February 2024 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

American codebreaker exhibit - but you can't see it
by Jonathan Coopersmith 30 Dec '24

30 Dec '24

https://dcist.com/story/23/09/22/arlington-foreign-service-institute-recogn… Actually, I suspect we could probably arrange a tour. Stay sane, Jonathan Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell) "Technological obsolescence, <https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2023/05/technological-obsolescence>" National Academy of Engineering *Perspectives* May 23, 2023 It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-ele…> , theconversation.com Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ *FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University Press)

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The impact of computer patents
by Brian Randell 30 Dec '24

30 Dec '24

Hi: I would be grateful for recommendations on books and papers containing thoughtful well-justified discussion of the likely or actual practical impact of the outcomes of the various attempts to patent the concept of a programmable computer (whether granted, refused or invalidated) on the early development of the computer industry, in the US and elsewhere. I have in mind the ENIAC and especially the Konrad Zuse patent cases, but am also interested in any others. (My searches for good references have been hampered by the proliferation of articles on software patenting - a topic which I am not trying to cover.) Cheers Brian Randell Sent from my iPhone

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cfa: The Global Cochlear Implant
by Mara Mills 30 Dec '24

30 Dec '24

The Global Cochlear Implant: Provincializing “Brain Implants” through Disability Technocultures Michele Friedner (University of Chicago) and Mara Mills (New York University) have received funding from the US-based National Endowment for the Humanities <https://www.neh.gov/program/dangers-and-opportunities-technology-perspectiv…>for a conference, working group, and book project on “The Global Cochlear Implant” for the period Fall 2023-Fall 2025. We are seeking chapter contributors for our interdisciplinary edited volume that will focus on: -Historical and contemporary accounts of cochlear implant development and utilization in specific geographic contexts, including developing contexts -Pre-histories of cochlear implant development and use (especially in Russia, France, Austria) -Analysis of the ways that cochlear implantation is changing (or not) deaf and disability identities, socialities, solidarities, and life trajectories in specific geographic contexts - Ethics of cochlear implantation development, dissemination, and use in diverse contexts; an exploration of ethics can also include discussions of brain implants and biotechnology more broadly - Humanistic and aesthetic accounts and representations of cochlear implantation - Histories connecting cochlear implants to the broader category of brain implants Doctoral students are welcome and encouraged to apply. Contributors can be at any academic or non-academic rank and will be offered a stipend for their chapters as well as travel and lodging funds to attend the October 2024 conference in Chicago. Participants will also be invited to attend monthly zoom group meetings where they will receive support for writing their chapters. The deadlines are as follows: 1. Submit abstract and cv to michelefriedner(a)uchicago.edu and mmills(a)nyu.edu <mamills(a)nyu.edu> by December 1 2023; please email both with questions and/or concerns. 2. Decisions will be made by Jan 1, 2024. 3. Working group meetings in support of research and writing of papers will commence first week of February. 4. Conference will be held in October 2024 at the University of Chicago; Participants will present talks based on their chapters. 5. Versions of chapters will be sent to the selected press in April 2025. Project Abstract: Perhaps no medical device has sparked more popular discussion of the “dangers and opportunities of technology” than the cochlear implant (CI). The first true bionic device, CIs (re)produce an absent ‘normal’ human function (Blume 2009). Despite ongoing polarizing debates about the ramifications of CI technology, only a few book-length studies of the technology exist, and these have overwhelmingly emphasized U.S. and European perspectives. This collaborative humanities project will document the impacts of the technology itself (e.g. algorithmic bias), the influence of the global corporations that market it, and the range of ways implants have been domesticated, maintained, and re-interpreted. At this pivotal moment for the development and global dissemination of neuroprosthetics, with brain implants widely featured in the popular press, this multi-disciplinary, international project will serve both a documentary and a comparative function, as well as provide a platform, through our conference and published work, for alternative narratives of CI use. Mara Mills <http://maramills.org/> | Associate Professor | Media, Culture, and Communication | New York University Co-Director, NYU Center for Disability Studies <https://disabilitystudies.nyu.edu/> Crip Authorship: Disability as Method <https://nyupress.org/9781479819355/crip-authorship/>, eds. Mills and Sanchez (NYU 2023) Testing Hearing: The Making of Modern Aurality <https://academic.oup.com/book/36957>, eds. Tkaczyk, Mills, and Hui (Oxford 2020)

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SIGICS update
by Andrew Russell 01 Jul '24

01 Jul '24

Dear SIGCIS friends - I’m writing to share the news that I’m stepping down as SIGCIS Co-Chair. I started as Chair back in 2014, and became Co-Chair when Melanie Swalwell joined me in this role in 2020. I’m really proud of what we’ve built and sustained together as a community! At the same time, I think it’s healthy for SIGCIS to have some rotation in leadership. The tipping point for me came a couple of months ago, when I was named as Officer-in-Charge (aka interim president) of my university, SUNY Polytechnic Institute. This assignment is as rewarding as it is time-consuming, and leaves me little choice but to pull back from some of my professional commitments, including SIGCIS. Fortunately, Melanie Swalwell has agreed to continue on as SIGCIS Chair. She will be writing to the list soon with an update about SIGCIS in 2023 and beyond. Thank you for your support and kindness over the years, and for making SIGCIS a welcoming and fun place to be :) All the best, Andy — — — — — — — — — — — Andrew L. Russell, Ph.D. Officer-in-Charge SUNY Polytechnic Institute 100 Seymour Road Utica, NY 13502 257 Fuller Road Albany, NY 12203 https://sunypoly.edu/ https://arussell.org/

