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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SHOT roundtable Tech History in Tech Policy
by Meg Leta Jones 19 Nov '21

19 Nov '21

To all attending SHOT, please consider joining us for a Friday morning (or afternoon or evening depending on your time zone) coffee discussion of tech history in tech policy. We'll be hosting a roundtable conversation in an hour at 9AM central time - please add your voice and insights. No panel - just a group talking through these seemingly simple questions: 1) How has the work of historians of technology been valuable or abused in policy discussions? 2) How are historians of technology situating their own work as interventions in policy discussions? 3) How should historians of technology situate their work in relation to policy discussions? Hope you can come! Meg ----- 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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Call for book reviews: Information & Culture
by James A Hodges 18 Nov '21

18 Nov '21

Greetings, and apologies if my cross-posting results in multiple copies of this call landing in your email. I’m James Hodges, Senior Book Reviews Editor for Information & Culture ( https://infoculturejournal.org/) We are currently seeking book reviewers with expertise in the areas of information and media technologies, broadly construed. In recent months, we have also committed to diversifying the subject matter and authorial perspectives in our book reviews section. This means that we are particularly interested in covering books by authors or concerning regions and cultures currently underrepresented in Global North academic literature, as well as in publishing reviewers from such backgrounds. Additionally, we are currently seeking reviewers for the following specific titles: "Surveillance Capitalism in America," edited by Josh Lauer and Kenneth Lipartito (U Penn Press, https://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/16260.html) “Chinese Internet Buzzwords: Research on Network Languages in Internet Group Communication” by Zhou Yan (Routledge, https://www.routledge.com/Chinese-Internet-Buzzwords-Research-on-Network-La… ) “The Black Technical Object: On Machine Learning and the Aspiration of Black Being” by Ramon Amaro (MIT Press, https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/black-technical-object) Please get in touch with the reviews desk at reviews(a)ischool.utexas.edu if you would like to join our reviewer pool, propose a specific review, or offer your own recent publication for review (published within the last 18 months). Sincerely, James -- *JAMES A. HODGES, PH.D.* Bullard Postdoctoral Research Fellow The University of Texas at Austin School of Information http://www.jameshodges.net Senior Book Reviews Editor Information & Culture <https://infoculturejournal.org/> Member, Committee on Publication Ethics <https://publicationethics.org/> (COPE) Junior Fellow, Rare Book School Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography <https://rarebookschool.org/admissions-awards/fellowships/sofcb/>

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Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society
by Schmitt, Martin 18 Nov '21

18 Nov '21

Dear Sigcis, first, I wanted to thank you all for the amazing feedback on my request about the floppy disks. It is remarkable in how many places floppy disks are still in use. Legacy systems carry on with their material data carriers. Second, I am happy to announce as the Weizenbaum Study Award winner 2021 (3rd prize) a new interdisciplinary journal for digitalization research: The Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society. "Permeating all areas of human life, digitalisation is a contested process interacting with political structures and participation, economic and legal relationships, education, and everyday life in general, calling for an interdisciplinary research perspective. Collaborative research at the intersection of several disciplines such as ethics, law, economics and political science can provide a deeper understanding of the role of digitalisation and shed light into the intricate net of dependencies surrounding it. Against this background, the overarching goal of this journal is to attract interdisciplinary research that investigates issues surrounding digital technologies from more than one disciplinary perspective, as well as disciplinary research that contributes strongly to questions and consequences of society and digitalisation.“ Articles from the history of computing are especially welcomed! Learn more at their website: https://www.weizenbaum-institut.de/weizenbaum-journal-of-the-digital-societ… The first issue is available at: https://ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wjds/issue/view/1_1 Editors are: Martin Emmer (communication science); Hanna Krasnova (information systems); Martin Krzywdzinski (sociology); Axel Metzger (law); Sonja Schimmler (computer science); Lena Ulbricht (political science) Stay safe and take care in these days. Best Martin Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter | Post-Doc | digital enthusiast Technische Universität Darmstadt Institut für Geschichte Fachgebiet Technikgeschichte Mail: martin.schmitt(a)tu-darmstadt.de<mailto:martin.schmitt@tu-darmstadt.de> Tel: +49 6151-16-57327 http://www.computerisierung.com & Assoziierter Wissenschaftler LEIBNIZ-ZENTRUM FÜR ZEITHISTORISCHE FORSCHUNG | POTSDAM Vice Chair IFIP WG 9.7 „History of computing" Zuletzt erschienen: Leslie, Christopher und Martin Schmitt (eds.): Histories of Computing in Eastern Europe, Cham: Springer International Publishing 2019 (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology 549), https://www.springer.com/978-3-030-29159-4

