathematical foundations of computing. Theoretical aspects of computing have been present almost since the beginning of electronic computers, and in various ways these techniques have evolved and changed, including into what are now called “Formal Methods”. Such aspects have been instrumental in developing fundamental understanding of computation and providing techniques for rigorous development of software, but have not always had the desired impact on practical and industrial computing. This makes the field ripe for historical research and we invite submissions to our workshop which take a historical view of the topic. This may include discussion of developments of various formal methods, evolving agendas within the field, consideration of the effect of social and cultural factors, and evaluation of the way in which formal methods have impacted computing more broadly. The workshop is intended to be of interest to current researchers in formal methods and to be accessible to people without any historical background. It should also be a venue for historians of science whose work covers formal aspects of computing as we believe understanding the the history of the field brings greater clarity to current technical research. We encourage early stage researchers to try their hand at historical reflection and gain an idea of the field’s grounding; we invite historians to contribute to the history of formal methods; and we invite researchers who have worked in formal methods for whom an historical talk provides the opportunity to reflect on their field. Submission information Submissions prior to the workshop will take the form of abstracts no longer than 500 words. If references are required, these can be added as an optional PDF file (and do not count towards the word count). All abstracts will be reviewed by the program committee whose details can be found on the website; based on these reviews, a decision will be made on who to invite to present at the workshop. Following to the workshop, proceedings will be published (details of publisher to be finalised later). Please indicate during your submission if you wish for a paper to be considered for inclusion in the proceedings—select “Yes” even if you are not totally certain. All papers submitted for the proceedings will be subject to peer review. Important Dates * Call for papers: January 2019 * Submissions: 30 April 2019 * Notification of acceptance: 30 June 2019 * Presentations ready: 1 September 2019 * Workshop: 11th October 2019 * Papers for proceedings: 31 December 2019 Chairs Troy Astarte Brian Randell (Newcastle University) sent by Troy Astarte on behalf of the HFM2019 Program Committee

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PROGRAMme spring workshop: Machines
by ldemol 15 Apr '19

15 Apr '19

Dear all, it is my pleasure to announce that the next event on the history and philosophy of computer programs within the framework of the PROGRAMme project (https://programme.hypotheses.org/) will be held from June 5-7 2019 at the MESHS, 2 Rue des Canonniers, 59000 Lille, espace Baïetto and Salle 002. On June 5 we will have the last session of the academic year of the Lille-Paris séminaire HEPIC (Histoire et Philosophie de l’informatique et du calcul) around the topic: /Computing – a human activity?/ Speakers are: 13h-14h15: David Aubin (Université de Paris 6), Astronomical tables as work, 16th-18th centuries 14h15-14h30: pause 14h30-15h45: Stephen Kell (University of Kent), Software against humanity? An Illichian perspective on the industrial era of software 15h45-16h15: pause 16h15-17h30: Christiane Floyd (Technical University of Vienna), The move to activity-centered views of software development From June 6-7 the Spring workshop 2019 of the PROGRAMme project is organized. It is the second in a series of four workshops. Each focuses on one of the PROGRAMme project’s main clusters in connection to the other three. The second workshop will focus on the cluster Machines and so offers reflections on a set of historical, philosophical and epistemological question on Computing Machines, broadly interpreted, and this in relation to the other three clusters (Logic; Programming languages and notations; Systems). In order to register, please send a mail with your affiliation to: liesbeth.demol(a)univ-lille3.fr *before May 20 2019*. Registration is free but required in order to attend. For more details, including the program, see: https://programme.hypotheses.org/spring-workshop-i-machines Organizor of the workshop: Liesbeth De Mol (CNRS, UMR 8163 STL, Université de Lille 3) Organizers of the séminaire are: Liesbeth De Mol (CNRS, UMR 8163 STL, Université de Lille), Alberto Naibo (IHPST, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ENS), Maël Pegny (IHPST, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ENS) The workshop is supported by l’UMR 8163 Savoirs, Textes, Langage (https://stl.univ-lille.fr/) l’ANR PROGRAMme (https://programme.hypotheses.org/) le platforme DATA de la MESHS (projet HEPIC, https://www.meshs.fr/page/hepic) The séminaire is supported by: l’UMR 8590 IHPST (http://www.ihpst.cnrs.fr/) l’UMR 8163 Savoirs, Textes, Langage (https://stl.univ-lille.fr/) l’ANR PROGRAMme (https://programme.hypotheses.org/) le platforme DATA de la MESHS (projet HEPIC, https://www.meshs.fr/page/hepic) with best wishes, Liesbeth De Mol