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Garry Tee (1932-2024)
by Brian E Carpenter 05 Mar '24

05 Mar '24

Garry was, among many things, a DEUCE programmer and New Zealand's first historian of computing. He was also a real gentleman, who I am honoured to have known. Brian Carpenter -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: [cs-retired-and-honorary] Garry Tee (1932-2024) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 23:26:24 +0000 It is with much sadness that I pass on the news that Garry Tee died yesterday. I will pass on details of the funeral when the family has provided them. Garry was a member of the university staff in mathematics and computer science for many years, and was a familiar sight on campus well into his retirement. For those who didn't know Garry, here is a profile from 1992: https://nzmathsoc.org.nz/downloads/profiles/NZMSprofile54_Garry_Tee.pdf Kind regards | Ngā mihi Steven Professor Steven Galbraith Department of Mathematics Te Whare Pūtaiao | Faculty of Science Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland

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NPL Scrapbook, Datapac, and more - interview
by Brian E Carpenter 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

Hi, I recently did an email interview with Peter Cashin - it was very interesting, and not just about an early hypertext project. Today we met in person in Auckland NZ, and we could have gossipped for hours. The interview was published as a research report this week: https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/research/groups/CDMTCS/researchreports/downlo… Regards Brian Carpenter

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ROMchip Presents: Jaroslav Švelch on Player vs. Monster // FRI March 8, 1PM EST
by Laine Nooney 28 Feb '24

28 Feb '24

Join us Friday, March 8, as *ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories *hosts games studies scholar Jaroslav Švelch for a talk about his recent book, *Player vs. Monster: The Making and Breaking of Video Game Monstrosity.* The event will be at 1PM EST on the ROMchip Twitch channel, https://www.twitch.tv/romchipjournal. Sign up for our newsletter <https://romchip.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=27c1594af9abf2dc80455091b&…> to never miss an update. REGISTER HERE <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/romchipajournalofgamehistories/1144604> *About the Book* Since the early days of video games, monsters have played pivotal roles as dangers to be avoided, level bosses to be defeated, or targets to be destroyed for extra points. But why is the figure of the monster so important in gaming, and how have video games come to shape our culture's conceptions of monstrosity? To answer these questions, *Player vs. Monster *explores the past half-century of monsters in games, from the dragons of early tabletop role-playing games and the pixelated aliens of *Space Invaders *to the malformed mutants of *The Last of Us *and the bizarre beasts of *Bloodborne*, and reveals the common threads among them. Covering examples from aliens to zombies, Jaroslav Švelch explores the art of monster design and traces its influences from mythology, visual arts, popular culture, and tabletop role-playing games. At the same time, he shows that video games follow the Cold War–era notion of clearly defined, calculable enemies, portraying monsters as figures that are irredeemably evil yet invariably vulnerable to defeat. He explains the appeal of such simplistic video game monsters, but also explores how the medium could evolve to present more nuanced depictions of monstrosity. *About the Author* Jaroslav Švelch is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Studies at Charles University, Prague, and Lecturer in the Department of Game Design at the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He is the author of *Gaming the Iron Curtain: How Teenagers and Amateurs in Communist Czechoslovakia Claimed the Medium of Computer Games*. *About ROMchip**ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories <https://www.romchip.org/>* is a free, online scholarly journal for game history. *ROMchip *develops, edits, and publishes ad-free, open access game history research for a range of audiences. It supports any discipline of work enlivening the history of games in local and global contexts, and embraces diversity in how game history is studied, documented, collected, preserved, and practiced. *ROM**c**hip* is a donation-based organization fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas <https://www.fracturedatlas.org/>; to donate to ROMchip, please visit our sponsor website <https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/romchip-a-journal-of-game-histories>. -- Laine Nooney <http://www.lainenooney.com/> Assistant Professor | MCC <http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/mcc/> @ NYU <http://www.nyu.edu/> | they/them -Need to make an appt? Click, don't email: https://bit.ly/2GIHuK0 -Probably typed by voice recognition, so please cherish typos

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2024 Mahoney Prize nominations
by Melanie Swalwell 28 Feb '24

