March 2020 - 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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Tree diagrams in computer science and other fields (i.e. genealogy)
by Bernard Geoghegan 28 Mar '20

28 Mar '20

Dear Colleagues, A little query sent across the lockdowns and quarantines: Can anyone recommend scholarship on the tree-style diagrams that circulate both in computer science and a wide range of other fields, for example, genealogy, kinship? Is there any good work on the history of these diagrams, their intersection, and what they might say about possible links in styles of reasoning across fields that might, otherwise, seem remote? Thanks for your thoughts, b -- Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan Senior Lecturer in the History and Theory of Digital Media Chair of the UG Assessment Board, Digital Culture 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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Publication Announcement
by James Cortada 27 Mar '20

27 Mar '20

Dear Colleagues, I just published a short book--really an extended essay-- *Living with Computers: The Digital World of Today and Tomorrow* with Springer-Verlag. It speculates on the role and meaning of computers in society, combining things we historians have learned with what other disciplines are doing now (e.g., in AI) and potential effects on humans going forward. I raise questions and discuss implications. The book is aimed at a broad audience, discussing issues from the perspective of an historian. This book should not be confused with the 2 that Bill Aspray and I published last fall, Fake News Nation and From Urban Legends to Political Fact-Checking. -- James W. Cortada Senior Research Fellow Charles Babbage Institute University of Minnesota jcortada(a)umn.edu 608-274-6382

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Tree diagrams in computer science and other fields (i.e. genealogy)
by Taylor-Smith, Ella 27 Mar '20

27 Mar '20

Hi Bernard i'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it seems relevant to me.. Fishwick, P. (2014). Computing as Model-Based Empirical Science. Proceedings of the 2nd ACM SIGSIM/PADS conference on Principles of advanced discrete simulation. Pp.205-212. -ella Dr Ella Taylor-Smith School of Computing Edinburgh Napier University 10 Colinton Road Edinburgh, EH10 5DT Email: e.taylor-smith(a)napier.ac.uk https://www.napier.ac.uk/people/ella-taylorsmith http://about.me/EllaTaylorSmith @EllaTasm ________________________________________ From: Members [members-bounces(a)lists.sigcis.org] on behalf of members-request(a)lists.sigcis.org [members-request(a)lists.sigcis.org] Sent: 26 March 2020 20:38 To: members(a)lists.sigcis.org Subject: Members Digest, Vol 61, Issue 10 CAUTION: This email originated from outside Edinburgh Napier University. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. Send Members mailing list submissions to members(a)lists.sigcis.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to members-request(a)lists.sigcis.org You can reach the person managing the list at members-owner(a)lists.sigcis.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Members digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Tree diagrams in computer science and other fields (i.e. genealogy) (Bernard Geoghegan) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 21:05:49 +0100 From: Bernard Geoghegan <bernardgeoghegan2010(a)u.northwestern.edu> To: Sigcis <members(a)sigcis.org> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Tree diagrams in computer science and other fields (i.e. genealogy) Message-ID: <91066E92-7E9A-4022-B6B6-D780040C6D04(a)u.northwestern.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Dear Colleagues, A little query sent across the lockdowns and quarantines: Can anyone recommend scholarship on the tree-style diagrams that circulate both in computer science and a wide range of other fields, for example, genealogy, kinship? Is there any good work on the history of these diagrams, their intersection, and what they might say about possible links in styles of reasoning across fields that might, otherwise, seem remote? Thanks for your thoughts, b -- Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan Senior Lecturer in the History and Theory of Digital Media Chair of the UG Assessment Board, Digital Culture 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 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/attachments/20200326/6…> ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at 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 ------------------------------ End of Members Digest, Vol 61, Issue 10 *************************************** This message and its attachment(s) are intended for the addressee(s) only and should not be read, copied, disclosed, forwarded or relied upon by any person other than the intended addressee(s) without the permission of the sender. If you are not the intended addressee you must not take any action based on this message and its attachment(s) nor must you copy or show them to anyone. Please respond to the sender and ensure that this message and its attachment(s) are deleted. It is your responsibility to ensure that this message and its attachment(s) are scanned for viruses or other defects. Edinburgh Napier University does not accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from this message or its attachment(s), or for errors or omissions arising after it was sent. Email is not a secure medium. Emails entering Edinburgh Napier University's system are subject to routine monitoring and filtering by Edinburgh Napier University. Edinburgh Napier University is a registered Scottish charity. Registration number SC018373

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postponing of HaPoP-5, 27 may 2020, Paris
by lidemol 19 Mar '20

19 Mar '20

Dear all, in view of the latest developments with respect to the COVID-19 crisis, we, the chairs of HaPoP-5, have decided to postpone the fifth symposium for the history and philosophy of programming (HaPoP-5) to the spring of next year. We will be issuing a new call for papers later on. Those who have already submitted can of course resubmit their work. We want to thank all of those who have already submitted. In such difficult situation, we are sure everyone will understand this decision. Liesbeth De Mol and Tomas Petricek

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My new book - Media Distortions - is OUT and OPEN ACCESS
by Carmi, Elinor 18 Mar '20