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Five posts in digital media
by Bernard Geoghegan 13 Apr '19

13 Apr '19

H Colleagues, Just a head’s up: The Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London, where I work, is making 5 hires in digital media. All are for unlimited (i.e not term) contracts. The department is open to backgrounds from cultural studies to computer science and beyond. More info below. Feel free to email me directly if you’re interested and have questions. Announcement below. Best, b King’s College London is recruiting Lecturers and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Digital Humanities. Lecturers are the UK equivalent of Assistant Professors and Senior Lecturers correspond to Associate Professors in the US system. King’s College London is in the fourth year of making a significant investment in the Department of Digital Humanities as part of an ambitious programme of growth and expansion in existing and emergent research areas and student numbers across its five Master programmes and the BA Digital Culture. King’s College London has a long tradition of research in the Digital Humanities, going back to the early 1990s. King’s is one of the few places in the world where students at all levels can pursue a wide range of inter-disciplinary study of the digital (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ddh/about/about) We are seeking to recruit exceptional candidates to join the Department no later than 1st September, who can enthuse and inspire our students, conduct world-leading research, and contribute to the life and reputation of the Department through academic leadership and public engagement. We are hiring for · Lecturer in Digital Marketing and Communications (https://bit.ly/2HOEZXh) · Lecturer in Games and Virtual Environments (https://bit.ly/2TL3dDH) · Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Digital Methods (https://bit.ly/2TKbJ5A) · Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Global Digital Cultures (https://bit.ly/2U5xZfd) · Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Design and Technologies (https://bit.ly/2Uka7E2) Closing date: 28 April 2019 Lecturer candidates will be on their way to becoming scholars of international standing with a research and publication trajectory that illustrates this ambition. They will contribute to the further development of the Department¹s research strengths, provide high-quality teaching and supervision, and work collaboratively within the Department and beyond. Senior Lecturer candidates will be scholars of international standing with a strong research and publication record and evidence of or potential for research income generation. The successful applicants will play a key role in leading work across the Department to enhance our research strengths, to develop new and emergent research areas, to innovate in teaching practice and pedagogy, and to contribute to our underpinning values of co-research and collaboration. -- Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan Senior Lecturer in the History and Theory of Digital Media www.bernardg.com Department of Digital Humanities King's College London The Strand Building Room S3.08 WC2R 2LS Office: +44 (0)20 7848 4750

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SIGCIS 2019 CFP: EXCEPTION ERROR: Fatal, Illegal, Unknown | Due June 15
by Laine Nooney 11 Apr '19

