July 2024 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Tribute to Tony Hoare on his 90th birthday
by Cliff Jones 16 Jul '24

16 Jul '24

The attached was published in “FACS/FACTS” - the contributors record interesting historical notes about Tony Hoare that might not be readily available The full edition can be read at: https://www.bcs.org/media/1wrosrpv/facs-jul24.pdf cliff jones

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Thank you Alexandre/SIGCIS
by Ceruzzi, Paul 11 Jul '24

11 Jul '24

Thank you, Alexandre, for your kind words about SIGCIS. SIGCIS has evolved and grown a lot since its days as a Listserv on an IBM mainframe at the Smithsonian in 1990 (before there was a World Wide Web!) It is gratifying to see that it is still vibrant, after so many other forums have come and gone. Speaking of which...SIGCIS may no longer be the place to go into the weeds about aspects of computing history—at least that is how I feel, not wishing to clutter people's in-boxes. I've opened a Substack Account <substack.com/@paulceruzzi> where I can post such items. It's free, and you don't have to subscribe. Comments welcome. Paul Ceruzzi Curator Emeritus National Air and Space Museum Original message: "Software is Ubiquitous, yet Overlooked" is the title of a paper in Nature Computational Science that was released just today. You can check it out at this link : <https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-024-00651-2> It is available to read in html or to download as a pdf. It is a call for HPS/STS scholars (and also computational scientists themselves) to apprehend software beyond code. As a Historian of Science myself, I am taking advantage of this self-promotional post to pay tribute to the SIGSIS community. You will maybe recognize some of its prominent members in the references, in the quotations, and also in the authors list. This is quite simply because I do believe that the SIGCIS community is (and should be more of ) a source of inspiration for historians of science dealing with some sort of computing. In other words : Thank you all ! -- *********************************************** Alexandre Hocquet Archives Henri Poincaré & RWTH c:o/re https://poincare.univ-lorraine.fr/fr/membre-titulaire/alexandre-hocquet

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NEXT FRIDAY: ROMchip Presents: Chaim Gingold and Will Wright on Building SimCity
by Laine Nooney 10 Jul '24

10 Jul '24

Join us Friday, July 19, as *ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories *hosts a conversation with game development legend Will Wright as he turns the tables and interviews Chaim Gingold, author of the new MIT Press book *Building SimCity: How to Put the World in a Machine*, a deep dive into the trailblazing simulation game *SimCity* and its place in the history of games, simulation, and computing. The event will be at 2PM EDT on the *ROMchip *Twitch channel, https://www.twitch.tv/romchipjournal. RSVP HERE <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/romchipajournalofgamehistories/1284446> . *About the Book**“One of the best origin stories ever told and the best account I've seen of how innovation actually occurs in computerdom." - Stewart Brand* *Building SimCity* <https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547482/building-simcity/> explores the history of computer simulation by chronicling one of the most influential simulation games ever made: *SimCity*. As author Chaim Gingold explains, Will Wright, the visionary designer behind the urban planning game, created *SimCity* in part to learn about cities, thinking about the world as a complex system and appropriating ideas from traditions in which computers are used for modeling. As such, *SimCity* is a microcosm of the histories and cultures of computer simulation that engages with questions, themes, and representational techniques that reach back to the earliest computer simulations. Gingold uses *SimCity* to explore a web of interrelated topics in the history of technology, software, and simulation, taking us far and wide—from the dawn of programmable computers to miniature cities made of construction paper and role-play. An unprecedented history of Maxis, the company founded to bring *SimCity* to market, the book reveals Maxis's complex relations with venture capitalists, Nintendo, and the Santa Fe Institute, which shaped the evolution of Will Wright's career; Maxis's failure to back *The Sims* to completion; and the company's sale to Electronic Arts. A lavishly visual book, *Building SimCity* boasts a treasure trove of visual matter to help bring its wide-ranging subjects to life, including painstakingly crafted diagrams that explain *SimCity*'s operation, the Kodachrome photographs taken by Charles Eames of schoolchildren making model cities, and Nintendo's manga-style “Dr. Wright” character design, just to name a few. *About Will Wright and Chaim Gingold*Will Wright is the renowned creative force behind groundbreaking simulation games such as *SimCity*, *The Sims*, *Spore*, *SimEarth*, and *SimAnt*. *SimCity*, released in 1989 by Maxis, the videogame developer-publisher cofounded by Wright, revolutionized the gaming industry and paved the way for *The Sims* (1999), one of the best-selling videogame series of all time. In 1991, “Dr. Wright” was awarded an honorary doctorate by Nintendo. Wright received a Lifetime Achievement award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2001 and was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame in 2002. His latest project is *Proxi*, a game about bringing your subconscious to life. Chaim Gingold began his career in videogame design apprenticed to Will Wright on *Spore*, where his chief accomplishment was designing the critically acclaimed* Spore Creature Creator. *His projects, like *Earth: A Primer*, a science book made of interactive toys, have been featured by *Wired*, *CNN*, and the *New York Times.* He is the author of *Building SimCity: How to Put the World in a Machine*, which was recently published by MIT Press. *Praise for Building SimCity*“I learned more about the history and practice of simulation from this book than I ever knew. While I was usually stuck in the trees when designing *SimCity*, Gingold rises above to see the entire forest." — Will Wright, Designer of *SimCity* and *The Sims*; co-founder, Maxis “Much more than a book about *SimCity*, or even about video games, its large scope includes the invention of interactive computer graphics for simulations of all kinds, including the 'beyond reality' universes of games. Highly recommended!” — Alan Kay, winner of the 2003 ACM Turing Award “*Building SimCity* tells the riveting and timely story of how the very unlikely idea of simulating cities became one of the most successful videogames of all times, tracing its origins back to the history of computing.” — Yasmin B. Kafai, Lori and Michael Milken President's Distinguished Professor, The University of Pennsylvania; coauthor of *Connected Gaming: What Making Video Games Can Teach Us about Learning and Literacy* *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. *ROMchip* is a donation-based organization fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation <https://hackclub.com/fiscal-sponsorship/> (d.b.a. Hack Club), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499).

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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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