18 Mar '20

Hi everyone, I'm not sorry for cross-posting because this book is about spam so it's kind of on brand. In what seems to be the worst time in a century, I'm mildly excited to announce my book is finally out, and it is OPEN ACCESS! Media Distortions: Understanding the Power Behind Spam, Noise and Other Deviant Media (Digital Formation Series, Peter Lang) Here's the blurb: Media Distortions is about the power behind the production of deviant media categories. It shows the politics behind categories we take for granted such as spam and noise, and what it means to our broader understanding of, and engagement with media. The book synthesizes media theory, sound studies, science and technology studies (STS), feminist technoscience, and software studies into a new composition to explore media power. Media Distortions argues that using sound as a conceptual framework is more useful due to its ability to cross boundaries and strategically move between multiple spaces—which is essential for multi-layered mediated spaces. Drawing on repositories of legal, technical and archival sources, the book amplifies three stories about the construction and negotiation of the ‘deviant’ in media. The book starts in the early 20th century with Bell Telephone’s production of noise, tuning into the training of their telephone operators and their involvement with the Noise Abatement Commission in New York City. The next story jumps several decades to the early 2000s focusing on web metric standardization in the European Union and shows how the digital advertising industry constructed web-cookies as legitimate communication while making spam illegal. The final story focuses on the recent decade and the way Facebook filters out antisocial behaviors to engineer a sociality that produces more value. These stories show how deviant categories re-draw boundaries between human and non-human, public and private spaces, and importantly, social and antisocial. Check out the book's website - https://media-distortions.net/ - where you can find: 1. A link to download the book for FREE. 2. More info about the book. 3. What the wonderful endorsers - scholars who have inspired my work since the beginning - had to say about the book, THANK YOU Tiziana Terranova, Evelyn Ruppert, Jussi Parikka and Robert W. Ghel! 4. The book's playlist with songs/tracks that will bring the dark atmosphere of the book to you, so you can dance in between the sections. For the advanced music snobs who think they can create a better playlist - this is the time to make a positive use of your reviewer 2 energy and send me your playlist interpretation of the book so I can add them to the website! 5. I also kept my shattered dreams, I mean USA book tour that had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus but which will be rescheduled for the fall, if humanity will survive. 6. More info about me. If you're interested in an inspection/review copy please write back to (don't 'reply all' although spamming everyone is a duty when it comes to this book 😉 ) me and I'll connect you with the publisher to get your copy. I want to thank Liverpool University for making this book open access! I hope you enjoy and May the Schwartz be with you. Stay healthy and take care in your social distancing. Dr. Elinor Carmi, Postdoc Research Associate - Digital Media & Society, Department of Communication and Media, Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences, School of the Arts, Liverpool University, UK. https://elinorcarmi.com<https://elinorcarmi.com/> Twitter: @Elinor_Carmi

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Motherless Brooklyn: Moses' Overpasses
by Luke Fernandez 14 Mar '20

14 Mar '20

Just an FYI that in Netflix/Edward Norton's recently released movie Motherless Brooklyn there's a passing reference to Robert Moses's infamous NYC low overpasses. Which, of course, is of obvious interest to any of us who like to teach Winner's "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" I neglected to note exactly where in the movie it is....about half way through I'm guessing..... Best, Luke

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Tony Sale Award 2020
by Martin Campbell-Kelly 13 Mar '20

13 Mar '20

Nominations are invited for the 2020 Tony Sale Award for Computer Conservation. The award, which is open to any individual or group anywhere in the world, recognises achievements in computer conservation or restoration. The Award was established in 2012 in memory of computer conservation pioneer Tony Sale, who rebuilt Colossus, the World War II code-breaking computer. The Award is managed by the Computer Conservation Society, a special interest group of the British Computer Society, and sponsored by CDW UK. The closing date for nominations is 30th June 2020. Presentation of a £1000 cash award and trophy will be made in London on the afternoon of 19th November 2020. The winner will also receive travelling and accommodation expenses to attend the Awards Ceremony in London and give a presentation. Full details and the entry form can be found at: http://www.sale-award.org/ Martin Campbell-Kelly -- Martin Campbell-Kelly, Dept of Computer Science University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K. voice: +44 24 7667 3963 email: m.campbellkelly(a)gmail.com -- Sent from Gmail Mobile

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Call for Nominations-2020 Dibner Award for Excellence in Museum Exhibits
by Benjamin Gross 06 Mar '20