11 Apr '19

Dear SIGCIS Community, The SIGCIS Conference Organizing Committee is pleased to *announce the CFP for our 2019 SIGCIS Conference, **EXCEPTION ERROR: Fatal, Illegal, Unknown*. Our keynote for the event is Safiya U. Noble, Associate Professor in the Departments of Information Studies and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The SIGCIS Conference will take place *October 27th, 2019 in Milan, Italy, *on the Sunday of the SHOT conference. *Abstracts are due June 15.* Below you can find the full CFP for this year's conference. These details can also be found at our conference website: meetings.sigcis.org Please circulate widely, and we hope to see you in Milan! -Laine Nooney, Andrew Russell, Gerardo Con Diaz, Stephanie Dick, and Kera Allen ------------------------------------------------------------------ EXCEPTION ERROR: Fatal, Illegal, Unknown Milan, Italy | October 27, 2019 The Special Interest Group in Computing, Information, and Society [SIGCIS] welcomes submissions to their annual conference Proposal Due Date: June 15, 2019 KEYNOTE SPEAKER Safiya U. Noble Associate Professor, Departments of Information Studies and African American Studies University of California, Los Angeles THEME Our experience of contemporary computing systems can feel unobtrusive and seamless—until it’s not. In the simplest sense, an exception error occurs when a computational operation fails to resolve, revealing something that was not anticipated or cannot be computed, a breakdown in the norms of standardization that govern modern computing systems. These errors force us to recognize the profound frictions inherent in computing, frictions made legible in web page request denials, fatal system error dialogue boxes, unhappy Macs and blue screens, safe modes and red rings of death. Negotiating these errors is a material, programmatic, aesthetic, and above all, human activity. Beyond the technical, material, and social dimensions of the “exception error,” we might also see this concept as a provocation for history itself. Who and what are typically regarded as “exceptions" in the history of computing and information technologies? What uses and misuses have been anticipated? How can we productively make our conception of history slow down, jam, or stop working altogether? What are the limits of our historiographic situation? And as we investigate these questions, might we discover that the people, objects, knowledges, and disciplines so often treated as “exceptions” in the status quo of computing history are actually that history’s most revealing actors, its most central artifacts? The 2019 SIGCIS Conference invites scholars, museum and archive professionals, IT practitioners, artists, and independent researchers across the disciplinary spectrum to submit abstracts related to the historical conditions of computing. We are especially interested in (but not limited to) work that relates to the theme of exception and error, broadly and imaginatively construed. Areas of engagement may include: - errors, viruses, crashes, hacks, breakdowns, failures, risks - bodies, subjectivities, and personhoods unaccounted for in computing systems - theories of uncomputability - unanticipated uses and misuses - the creation of “users” - standards and workflows - breakdowns in policies, regulations, norms, expectations - decline, obsolescence, maintenance, repair, recycling, afterlives - the limits of historical representation - centering the peripheries of computing history - archival gaps and silences SIGCIS is especially welcoming of new directions in scholarship. We maintain an inclusive atmosphere for scholarly inquiry, supporting disciplinary interventions from beyond the traditional history of technology and promoting diversity in STEM. We welcome submissions from: the histories of technology, computing, information, and science; science and technology studies; oral history and archival studies; critical studies of big data and machine learning; studies of women, gender, and sexuality; studies of race, ethnicity, and postcoloniality; film, media, and game studies; software and code studies; network and internet histories; music, sound studies, and art history; and all other applicable domains. The annual SIGCIS Conference begins immediately after the regular annual meeting of our parent organization, the Society for the History of Technology [SHOT]. Information about the annual SHOT conference can be found at: https://bit.ly/2rG75Ks SUBMISSION FORMATS SIGCIS welcomes proposals for individual 15-20 minute papers, 3-4 paper panel proposals, works-in-progress (see below), and non-traditional proposals such as roundtables, software demonstrations, hands-on workshops, etc. WORKS-IN-PROGRESS The Works-in-Progress (WiP) session will be a workshop wherein participants will discuss their work in small group sessions. We invite works in progress—articles, chapters, dissertation prospectuses—of 10,000 words or less (longer works must be selectively edited to meet this length). We especially encourage submissions from graduate students, early career scholars, and scholars who are new to SIGCIS. Authors who submit a WiP will also commit to reading (in advance) two other WiPs, discussing them in a small group setting, and providing written feedback on one of those WiPs. Scholars who would like to participate in this session without submitting their own WiP may also apply; we ask that they commit to reading (in advance) at least two of the WiPs. Submissions for WiP only require a 350-400 word abstract, but applicants should plan to circulate their max-10,000-word WiPs no later than September 30, 2019. Scholars who would like to be a reader of WiPs, please email a brief bio or 1-page CV, along with your areas of interest and expertise, to Gerardo Con Diaz [condiaz(a)ucdavis.edu] SUBMISSION PROCEDURE Submissions are due June 15, 2019. Applicants should download, fill out and follow the instructions on the application cover sheet at http://meetings.sigcis.org/call-for-papers.html. All submissions will require: ● 350-400 word abstract (full panel proposals should additionally include a 200-250 word panel abstract in addition to 3-4 paper abstracts) ● 1-page CV or resume Please Note: Individuals already scheduled to participate on the main SHOT program are welcome to submit an additional proposal to our workshop, but should make sure that there is no overlap between the two presentations. However, SIGCIS may choose to give higher priority to submissions from those not already presenting at SHOT. Questions regarding submission procedure should be sent to Kera Allen [kera.jones(a)gmail.com] TRAVEL AWARD The top financial priority of SIGCIS is the support of travel expenses for graduate students, visiting faculty without institutional travel support, and others who would be unable to attend the meeting without travel assistance. The submission cover sheet includes a box to check if you fall into one of these categories and would like to be considered for an award. These is no separate application form, though depending on the volume of requests and available resources we may need to contact you for further information before making a decision. Any award offered is contingent on registering for and attending the SIGCIS Conference. Please note that SHOT does not classify the SIGCIS Conference as participation in the SHOT annual meeting, so acceptance by SIGCIS does not imply eligibility for the SHOT travel grant program. Details of available awards are at http://www.sigcis.org/travelaward. SIGCIS CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Laine Nooney <http://www.lainenooney.com/>, New York University (SIGCIS Vice-Chair of Meetings) Andrew Russell <http://www.arussell.org/>, SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SIGCIS Chair) Stephanie Dick <https://hss.sas.upenn.edu/people/stephanie-dick>, University of Pennsylvania Gerardo Con Diaz <https://www.condiaz.com/>, University of California, Davis (SIGCIS Treasurer) Kera Allen <https://hts.gatech.edu/people/person/e2f55e07-937a-571a-a4f8-c32c87fef19d>, Georgia Institute of Technology (Conference Assistant)