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Online Event on December 9th honoring Lillian Schwartz
by David C. Brock 16 Nov '21

16 Nov '21

For your consideration: A free online event on December 9th honoring artist Lillian Schwartz as a Fellow of the Computer History Museum. Starting at 5PM Pacific Time. https://computerhistory.org/events/celebrating-fellow-lillian-f-schwartz/ <https://computerhistory.org/events/celebrating-fellow-lillian-f-schwartz/> It will feature comments by historian Zabet Patterson and curator Barbara London, screening selections from three of Schwartz’s films from the early 1970s incorporating computer animation, Ken Thompson (of UNIX fame) presenting the award, and a contemporary artist using computation, Refik Anadol. You can register at the link above, or at this direct Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breaking-boundaries-creativity-with-computer-a… <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breaking-boundaries-creativity-with-computer-a…> +++++++++++++++ David C. Brock dcb(a)dcbrock.net 40 Russell Street, Greenfield, MA 01301 Mobile: 413-522-3578 Skype: dcbrock Twitter: @dcbrock Pronouns: he, him, his

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ACM FAccT 2022 deadlines extended & travel support available
by FAccT Publicity 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

Dear all, we are pleased to announce that the abstract registration & paper submission deadlines for ACM FAccT 2022 have been extended. UPDATED DEADLINES Paper pre-registration: December 15, 2021 Paper submission: January 14, 2022 Conference: June 21-24, 2022 Please note that all deadlines are at 11:59 PM Korea Standard Time (KST) on the given date. Our Call for Papers is available here: https://facctconference.org/2022/cfp.html TRAVEL SUPPORT ACM FAccT is committed to ensuring that no-one is unable to present their work at the in-person conference due to resource constraints, and as such there is a substantial travel scholarship fund available to support in-person attendance. Other support for diversity, equity and inclusion at FAccT 2022 will be announced soon. ABOUT ACM FACCT 2022 The 2022 conference will be held both in-person and online. The in-person conference will take place in Seoul, South Korea on June 21-24, 2022 Korea Standard Time (KST). The online conference--including both live-streamed elements of the in-person conference, and online-only content--will also begin on June 21, with content and discussion available for two weeks from that date, and a library of content available subsequently. ACM FAccT solicits work from a wide variety of disciplines, including computer science, statistics, law, social sciences, the humanities, and policy, and multidisciplinary scholarships on fairness, accountability and transparency in computational systems (broadly construed). We welcome contributions that consider dimensions beyond individual decisions, including equity and justice in systems, policy, and human rights. We welcome submissions in the following areas: - Algorithm Development e.g. Fairness; Interpretable and explainable models; Causality; Data collection and curation - Data and Algorithm Evaluation e.g. Metrics; Audits; Evaluations, both quantitative and qualitative - Applications e.g. Natural Language Processing; Computer vision; Health; Information retrieval; Recommender systems; Programming languages; Databases - Human Factors e.g. Human-computer interaction; Humans-in-the-loop; Information visualization; UX design; Community or participatory-research design - Privacy and Security e.g. Formal approaches; Privacy-preserving models; Usable privacy and security - Law e.g. Data protection; Non-discrimination; Fair Procedures; Human Rights; Oversight mechanisms - Policy e.g. Organizational governance; Codes of ethics; models from historically marginalized perspectives - Historical and Cultural Critiques e.g. Interrogating foundational concepts; Bridging critical concepts across fields; Historical perspectives on FAccT issues - Philosophy e.g. Philosophical foundations of machine learning; values in scientific inquiry; social epistemology; moral, legal and political philosophy of data and AI - Social Sciences e.g. Algorithms and computing in organizations and institutions, including education; Social and cultural shaping of algorithmic phenomena; algorithmic impacts on social phenomena We especially welcome contributions that incorporate perspectives and investigations on FAccT that are relevant to or grounded in the cultures, norms, laws, and/or sociopolitical systems from regions that are usually not featured prominently at FAccT, which has so far been composed mainly of North American and European scholarship. Announcements about our call for tutorials, CRAFT, a doctoral colloquium and a number of special initiatives to follow soon! Questions? Contact the Program Co-chairs: program-chairs(a)facctconference.org. And stay tuned for updates by following @facctconference on Twitter or joining the FACCT-ANNOUNCE listserv. Best wishes, Deb Raji & Annette Zimmermann Publicity Co-Chairs Fairness, Accountability and Transparency conference

