November 2021 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

2021 Mahoney Prize nominations
by Elizabeth Petrick 10 May '22

10 May '22

Hello everyone, It's time for the 2021 Mahoney Prize for outstanding article in the history of computing and information technology, broadly conceived. Articles published in 2018, 2019, or 2020 will be considered. Self-nominations and nominations of others are both welcome. Please email a copy of the article to members of the prize committee, listed here: https://www.sigcis.org/mahoneyprize Deadline is May 1, 2021. Best, Liz ------------- Elizabeth Petrick Associate Professor Department of History Rice University http://elizabethpetrick.com/

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Project Cybsersyn
by Jonathan Coopersmith 25 Nov '21

25 Nov '21

It still lives, if only in the memories of Economist writers https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/10/23/enter-third-wave-economics Stay sane and keep wearing a mask (partially for you; more for others), Jonathan Jonathan Coopersmith Professor Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell) 979.862.4314 (fax) Voting challenges: https://theeagle.com/opinion/columnists/texas-should-be-the-model-for-secur… Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ International standards battles: https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/geek-life/history/lets-thwart-this-terr… <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/geek-life/h…> *FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University Press)

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Online Seminar with Vint Cerf
by Research 25 Nov '21

25 Nov '21

Internet, the early days with Vint Cerf 6 January 2022 at 15.00 via Zoom [https://mcusercontent.com/89f761ff8a43aaf324a85c278/images/3684343c-6364-b2…] Archives of IT are very excited to invite you to join us on 6 January 2022 to celebrate the start of a new year with us and Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, also known as 'one of the fathers of the internet ' for his work with Robert Kahn, as the co-designer of the architecture of the Internet. This virtual event is kindly supported by the Computer Conservation Society CCS. The seminar will be chaired by Prof. M. J. (Jim) Norton, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, who worked on the early UK Experimental and Public Packet Switched Services. Vint's presentation 'Internet, the Early Days', will see him guide us through the work at the National Physical Laboratory and its role in the Arpanet project (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), the birth of the term 'packet' by Donald W Davies, the founding of the spec for TCP protocol in 1974, the turning on of an operational internet in 1983, the 1991 release of Sir Tim Berners-Lee world wide web, to the invention of the iPhone which connected the Internet and handheld telephony that continues to drive access to and use of the Internet today. Vint will then take us on to the internet of things and out into space where an interplanetary internet is already running on the International Space Station, in prototype form on Mars, and will be implemented in support of the Moon missions Artemis and Gateway. Don't miss out on an opportunity to ask 'one of the fathers of the internet' a question, book your tickets now; places are limited. To book your ticket CCS Booking<https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/internet-the-early-days-tickets-213563463067> Speakers: Vint Cerf, with an introduction by Prof M J Norton<https://gmail.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89f761ff8a43aaf324a85c278&i…> Time and date: 15.00, 6 January 2022 Location: Zoom

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Digital Matters: free online conference Dec 1-3 @ Siegen University
by thomas.haigh＠gmail.com 24 Nov '21