28 Feb '24

Dear SIGCIS, Nominations are now invited for the 2024 Mahoney Prize. The Mahoney Prize recognizes an outstanding article in the history of computing and information technology, broadly conceived. The Mahoney Prize commemorates the late Princeton scholar Michael S. Mahoney, whose profound contributions to the history of computing came from his many articles and book chapters. The prize consists of a $500 award and a certificate. For the 2024 prize, articles published in the preceding three years (2021, 2022 and 2023) are eligible for nomination. The Mahoney Prize is awarded by the Special Interest Group in Computers, Information, and Society (SIGCIS). We plan to present the prize at the SIG's annual meeting in July. Please email copies of articles being nominated to the 2024 Prize Committee by April 15, 2024. Self-nominations are welcome, as are nominations from the SIG's membership. Information on previous winning essays may be found on the website: https://www.sigcis.org/mahoneyprize Committee members' emails are below. Janet Toland (Chair) Adjunct School of Information Management Victoria University of Wellington janet.toland(a)vuw.ac.nz<mailto:janet.toland@vuw.ac.nz> Kevin Driscoll Associate Professor, Department of Media Studies University of Virginia ked5d(a)virginia.edu<mailto:ked5d@virginia.edu> David Murphy Senior Lecturer, Digital, Tech, Innovation & Business Staffordshire University david.murphy(a)staffs.ac.uk<mailto:david.murphy@staffs.ac.uk> Regards, Melanie -- Melanie Swalwell Professor of Digital Media Heritage Co-Chair, SIGCIS<http://www.sigcis.org/> Acting Deputy Director Centre for Transformative Media Technologies School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education Swinburne University PO Box 218, Hawthorn Vic 3122 Australia http://transformativemedia.swinburne.edu.au/ Tel +61 3 9214 3911 AS426 mswalwell(a)swin.edu.au @melswal Research project websites: https://ourdigitalheritage.org/ https://playitagainproject.com/ https://aama.net.au/ https://auseaasi.org/ Recent publications: Collecting, Curating, Preserving, and Researching Digital Media Arts: A good practice report<https://aama.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Collecting-curating-preservi…> Homebrew Gaming and the Beginnings of Vernacular Digitality<https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/homebrew-gaming-and-beginnings-vernacular-di…> Game History and the Local<https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-66422-0>

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Jim Cortada's "Inside IBM"
by Ceruzzi, Paul 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

I finally had a chance to look at the summary of Jim's book from CBI, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I always found IBM's control over nomenclature noteworthy: "Electronic Data Processing," not "Computer"; "Diskette" not "floppy"; "pointing Device" not "mouse." And others. I remember being shocked – shocked! when IBM called its OS2 operating system "Warp." So out of place, but the world, and IBM, moved on. Now we see the proliferation of what I consider inappropriate names for software and services that have a serious place in society: Google, Twitch, Slack, Yahoo! When Tom Haigh & I were writing our Third Edition, we had a discussion about whether to include the exclamation point in Yahoo. We left it off. And when I suggested to my office mates at the Smithsonian that we adopt Slack, they thought I was joking. I'm glad we didn't adopt it, regardless of how useful it isd or isn't. Could you imagine President Eisenhower issuing a Tweet? (General Eisenhower once said, in response to a RAND Corporation report, "There will be no software in this man's army!" Where did it all begin? Maybe from a programmer named Tom Pittman, author of Tiny Basic. He called his service "Itty Bitty Computers." This was around 1976 or so. Anyone have better information? Paul Ceruzzi

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2024 Computer History Museum Prize nominations due April 15
by Elizabeth Petrick 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

The Computer History Museum Prize is awarded to the author of an outstanding book in the history of computing broadly conceived, published during the prior three years. The prize of $1,000 is awarded by SIGCIS, the Special Interest Group for Computers, Information and Society. SIGCIS is part of the Society for the History of Technology. In 2012 the prize was endowed in perpetuity through a generous bequest from the estate of Paul Baran, a legendary computer innovator and entrepreneur best known for his work to develop and promote the packet switching approach on which modern networks are built. Baran was a longtime supporter of work on the history of information technology and named the prize to celebrate the contributions of the Computer History Museum to that field. 2024 Nomination instructions Books published in 2021, 2022, and 2023 are eligible for the 2024 prize. Books in translation are eligible for three years following the date of their publication in English. Publishers, authors, and other interested members of the computer history community are invited to nominate books. Please note that books nominated in previous years may be nominated again, provided they have been published in the timeframes specified above. Please send digital and physical copies of the nominated title to each of the committee members listed below, with a postmark no later than April 15, 2024. Please direct any questions to the 2024 committee chair, David Brock, dbrock(a)computerhistory.org<mailto:dbrock@computerhistory.org>. 2024 Prize Committee Members David Brock (Committee Chair, physical copies of books preferred) Director of Curatorial Affairs, Computer History Museum 40 Russell Street Greenfield, MA 01301 dbrock(a)computerhistory.org<mailto:dbrock@computerhistory.org> Nathan Ensmenger Associate Professor, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering Indiana University Informatics East 226a 901 E. 10th St. Bloomington, IN 47408 nensmeng(a)indiana.edu<mailto:nensmeng@indiana.edu> Mar Hicks (physical copies of books preferred) Associate Professor of Data Science UVA Data Science 400 Brandon Ave Charlottesville, VA 22903 mhicks(a)virginia.edu<mailto:mhicks@virginia.edu>

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