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Job posting: Assoc. Director, Undergrad Program in Data Science & Social Systems, Stanford
by Paul N. Edwards 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

All, a new program opening up here has an open position. This isn’t a typical academic post. It's a sort of hybrid job - part admin, part program-building, possible teaching role, with private- and public-sector connections a high priority. https://careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/associate-director-undergraduate-pro… Best, Paul ________________________ Paul N. Edwards<https://profiles.stanford.edu/paul-edwards> Director, Program on Science, Technology & Society<http://sts.stanford.edu> William J. Perry Fellow in International Security and Senior Research Scholar Center for International Security and Cooperation<http://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/> Co-Director, Stanford Existential Risks Initiative<https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/stanford-existential-risks-initiative> Stanford University Professor of Information<http://www.si.umich.edu/> and History<http://www.lsa.umich.edu/history/> (Emeritus) University of Michigan

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New material in Archive of IT
by Research 15 Nov '21

15 Nov '21

An important, new digitised research resource has recently been donated to the Archives of IT and may be of interest to your, your department and students. The Butler Cox Foundation<https://archivesit.org.uk/publications/butler-cox-reports/> reports which were produced between 1977 to 1991 advising IT Directors on issues in technology and systems are free to access on our website. The collection comprises 220 newsletters, reports and conference proceedings, tracking the advance of information technology as it moved out of the closeted world of 'computing' or 'data processing' into communications, office systems and publishing. It heralded the world of the PC, e-mail, the mobile phone and the Internet, identifying and explaining the nature and significance of new developments. As well as influencing the uptake of technology by leading users and the product offerings of major suppliers, the findings of the Foundation research were communicated to the UK Government on numerous occasions and had a bearing on public policy. Below is just one small snippet to pique your interest: Systems Security<https://archivesit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BCF-RRMS-08-1990-Iss1.…> published in 1990 "Many managers consider the stories about vast computer frauds, perpetrated by gangs of master criminals or clever juveniles, overplayed and irrelevant to their own business operations." They truly are a mine of valuable and fascinating information, I hope you will enjoy taking a closer look. Thanks Tom Tom Abram Director - Archives of IT research(a)archivesit.org.uk www.archivesit.org.uk<http://www.archivesit.org.uk/> > Subscribe<https://archivesit.org.uk/sign-up/> to our e-newsletter > Follow us on Twitter @ArchivesIT<https://twitter.com/ArchivesIT> > Please support us at https://archivesit.org.uk/get-involved-4/make-a-difference/ Registered Charity No: 1164198 This e-mail is confidential and may be privileged. It may be read, copied and used only by the intended recipient. If you have received it in error, please contact the sender immediately by return e-mail. Please then delete the e-mail and do not disclose its contents to any person.

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Algorithms vs Logarithms
by thomas.haigh＠gmail.com 12 Nov '21