06 Mar '20

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce that nominations are open for the Society for the History of Technology's Dibner Award for Excellence in Museum Exhibits. The Dibner Award was established in 1985, through the generosity of Bern Dibner, to recognize excellence in museums and museum exhibits that interpret the history of technology, industry, and engineering to the general public. Winning exhibits, in addition to being well designed and produced, should raise pertinent historical issues. Artifacts and images should be used in a manner that interests, teaches, and stimulates both the general public and historians. The award consists of a plaque and up to $1,000 to cover expenses for a member of the design team to accept the award at the SHOT awards banquet. Exhibits are eligible for this award if they have been open to the public for no more than 24 months before the deadline for nominations on April 15, 2020. The Society especially encourages nominations from local and regional historical societies. Please note that virtual exhibits are not eligible for the award and nominations for traveling and short-term exhibits must be received at least two months in advance of the exhibit's closing date. Further information about the prize, including nomination forms, a list of past recipients, and the members of the Dibner Award Committee can be found on the SHOT website: https://www.historyoftechnology.org/about-us/awards-prizes-and-grants/the-d…. Should any questions arise while completing the nomination form, please feel free to contact me or any other member of the Dibner Committee. Sincerely, -Ben Gross Benjamin Gross, PhD Vice President for Research and Scholarship Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology 5109 Cherry Street Kansas City, Missouri 64110 816.926.8718 grossb(a)lindahall.org<mailto:grossb@lindahall.org> www.lindahall.org<http://www.lindahall.org/>

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[please forward] abstract review open for IFIP Histories of Computing in Asia
by Christopher Leslie 05 Mar '20

05 Mar '20

Dear Colleagues, IFIP’s Working Group 9.7 is pleased to announce two updates: we have formed our Program Committee and Springer-Nature has accepted our proposal to publish a proceedings volume of selected, edited papers. Although the CoVID-19 coronavirus travel restrictions are daunting, our plan is to meet at the South China University of Technology (SCUT) in Guangzhou, China, from 4 to 8 December 2020 unless further developments require an adjustment. Our biannual meeting will be dedicated to the histories of computing in Asia. As previously announced, the Program Committee is willing to review extended abstracts from anyone who wishes feedback before submitting a draft paper. For information on how to submit your abstract for an optional review, fill out the form on our website (http://ifipwg97.org/workshops/hca2020/ <http://ifipwg97.org/workshops/hca2020/>). If you do not wish to submit an abstract, you may still submit a draft paper before June 1. Please feel forward to anyone who might be interested, and let me know if you have any questions. Chris Leslie Christopher Leslie, Ph.D. Lecturer, School of Foreign Languages, South China University of Technology Chair, IFIP Working Group 9.7 - History of Computing ********* HCA 2020: Second Call for Papers HISTORIES OF COMPUTING IN ASIA SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY GUANGZHOU • DECEMBER 2020 Our proposed workshop will bring together international and Chinese academic researchers, public historians, and industry professionals who are interested in the history of computing. The Program Committee now welcomes the submission of extended abstracts from those researchers who would like comments on their projects before submitting a full paper. THEMES The theme of conference will be histories of computing in Asia, with a particular emphasis on contextualizing China’s success in computing. The program committee will consider any paper in line with this theme, but we are particularly interested in topics such as: China, Asia, and Beyond. The rapid rise of Chinese computing: electronic computing and the three phases of Chinese manufacturing: introduction, digestion, re-innovation computing innovations by Chinese professionals, both within the PRC and by overseas Chinese in other countries antecedents to business models like the sharing economy, e-payments, and online shopping that led to success for Alibaba, Tencent, and others computing in the Asian republics of the former USSR (such as Kazakhstan) Internationalism. Frameworks that foster multinational cooperation and innovation: computing on the silk road, and along the modern belt and road standards, protocols, and diplomacy machine translation, global English, and language plurality Science and Technology Studies. History and philosophy of technology, from east to west: theoretical and ideological responses to computing case studies of equitable technological development insights from feminist, masculinity, and gender studies linguistic analysis in the history of computing, computing’s contributions to linguistics Pedagogy. Teaching the history of computing in or about Asia to: engineering students business, humanities, and social science students high school students employees or the general public Public History and Imagination. Remembering and presenting histories of computing: images of computing in literature, film, and television computing in/with/for the arts and humanities preserving and presenting the history of computing inside and outside of Asia REVIEW PROCESS Academic and amateur historians, computing and informatics professionals, archivists, and museum curators are welcome to submit papers for this workshop. Following our typical practice, we will ask for full papers for anonymous peer review by our Program Committee. Accepted papers must be revised according to the comments of the peer reviewers. In order to provide for a lively discussion at the workshop, we will distribute draft papers to participants in advance. After the workshop, authors will have the chance to incorporate feedback from the audience before preparing their final versions. These will be considered for inclusion in the volume of edited, selected papers, which will be published by Springer-Nature in the IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology series. The official language of the workshop and the printed proceedings is English. IMPORTANT DATES Before 31 March 2020: Optional submission of extended abstracts (500–1500 words and bibliography) for review by the Program Committee 1 May to 1 June 2020: Draft papers accepted for consideration by the Program Committee 1 September 2020: Comments from Program Committee, decisions, and invitations sent to authors 4 November 2020: Collection of papers, revised based on reviewer comments and using Springer template, for distribution to workshop participants 4 December 2020: Participants arrive in Guangzhou, China 13 January 2021: Revised papers due for consideration in proceedings volume, which will be published by Springer in the IFIP AICT series. For instructions on how to submit your extended abstract or draft paper, please fill out the form at http://ifipwg97.org/workshops/hca2020/ Enquires in advance of your submission may be addressed to the chair of the working group, Christopher Leslie, at <chrisleslienyc(a)hotmail.com>.

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