July 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)

2 1

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

2 1

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)

2 1

A new book on writing computer and information history
by William Aspray 02 Oct '24

02 Oct '24

Some of you may be interested in a book that I edited, published by Rowman & Littlefield (as of last week, now part of Bloomsbury), entitled Writing Computer and Information History: Approaches, Reflections, and Connections. The e-book is already out, and the hardcover will launch June 14. The book includes chapters by 18 authors experienced in writing computer history or information history: Toni Weller, Thomas Haigh, James Cortada, Laura Skouvig, Geoffrey Bowker and John Leslie King, David Gugerli and Daniela Zetti, Shane Greenstein, Daniel Garcia Swartz and Martin Campbell-Kelly, Philip Doty and William Aspray, Valerie Schafer, Matthew Jones, Howard Rosenbaum, Greg Downey, and Liesbeth De Mol. Bill Aspray

2 1

1982 NSA Grace Hopper lecture - a challenge in accessing?
by Jonathan Coopersmith 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2024/jul/10/grace-hopper-lost-lectur… Where's MacGyver when really needed? 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) David Thompson, "Commercial Space Trailblazer, <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/commercial-space-trailblazer/> " *Aerospace America* June 2024 "Technological obsolescence, <https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2023/05/technological-obsolescence>" National Academy of Engineering *Perspectives* May 23, 2023 Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/

2 2

New book from a new member
by Ira H. Chinoy 29 Jul '24

29 Jul '24

Hi, all … Although I have followed this list for years, I am now a new member and wanted to alert you to my new book: Predicting the Winner: The Untold Story of Election Night 1952 and the Dawn of Computer Forecasting. The book is both an account of what the title describes - including historical context, what followed, and a thought experiment about the way forward from the chaos on and after election night 2020 - plus what I’ve called the story of the story, an account of the treasure hunt that ranged all across the country for the primary source materials I needed to create this book. There are more details on Amazon, of course - about me and the book - at https://a.co/d/cBHrvhp I have also engaged in a variety of activities to spread the word since the book has been written for a general audience: — most recently I gave a talk at the Computer History Museum: https://youtu.be/eCw2_qFSNmo — I was the guest on a Politico Tech podcast: https://go.umd.edu/PoliticoPodcast — I was interviewed for a story about the book on a PBS website: https://www.nextavenue.org/predicting-the-president/ — I wrote an op-ed for the Dallas Morning News: https://go.umd.edu/DallasOpEdpdf - And I gave the keynote address for the Joint Journalism and Communication History Conference: https://ajha.wildapricot.org/https/ajha.wildapricot.org/page-18265/ The book built on a PhD dissertation that won the annual media history dissertation award from the American Journalism Historians Association. Apologies for all the self promotion here. Since I am not known to those on this list - and since I come from the world of journalism rather than the world of computing (though in an earlier life I was director of data journalism at the Washington Post), I thought these details might be needed to attract your interest. There is even a blurb for this book by a notable member of this group, Paul Ceruzzi, who was helpful to me early on in my research. Thanks for your time, Ira Chinoy, PhD Associate Professor Emeritus Philip Merrill College of Journalism University of Maryland https://merrill.umd.edu/directory/ira-chinoy ichinoy(a)umd.edu

1 0

New books announcement!
by Meg Leta Jones 26 Jul '24

26 Jul '24

Happy summer friends! I've got two new books that I'm very happy to share with this community, which has been important to the development of both: *The Character of Consent: The History of Cookies and Future of Technology Policy <https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547949/the-character-of-consent/>* from MIT Press tells the history of digital consent through the lens of the familiar cookie. *Feminist Cyberlaw <https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520388543/feminist-cyberlaw> *from University of California Press is an edited volume exploring how gender, race, sexuality, disability + class shape cyberspace and the laws that govern it. Please consider taking a look as you dust off those syllabi or cram in a bit more poolside reading. Meg ----- Meg Leta Jones, J.D., Ph.D. Provost's Distinguished Associate Professor Communication, Culture & Technology <https://cct.georgetown.edu/> Center for Digital Ethics <https://digitalethics.georgetown.edu/> Founding Faculty Ethics Lab <https://ethicslab.georgetown.edu/> Faculty Fellow Science, Technology, & International Affairs <https://sfs.georgetown.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/stia/> Core Faculty Institute for Technology Law & Policy <https://www.law.georgetown.edu/tech-institute/> Faculty Advisor Georgetown University Meg.Jones(a)Georgetown.edu MegLeta.com <http://megleta.com/> <http://megleta.com/books>

3 2

Congratulations to James Cortada
by Jonathan Coopersmith 25 Jul '24

25 Jul '24

He co-authored a very thoughtful and practical piece in the Chronicle of Higher E https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-roi-of-a-history-degree 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) David Thompson, "Commercial Space Trailblazer, <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/commercial-space-trailblazer/> " *Aerospace America* June 2024 "Technological obsolescence, <https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2023/05/technological-obsolescence>" National Academy of Engineering *Perspectives* May 23, 2023 Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/