12 Nov '21

Hello SIGCIS, As the eyes of the world turn towards my own region of SE Wisconsin for the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse (the cosplaying militia wannabe teen who shot and killed two unarmed demonstrators in Kenosha last summer) we get a glimpse of how deeply suspicion of algorithms has permeated general awareness and of how little they are sometimes understood. According to this article from The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/10/22775580/kyle-rittenhouse-trial-judge-ap ple-ai-pinch-to-zoom-footage-manipulation-claim the defense yesterday made a successful argument to the judge that the zoom feature on an iPad video showing the killings should not be used in court on the grounds that it involved artificial intelligence and "logarithms." Yes, LOGARITHMS. The things some of you may remember looking up in tables to add together to find approximate answers when multiplying large numbers. "iPads, which are made by Apple, have artificial intelligence in them that allow things to be viewed through three-dimensions and logarithms," the defense insisted. "It uses artificial intelligence, or their logarithms, to create what they believe is happening. So this isn't actually enhanced video, this is Apple's iPad programming creating what it thinks is there, not what necessarily is there," they added. According to the story, the judge deferred to this argument: Judge Schroeder argued that it was the prosecution - not the defense - that had the burden of proving that Apple doesn't use artificial intelligence to manipulate footage, demanding that they provide an expert to testify, and didn't allow the prosecution to adjourn to find that expert before bringing Rittenhouse up for cross-examination. Meanwhile, I stumbled on a nice analysis of the extent to which the word "algorithm" is understood my many to imply some connection to machine learning in this short article by Kristian Lum and Rumman Chowdhury: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/02/26/1020007/what-is-an-algorithm/. Can it be long until we see products sold as "algorithm free"? Or, possible, "logarithm free." Tom

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CALL FOR PAPERS: Histories of Computing in Oceania Conference- 24 February 2022
by Janet Toland 11 Nov '21

11 Nov '21

Having trouble viewing this email? View online version.<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> Histories of Computing in Oceania Conference: Call for Papers 24 February 2022 [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…] Virtual Paper Development Conference:Call for Papers The virtual conference presented by the Business and Labour History Group<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> at the University of Sydney Business School, is based on the theme of Histories of Computing in Oceania, in line with the upcoming special issue of the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. The region of Oceania includes Australasia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. To date, the history of computing in this vast and relatively lowly populated region is underrepresented, notwithstanding recent efforts to expand the geographical scope of the history of computing. The geographical characteristics of Oceania have facilitated the development of innovative, interesting (and often unique) patterns of information and knowledge exchange. For instance, despite limited interaction with work undertaken overseas, Trevor Pearcey built CSIR Mark 1, the first digital stored program computer in the world that played music, in Australia between 1947-49. Nonetheless, representations of these important contributions made to the history of computing in Oceania in the academic discourse are still scant. For the virtual conference we are seeking the submission of extended abstracts on the broader theme of the special issue. The conference seeks to expand on the currently sparse discourse on the history of computing in Oceania. For an overview of some of the existing literature please look at the selective bibliography below. We endeavour to document a history currently often only published in grey literature. Examples of topic include but are by no means limited to: Historical, post-colonial, and regional perspectives on the development, appropriation, and use of computing technologies in Oceania; * The regional, national, or transnational politics of computing and telecommunications; * Exploration of multinational versus local initiatives; * National and international transfer of technologies, knowledge, and people; * Critical analyses of the development of computing education; * Studies of community computing, ICT4D, and the role of NGOs; and * Histories and critical analyses of digital initiatives that involve Indigenous people. Important Dates Submission of Extended Abstracts: Friday 10 December 2021 Notification of Acceptance: Friday14 January 2022 Date of Virtual Conference: Thursday 24 February 2022 Submission of Extended Abstract Conference attendance is based on the acceptance of an extended abstracts of about 1,000 words in length. Extended abstracts should discuss your research topic, outline your research approach and provide some preliminary findings. [VIEW SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND TEMPLATE]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> Please email submissions by 10 December 2021 to : janet.toland(a)vuw.ac.nz<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> and sebastian.boell(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:sebastian.boell@sydney.edu.au> [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…]<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> ENQUIRIES For more information please contact: Glenn Howell T +61 2 9351 6625 E business.researchgroups(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:business.researchgroups@sydney.edu.au> The University of Sydney Business School [https://prod-swiftdigital-staticassets.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/sd_i…] Copyright (c) 2016 The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia. Phone +61 2 9351 2222 ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS Number: 00026A To make sure you continue to see our emails in the future, please business.researchgroups(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:business.events@sydney.edu.au> to your address book or senders safe list. To unsubscribe, reply to this email with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line or unsubscribe<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> via the link Disclaimer<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> | Privacy statement<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…> | University of Sydney<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-…>

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Fall 2021 CBI Bits & Bytes
by Jeffrey Yost 10 Nov '21