24 Nov '21

Hello SIGCIS, For anyone out there somewhere looking forward to spending more time in front of their computers staring at Zoom, I am pleased to bring word of the Digital Matters conference taking place at Siegen University next week. I organized it with Valérie Schafer (University of Luxembourg), Axel Volmar (Siegen University) & Sebastian Giessmann (Siegen University). Details at https://www.socialstudiesof.info/digitalmatters/. Free registration by email is required to get the Zoom links. When we had to make the call earlier this month to go from primarily in person to primarily online a lot of things got changed around, and one of those was that we went to a three day format with start times each day of 13:00 or later. So that means that North Americans can attend without having to get up absurdly early. The timeslots are budgeted for 50 minutes per talk, with the idea that this will allow some genuine interactivity and discussion. (Subtract 6 hours for Eastern time, 7 for Central, 9 for Pacific). We can offer you a wonderful and eclectic lineup of speakers. The blurb is as follows In popular discussion digitality is increasingly equated with networked immateriality: disembodied algorithms float rhetorically in an ethereal cloud of big data. Think, for example, of the digital edition of the PlayStation 5 console, so called because it has no optical drive to read games, which must instead be downloaded. The implication is that the regular PS5 console is somehow not digital because its storage medium is visible to the unaided human eye. This presupposition of digital immateriality is not just a misconception to be corrected, but a productive site for interdisciplinary scholarly inquiry into media and data practices. In Digital Matters, historians, media theorists and information scholars come together for three days to examine the socio-material constituents of digital systems and artifacts. How and why did people come to deny the materiality of the digital? What can we learn by recovering it? What if we rethink digital materialities as ongoing cooperative accomplishments? The current lineup is as follows, but _please rely on the online program in case of any last minute changes_. Most speakers will be online, but as of the last tally three of the four organizers and three speakers plan to brave Germanys biggest ever Covid wave to be there in person. If any of you happen to be close by and would like to risk being in the same room as other humans then let me know and Ill pass on the physical details. December 1: 13:45: Conference introduction and welcome Moderator: Valérie Schafer (C2DH, University of Luxembourg) 14:00-14:50: Travelling machines, Camille Paloque-Bergès (CNAM, Paris). 15:00-15:50: Dimensions of Materiality, Kyle Stine (Johns Hopkins University). 15:50-16:30: Break for virtual coffee. Moderator: Miglè Bareikytè (Siegen University) 16:30-17:20: Dance Notation: Grammars for Understanding and Controlling the Body, Quinn DuPont (University College, Dublin). 17:30-18:20: Modularity, Materiality, and the Political Order of the Stacks, Jean-François Blanchette (University of California at Los Angeles). December 2: Moderator: Susanne Förster (Siegen University) 13:30-14:20. Looking for Oil (and Finding It) in the History of Computing, Cyrus Mody (Maastricht University). 14:30-15:20. Digital and Nature in the Anthropocene, Felix Stalder (Zurich University of the Arts). 15:20-16:00: Break for virtual coffee. Moderator: Sebastian Giessmann (Siegen University) 16:00-16:50: The Great eBook Conspiracy: eReaders, Publishers, and Price Competition in the Early 2000s, Gerardo Con Diaz (University of California at Davis). 17:00-17:50: Rematerializing Money: Payment as Palimpsest, Lana Swartz (University of Virginia) 17:50-18:30. Break for virtual coffee or, for the adventurous, virtual cocktails. 18:30: Keynote lecture, Some Species of Materiality. Jonathan Sterne (McGill University). Moderated by Axel Volmar (Siegen University). December 3: Moderator: Thomas Haigh (University of WisconsinMilwaukee & Siegen University) 13:00-13:50. The Politics of Technical Systems, Bernhard Rieder (University of Amsterdam). 14:00-14:50. Digital Materiality and Historical Innovation, Ulf Hashagen (Deutsches Museum). 14:50-15:15. Break for virtual coffee. Moderator: Tatjana Seitz (Siegen University) 15:15-16:15. Web Materialities, Valérie Schafer (C2DH, University of Luxembourg). 16:20-17:00. Closing roundtable featuring the organizers pondering lessons learned. Please feel free to forward this far and wide. Best wishes, Tom

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Job in Digital Media and African American Studies at U of Virginia
by Kevin Driscoll 24 Nov '21

24 Nov '21

Hello SIGCIS! I am writing to share an exciting job opening. The University of Virginia is seeking applications for a tenure/tenure-track professor at the assistant or associate level for a joint appointment between the Department of Media Studies and the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies. Areas of specialization include digital media infrastructures, big data, algorithmic platforms, modes of digital representation, and other such areas, particularly as they relate to issues of inequality and anti-Blackness. This position is part of a multi-year project dedicated to Race, Justice, and Equity across the university that will include ten T/TT faculty searches and thirty postdocs and fellows. For details, see: https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UVAJobs/job/Charlottesville-VA/Tenu… Best wishes from Charlottesville, Kevin Driscoll -- The University of Virginia’s Department of Media Studies and Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies invite applications for a joint appointment as an assistant or associate professor who specializes in digital media and whose research is grounded in African-American Studies. https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UVAJobs/job/Charlottesville-VA/Tenu… We are particularly interested in candidates whose research explores digital media infrastructures, big data, algorithmic platforms, modes of digital representation, and other such areas, particularly as they relate to issues of inequality and anti-Blackness. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Media Studies, African-American Studies, or a related field, show a strong record of publication or a clear potential for such (in accordance with stage of career), and have an active research program. Candidates should also demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring of students at the undergraduate and/or graduate level, and a willingness to contribute to the scholarly life of the Departments of Media Studies and African-American and African Studies. Application review will begin December 1, 2021 and the position will remain open until filled. Questions about this position should be directed to Professor Jack Hamilton at jackhamilton(a)virginia.edu Questions about the application process should be directed to Nicole Robinson, Faculty Search Advisor at nr7f(a)virginia.edu