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UK's Archives for IT
by Tucker J.V. 04 Apr '19

04 Apr '19

I'm not sure how well this excellent private initiative is known in the community: Archives for IT (AIT) http://archivesit.org.uk The Archives for IT is a digital database of media and interviews with people associated with the UK IT and Telecommunications industry. In addition to providing source material for interested professional and amateur scholars and students, the project hopes to enlarge the social and industrial history of the UK. The Archive is people-centred because it observes that people are very interested in other people and what they do and how they do it. There is an opportunity to study and understand some fascinating testimonies, both for their educational value and personal fulfilment. It should be added to the SIGCIS Resources (History of Computing in the UK: A Resource Guide). John V Tucker History of Computing Collection Swansea University

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Job opening: tenure track assistant professor Maastricht University: history of ICT (broadly construed)
by Mody, Cyrus (HISTORY) 04 Apr '19

04 Apr '19

Dear all, I'm very happy to announce a new position for a tenure track assistant professor at Maastricht University in the history of science and technology with an intended specialization in history of information, computing, and/or digital cultures. This person would almost certainly teach in, and play an important role in shaping, UM's new Digital Society bachelor's degree. The ad can be found here: https://www.academictransfer.com/nl/53819/assistant-professor-in-history-of… Please contact me if you have questions. And please pass the ad along to any potential candidates. Best, Cyrus Mody [Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\s.haerkens\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures\UM logo.jpg] Cyrus C. M. Mody Professor and Chair in the History of Science, Technology, and Innovation Department of History/MUSTS Research Cluster Editor-in-chief, Engineering Studies<http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/test20/current> Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences @ccmmody c.mody(a)maastrichtuniversity.nl <mailto:c.mody@maastrichtuniversity.nl> https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/c.mody Cultures of Art, Science, and Technology<https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/education/master/research-master-cultur…> research master's T +31 43 3883227 F +31 43 3884917 Visiting address: B2.18, Grote Gracht 90-92, 6211 SZ Maastricht Mailing address: FASoS/History Maastricht University P.O. Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

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The Computer Book: From the Abacus to Artificial Intelligence
by Brian Berg 02 Apr '19

02 Apr '19

I recently became familiar with *The Computer Book: From the Abacus to Artificial Intelligence, 250 Milestones in the History of Computer Science <https://www.sterlingpublishing.com/9781454926214/>* by Simson L Garfinkel and Rachel H. Grunspan. It's worth checking out. Garfinkel is an ACM Fellow, and just became an IEEE Fellow. He also co-wrote this March *ACM Communications* story Understanding Database Reconstruction Attacks on Public Data <http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/3290000/3287287/p46-garfinkel.pdf?ip=69.181…> . _________________________ Brian A. Berg / bberg(a)StanfordAlumni.org Berg Software Design 14500 Big Basin Way, Suite F, Saratoga, CA 95070 USA Voice: 408.741.5010 / Cell: 408.568.2505 Consulting: Flash Memory/USB/Storage/Patents visit the Storage Cornucopia: www.bswd.com FMS Technical Chair: www.FlashMemorySummit.com IEEE Milestone <http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:List_of_IEEE_Milestones> Coordinator and History Chair for Region 6 <http://www.ieee-region6.org/> IEEE SCV Section <http://www.ieee.org/scv/> Past Chair / IEEE-CNSV <http://www.CaliforniaConsultants.org> Board Director IEEE Silicon Valley Tech History Committee <http://www.SiliconValleyHistory.com/> Chair

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