10 Nov '21

Dear Colleagues, Please find below the link to the new CBI Bits & Bytes (Fall 2021). It reports on developments at CBI and our community. Along with news on programs and new initiatives, this issue also contains a biographical and reflective essay honoring CBI's founding director, Prof. Arthur L. Norberg, who passed away in September 2021. CBI News: Bits & Bytes | CHARLES BABBAGE INSTITUTE <https://cse.umn.edu/cbi/cbi-news-bits-bytes> Best, Jeff *"Injustice wears the same harsh face wherever it shows itself."*-Ralph Ellison Jeffrey R. Yost, Ph.D. Director, Charles Babbage Institute Research Professor, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Co-Editor (w/ Gerardo Con Diaz) *Studies in Computing and Culture book series, Johns Hopkins University Press* *Committee Member, **National Academies, NAE Extraordinary Engineering Impacts on Society * Founder and Co-Editor (w/ Amanda Wick), *Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture* *Making IT Work: A History of the Computer Services Industry (MIT Press 2017)* <https://www.amazon.com/Making-Work-Computer-Services-Computing/dp/026203672X> 222 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455

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CBI for Computing, Info. & Culture--Norberg Travel Grants or Scanning Grants
by Jeffrey Yost 09 Nov '21

09 Nov '21

Dear Colleagues, This year we have had some travelling in-person researchers at CBI as well as heavy remote use of our archives (MN Covid-19 daily new cases remain surprisingly high, near 4,000, and hospitals are near full capacity). As such, we are accepting Norberg Grant applications either for $1,000 for travel from out of state here to spend at least three days, or $400 scanning grants to use collections remotely (So the option of the normal program or for remote use as we did last year). The application page is Norberg Travel Grant application process <https://cse.umn.edu/cbi/norberg-travel-grant-application-process> If you have any questions, please let me know. Deadline is Jan. 15th, 2022 Best, Jeff *"Injustice wears the same harsh face wherever it shows itself."*-Ralph Ellison Jeffrey R. Yost, Ph.D. Director, Charles Babbage Institute Research Professor, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Co-Editor (w/ Gerardo Con Diaz) *Studies in Computing and Culture book series, Johns Hopkins University Press* *Committee Member, **National Academies, NAE Extraordinary Engineering Impacts on Society * Founder and Co-Editor (w/ Amanda Wick), *Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture* *Making IT Work: A History of the Computer Services Industry (MIT Press 2017)* <https://www.amazon.com/Making-Work-Computer-Services-Computing/dp/026203672X> 222 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 612 624 5050 Phone 612 625 8054 Fax

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IEEE Annals of the History of Computing Reviews
by Theodora J Dryer 08 Nov '21

08 Nov '21

Dear SIGCIS members, I hope everyone is well. I will soon be making a quarterly call for reviews at IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. In order to ensure that the call is as inclusive as possible, please advise if you have, or know of any, new or forthcoming content that you are excited to get in process for review. Thank you, Theo This department covers reviews of books, films, exhibitions, and any other medium for which a scholarly review of content is warranted. Articles focus on recently published work, ideally within a year of publication. Reviews focus on scholarly books dealing with history of computing, and can include books on history more generally where there is significant history of computing content. Biographies and autobiographies of computing pioneers are appropriate. Articles are typically about 750 words. -- Dr. Theodora Dryer, she/her https://www.theodoradryer.com/

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Invitation to attend the conference AI in Flux at the Deutsches Museum
by Javier Poveda F 08 Nov '21

08 Nov '21

Dear all, hoping that everything is going well. I invite you to the conference *AI in Flux* that will be held online. This event is organized by the Deutsches Museum. The conference aims to show the histories of artificial ointelligence during several periods since its foundation since the Darthouth Summer Project on Artificial Intelligence. To register, please follow the next link: https://aihistories.wordpress.com/ai_in_flux/ I attach you the poster of the event. Best regards, Javier Poveda Figueroa.