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Teaching this spring
by Koblentz, Evan 20 Nov '21

20 Nov '21

Hello SIGCIS, Somehow I fell off the list back in September 2020. Thank you Andy R. and Jason for resubscribing me. In 2019, I resigned from Vintage Computer Federation (~15 years after founding the predecessor organization) and started working at New Jersey Institute of Technology as a science writer in the communications office, where my primary assignment is the computer science department. Thus I got to know the dean and the faculty, and asked them if I could teach the history of computing. They said yes, so as of this spring I am teaching my first college course, CS-485 / Special Topics: Introduction to Computing History. I arranged it so there are no prerequisites, and students do not have to be CS majors -- anyone at the university can take this course. There is a similar course in our history department catalog, but it has not been offered since 2018, after which Elizabeth Petrick moved to Rice University. I'm looking at the syllabus repository at https://www.sigcis.org/syllabi and working on my own version. I know the material well enough, but I would like to hear advice about * how * to teach and what type of assignments to give. -Evan Koblentz -- [image: NJIT logo] <https://www.njit.edu/> *Evan A Koblentz* Staff Writer Office of Strategic Communications evank(a)njit.edu (973) 596-3065 <9735963065> https://web.njit.edu/~evank/ @TechnicallyEvan

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TT JOB ALERT
by Meg Leta Jones 19 Nov '21

19 Nov '21

Happy weekend everyone! I'm so excited to share that Georgetown is hiring three tenure track faculty members working in the broadly construed area of technology and society. Details are below and please feel free to email me with any questions. Meg In support of Georgetown’s interdisciplinary initiatives in technology and society, we invite applications for three new tenure-line faculty positions: two named endowed full professorships and one assistant professor appointment. Disciplines of interest for the cluster hire span a broad range, including, but not limited to, computer science, philosophy, statistics and data science, law, political science, information science, anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, English, and communications. Georgetown University is launching a new Center for Digital Ethics ( digitalethics.georgetown.edu) which will combine researchers from computer and data sciences with researchers from the humanities, law, and social sciences, to advance frameworks and solutions for digital technologies for the betterment of humanity. All three appointments will have research professor appointments in the Center, in addition to their tenure-line appointments in a department. Georgetown is also launching a new suite of undergraduate programs at the intersection of digital technology, ethics, and society, including a new computer science major integrating applied ethics and policy into the computer science curriculum and a new interdisciplinary program, with attendant minor, in Technology, Ethics, and Society for non-technologists. All three appointments will contribute to the teaching mission of this program as well as appropriate other programs. Desirable areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, issues bearing on fairness, bias, and equity, access and disability, privacy and data governance, racial justice, gender and sexuality, sustainability and environmental justice. Opportunities are available for connecting with other Georgetown efforts, including the Racial Justice Institute, Disability Studies, and the Georgetown Environment Initiative. *The McDevitt Chair:* For this position, we seek a colleague eligible to be appointed at the Associate or Full Professor rank with tenure in either computer science or philosophy. We are looking for a colleague who will contribute to Georgetown’s growing community of tech and society scholars, centers, and efforts, with a demonstrated track record of strong original research, and a keen interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. To apply for the McDevitt Chair: http://apply.interfolio.com/98862 *The Technology, Ethics, and Society Chair*: For this position, we seek a colleague able to be appointed at the Associate or Full Professor rank with tenure; the discipline is open. We seek a colleague with a passion for undergraduate education and a proven track record for innovation and leadership in education related to tech and society. The expectation is that this Chair will also serve an inaugural term as Director of the interdisciplinary undergraduate program, to facilitate its visioning and development. To apply for the Technology, Ethics, and Society Chair: http://apply.interfolio.com/98865 *Assistant Professorship:* For this position, the discipline is open. We seek a junior colleague with an earned PhD or other terminal degree in any discipline relevant to the field of technology and society as noted above, a strong promise of scholarly achievement and teaching success, and a demonstrated commitment to multidisciplinary scholarship. To apply for the Assistant Professorship: http://apply.interfolio.com/98868 For all positions, we seek candidates with a collaborative mindset, interested in fostering a highly creative, interdisciplinary research and teaching, including those working on non-traditional interventions. Appointments will include primary appointments in tenure homes along with a secondary appointment in the Center for Digital Ethics; opportunities for other cross-appointments are possible. Applicants are invited to apply to any position that may be a good fit for their research and teaching interests. The search is overseen by a coordinated search committee which has representatives from computer science, philosophy, law, mathematics and statistics, communication/culture/technology, and data sciences. For full consideration, apply by January 15, 2022. Queries may be addressed to Mark Murphy at digitalethicssearch(a)georgetown.edu. *Georgetown University is an **Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer* <https://policymanual.hr.georgetown.edu/https%3A/policymanual.gudrupal.georg…>* fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic **protected by law* <https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf>*.* *If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please **click here* <https://ideaa.georgetown.edu/accommodations/procedures/applicants>* for more information, or contact the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action (IDEAA) at (202) 687-4798**. * ----- Meg Leta Jones, J.D., Ph.D. Communication, Culture & Technology Associate Professor Ethics Lab Faculty Fellow Science, Technology, & International Affairs Core Faculty Institute for Technology Law & Policy Affiliate Faculty Georgetown University Meg.Jones(a)Georgetown.edu MegLeta.com <http://megleta.com/> iSPYLab.net Author of *Ctrl + Z: The Right to Be Forgotten <http://nyupress.org/books/9781479881703/>* (NYU Press, 2016)