3 2

CfP: History and Philosophy of Programming Workshop (HaPoP-6)
by Mate Szabo 19 Jul '24

19 Jul '24

Call for contributions *Deadline: 15 August 2024* We are delighted to announce the 6th Workshop on the History and Philosophy of Programming (HaPoP-6). We invite contributions on the history and philosophy of programming broadly understood, including different conceptual and practical aspects of programming, the relation of programming practices to other social and scientific practices, the aesthetics of programming, the development of programming languages and others. In addition to general aspects of programming, this year’s workshop will focus on conceptions of ‘fairness’ and ‘bias’ in the history and philosophy of programming. Practices of coding and the evaluation of computer programs have changed with the rise of machine learning and so-called ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI). The increasing automation of programming has led to questions about programming practices, transparency, and evaluative standards in programming in general. In particular, there has been an increasing concern with ‘fairness’ and ‘bias’ within a wide range of programs and applications, affecting practitioners, decision-makers and users. In parallel, these questions have (re-)emerged in philosophy, computational linguistics, media theory, sociology, political theory and related fields. At the 6th HaPoP workshop, we want to develop a deeper understanding of strengths and limitations of conceptions of ‘fairness’ and ‘bias,’ within a reflection on programming at large. We hope to develop these concepts from a historical, philosophical, and technical perspective, bringing into view the epistemological standpoints and material histories involved. This call is anchored in the conviction that a new kind of foundational research is needed to come to terms with the social implications of and in programming, which cannot be addressed by any single discipline. We strive for accessible presentations as the workshop will be open to people from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. We invite abstracts on the history and philosophy of programming, including, but not restricted to the following topics: - Histories and Philosophy of Programming - Conceptions of fairness and bias in programming - Error, correctness, evaluation, and accountability in programming practices - Programming at the crossroads of formal, empirical, and social sciences - Labour conditions in and around programming - Programming and the law - Histories of feminist or emancipatory practices of programming - Histories of critical code studies - Teaching Programming We particularly invite graduate students and early career researchers from underrepresented communities and disadvantaged backgrounds. Travel funding will be available for graduate students and researchers without permanent employment. Requests for travel funding of up to 250 EUR should be directed to treasurer(a)hapoc.org. Final decisions on the allocation of travel funds will be made by September 25. Abstracts of a maximum of 500 words (including sources) should be sent to cambridge-2024(a)hapoc.org by August 15. Final decisions will be announced by September 15. Download the full call for contributions to HaPoP-6 <https://www.cdh.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HAPOP-6-CALL-REVISED.d…> Organisers Amira Moeding <https://www.cdh.cam.ac.uk/about/people/amira-moeding/> (PhD Student in History, University of Cambridge), Nanna Saeten (PhD Student in POLIS, University of Cambridge), Dr Richard Staley (History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge) Access If you have specific accessibility needs for this event please get in touch with the organisers <https://www.cdh.cam.ac.uk/events/38592/cambridge-2024@hapoc.org>.

1 0

Annals 46(2) available online
by Troy Astarte 18 Jul '24

18 Jul '24

Dear colleagues, It is my pleasure to announce the latest issue<https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/an/2024/02> of IEEE Annals of the History of Computing is available online. This issue, Logistical Histories of Computing, was edited by Matthew Hockenberry and Miriam Posner. Here’s what you can find inside. Guest Editors' Introduction Logistical Histories of Computing by Matthew Hockenberry, Miriam Posner From War Crystals to Ordinary Sand: Excavating Silicon Supply Chainsp. 13-23 by Ingrid Burrington Making Innovation in the Mexican Silicon Valley: The Early Years of El Centro de Tecnología de Semiconductores (1981–2001) by Verónica Uribe del Águila Hardware Standardization and State-Socialist Piracy: The Global Reach of the Zilog Z80 by Andrew Lison The Logistics of Labor and Life at Signetics by Kyle Stine Anecdote My Time With the JFEAC by Michael Barr Interviews Interview of J. P. (Jack) London by Jeffrey Yost Events & Sightings Computer Pasts/Computer Futures: April 4 2024 by Frances Corry Best, Dr. Troy Kaighin Astarte (they/them / nhw) Lecturer, Computer Science / Darlithydd, Cyfrifiadureg Swansea University / Prifysgol Abertawe Editor-in-Chief / Prif Olygydd, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing For students: my drop in hours are on the Intranet<https://fse-intranet.swan.ac.uk/intranet/staff_officehours?selected_staff_i…> (office CoFo 407) I fyfyrwyr: mae fy oriau swyddfa ar y fewnrwyd. Meeting booking: via Office Booking<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8e101a47e22e4af793d033901758d0e4…>. Zoom office: https://swanseauniversity.zoom.us/my/t.k.astarte Every email has a cost to the climate. Please think before sending short emails. Mae gan bob e-bost gost i’r hinsawdd. Meddyliwch cyn i chi anfon e-byst byr. Due to RSI sometimes I’ll need to dictate messages and they might come out a bit weird. Thanks for your patience.

1 0