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Current use of floppy disks
by Schmitt, Martin 06 Nov '21

06 Nov '21

Dear SIGCIS, today, I got a request by a German journalist asking about current uses of floppy disks. Are they still is use somewhere? Are there still users, for example power plants, airlines, banks or so who are using floppy disks? If so, why do they do that? I am sure that you can address this question, that was forwarded to me by Daniela Zetti, way better than I could. My first thought were computer hobbyists who are working with old computers and presenting them at Vintage Computing Festivals – cool stuff, but I do not think that is what the journalist wants to hear. Best Martin Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter | Post-Doc | digital enthusiast Technische Universität Darmstadt Institut für Geschichte Fachgebiet Technikgeschichte Mail: martin.schmitt(a)tu-darmstadt.de<mailto:martin.schmitt@tu-darmstadt.de> Tel: +49 6151-16-57327 http://www.computerisierung.com & Assoziierter Wissenschaftler LEIBNIZ-ZENTRUM FÜR ZEITHISTORISCHE FORSCHUNG | POTSDAM Vice Chair IFIP WG 9.7 „History of computing" Zuletzt erschienen: Leslie, Christopher und Martin Schmitt (eds.): Histories of Computing in Eastern Europe, Cham: Springer International Publishing 2019 (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology 549), https://www.springer.com/978-3-030-29159-4

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NEW BOOK, Image Objects: An Archaeology of Computer Graphics (MIT Press, 2021)
by Jacob Gaboury 04 Nov '21

04 Nov '21

Some of you have very generously mentioned the book on the SIGCIS list already, but I thought it would be a good idea to officially announce the release of my book on the history of computer graphics from MIT Press. *Image Objects: An Archaeology of Computer Graphics* <https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/image-objects> examines the history of computer graphics from roughly 1950-1980, with a focus on the groundbreaking research program at the University of Utah. The book is based largely on archival holdings at Utah and elsewhere, and follows an "object-oriented" structure, with each chapter unpacking a particular technology that shaped the formation of the field of computer graphics, and which continues to shape the ways we use and interact with computational technologies today. SIGCIS has been a critical community for this project since the very beginning, and I am very excited to share this work with all of you. The book is also available with a 20% discount <https://go.mitpress.mit.edu/en-us/4s2021?utm_campaign=FY22_Exhibits_4S&utm_…> for the month of October using the code 4S2021! *Image Objects: An Archaeology of Computer Graphics* *Jacob Gaboury* 312 pages | 6 x 9 | 133 b&w photos, 20 color plates Hardcover Aug 2021 | ISBN: 9780262045032 | $35.00 Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Culling Vision: Hidden Surface Algorithms and the Problem of Visibility Chapter 2: Random-Access Images: Interfacing Memory and the History of the Computer Screen Chapter 3: Model Objects: The Utah Teapot as Standard and Icon Chapter 4: Object Paradigms: On the Origins of Object Orientation Chapter 5: Procedure Crystallized: The Graphics Processing Unit and the Rise of Computer Graphics Coda: After Objects *“With Image Objects, Gaboury has established himself as the leading voice among a new generation of visual culture theorists. This is a landmark contribution to the fields of digital culture, media theory, and science and technology studies."* - Bernard Geoghegan, Senior Lecturer in the History and Theory of Digital Media, King's College London *How computer graphics transformed the computer from a calculating machine into an interactive medium, as seen through the histories of five technical objects.* Most of us think of computer graphics as a relatively recent invention, enabling the spectacular visual effects and lifelike simulations we see in current films, television shows, and digital games. In fact, computer graphics have been around as long as the modern computer itself, and played a fundamental role in the development of our contemporary culture of computing. In *Image Objects*, Jacob Gaboury offers a prehistory of computer graphics through an examination of five technical objects—an algorithm, an interface, an object standard, a programming paradigm, and a hardware platform—arguing that computer graphics transformed the computer from a calculating machine into an interactive medium. Gaboury explores early efforts to produce an algorithmic solution for the calculation of object visibility; considers the history of the computer screen and the random-access memory that first made interactive images possible; examines the standardization of graphical objects through the Utah teapot, the most famous graphical model in the history of the field; reviews the graphical origins of the object-oriented programming paradigm; and, finally, considers the development of the graphics processing unit as the catalyst that enabled an explosion in graphical computing at the end of the twentieth century. The development of computer graphics, Gaboury argues, signals a change not only in the way we make images but also in the way we mediate our world through the computer—and how we have come to reimagine that world as computational. -- Jacob Gaboury (he/him) Associate Professor of New Media History and Theory Dept. of Film & Media, University of California at Berkeley jacobgaboury.com/ <http://www.jacobgaboury.com/> *Image Objects: An Archaeology of Computer Graphics* (MIT Press, 2021) https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/image-objects

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