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Medical Algorithms Panel @SHOT/HSS
by Gerardo Con Diaz 19 Nov '21

19 Nov '21

Dear SIGCIS, If you are attending SHOT/HSS this year, please consider attending panel F55: Medical Algorithms: Computing, Diagnosis, and Health in the US (Friday, 4:30-5:30 CST). The panel will showcase work on computer-based diagnosis, tele-psychiatry, clinic automation, and medical patenting. Best, Con -- *Gerardo Con Diaz* Associate Professor of Science and Technology Studies, UC Davis Editor in Chief, *Annals of the History of Computing* Co-Editor, *Studies in Computing and Culture *(Johns Hopkins University Press) www.condiaz.com

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Practicing and Formalizing SHOT & HSS Panel
by Ekaterina Babintseva 19 Nov '21

19 Nov '21

Dear Members of SIGCIS, If you are attending SHOT/ HSS, please join us (Honghong Tinn, Evan Hepler-Smith, Aaron Mendon-Plasek, Janet Abbate and myself) for a panel on creativity in computer science and engineering on Nov 20, 9 AM-10 AM Central Standard Time. We will discuss research tasks, scientific approaches, and technical cultures that emerged in an effort to practice, teach, model, simulate and stimulate creativity in Taiwan, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Best, Ekaterina -- Dr. Ekaterina Babintseva Hixon-Riggs Early Career Fellow in Science and Technology Studies Harvey Mudd College

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Computers and Society NTT job @ Stevens
by Andrew Russell 19 Nov '21

19 Nov '21

Dear SIGCIS - I’m sharing on behalf of Alex Wellerstein at Stevens Institute of Technology. Please share with interested colleagues, apply yourself, and/or direct any questions to Alex (contact info below). Andy https://stevens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Hoboken-NJ---Main-Campus… <https://stevens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Hoboken-NJ---Main-Campus…> Stevens Institute of Technology (USA:NJ) - Computers and Society (NTT) Teaching Assistant Professor (full-time, non-tenure-track, multi-year renewable faculty appointment) in Science and Technology Studies Candidate will teach an undergraduate course on “Computers and Society,” whose primary enrollees are Computer Science majors, as their main teaching duties, starting in Fall 2022, in Hoboken, New Jersey (directly adjacent to Manhattan) "Candidates should have a PhD (or be ABD) in a field affiliated with or closely related to Science and Technology Studies, including the History, Anthropology, Sociology, or Philosophy of Science and/or Technology. ... The successful candidate will also possess experience teaching STS-related courses at the undergraduate level, with preference given to candidates whose work makes connections between technical aspects of computing technologies and their social outcomes." Applications including a letter of intent, current CV, statement of teaching philosophy, research statement, and the names and contact information for three references, should be uploaded as a SINGLE DOCUMENT to https://stevens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Hoboken-NJ---Main-Campus… <https://stevens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Hoboken-NJ---Main-Campus…> Questions can be directed to the search committee chair: Dr. Alex Wellerstein (awellers(a)stevens.edu <mailto:awellers@stevens.edu>) Review begins: 3 January 2022 and continues until position filled.

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