April 2025 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

available now for pre-order: Other Networks / A Radical Technology Sourcebook
by Lori Emerson 21 Nov '25

21 Nov '25

Dear all, At long last, my beloved book, Other Networks:A Radical Technology Sourcebook, is officially available from Anthology Editions for pre-order here<https://shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898-lori-emerson-other-networks-a-r…>! Sadly, despite publishing many beautifully designed art books, the publisher won’t be around for much longer which means there are only 1000 copies available of Other Networks. If you think you’d like a copy, consider pre-ordering as soon as you can manage it. With deep gratitude to my editor Mark Iosifescu<https://iosifescu.biz/>, book cover designer Robert Beatty<https://robertbeattyart.com/>, and interior book designer Ella Gold<https://ellagold.com/>, Other Networks catalogs 80+ networks that preceded or existed outside of the internet. It is also an educational project that comes out of my belief that we are all capable both of understanding networks from the past and of building alternative networks for the future; a love letter to experimental art and technology; and a liberatory guide for escaping the corporate present. The design brilliantly both recalls the long history of telecommunications networks (exemplified by late 19th century/early 20th century telegraph and telephone manuals) and rewrites that same history to have a more global perspective and to include more women; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; and artist experiments with/on these pre-internet networks. Below is the table of contents. I have also posted on my blog excerpts from or expanded versions of entries on microbroadcasting<https://loriemerson.net/2024/09/21/the-history-of-microbroadcasting-and-how…>, barbed wire fence phones<https://loriemerson.net/2024/08/31/a-brief-history-of-barbed-wire-fence-tel…>, and imaginary networks<https://loriemerson.net/2025/01/04/brief-notes-toward-activating-the-potent…>. Sincerely, Lori (Emerson) *** Chronological List of Networks<https://loriemerson.net/2024/03/15/chronological-list-of-networks-in-other-…> Chronological List of Network Experiments<https://loriemerson.net/2024/03/15/chronological-list-of-network-experiment…> Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction Wireless Networks: Sound Networks [1] Drums [2] Whistling Air Networks [3] Fire or Smoke Signals [4] Pneumatic Tubes [5] Skywriting Water Networks [6] Hydraulic Semaphore Optical Networks [7] Flag Signaling [8] Optical Telegraph [9] Infrared Communication [10] Signal Lamp [11] Heliograph [12] Photophone [13] Ultraviolet Communication [14] Laser Communication [15] Visible Light Communication Radio Networks [16] Amateur Radio [16.1] Radiotelegraphy [16.2] Radioteletype [16.3] Amateur Television [16.4] Hellschreiber [16.5] Earth-Moon-Earth Communication [16.6] Amateur Radio Satellite [16.7] Amateur Packet Radio [17] Radio Broadcast [18] Pirate Radio [19] Radiofax [20] Two-Way Radio [21] Pager [22] Meteor Burst Communication [23] Slow Scan Television [24] Project West Ford [25] Pirate Television [26] Packet Radio Network [27] Microbroadcast [28] Software Defined Radio [29] Wi-Fi [30] Bluetooth Microwave Networks [31] Microwave Radio-Relay [32] Communications Satellite Wired Networks: Electrical Wire Networks [33] Electrical telegraph [33.1] Electrical Printing Telegraph [33.2] Image Telegraph [33.3] Fire Alarm Telegraph [33.4] Pantelegraph [33.5] Telephonic Telegraph [34] Telephone [35] Wired Radio [36] Telautograph [37] Telefacsimile [38] Videophone [39] Telex Barbed Wire Networks [40] Barbed Wire Telegraph [41] Fence Phones Hybrid Networks: [42] Library [43] Book [44] Postal System [44.1] Pigeon Post [44.2] Projectile Post [44.3] Balloon Mail [44.4] Pony Express [44.5] Airgraph and V-Mail [44.6] Email Letter [45] Sneakernet [46] Radio Broadcast Network [47] Broadcast Television [48] Cable Television [48.1] NABU [49] Cellular Network [50] Time-Sharing Network [51] Teletext [52] Videotex Imaginary Networks: [53] Necromancy [54] Pasilalinic-Sympathetic Compass [55] Telephonoscope [56] Telepathy [57] Ley Lines [58] Mundaneum [59] World Brain [60] Memex [61] Faster-Than-Light Communication Networks [62] Project Xanadu [63] Metaverse [64] The Clacks [65] Pandoran Neural Network [66] Cosmic Internet -- “I use technology in order to hate it properly.” — Nam June Paik Lori Emerson | KF0LCB | she/her/they/them Associate Professor | Associate Chair Graduate Studies | Director, Media Archaeology Lab Media Studies Department | University Colorado Boulder Traditional territories of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook<https://shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898-lori-emerson-other-networks-a-r…> Mastodon<https://post.lurk.org/@loriemerson> | Bluesky<https://bsky.app/profile/loriemerson.net> | loriemerson.net<http://loriemerson.net/> | mediaarchaeologylab.com<http://mediaarchaeologylab.com/>

7 7

Looking for info on Bell Labs "Special Systems" team
by Cassius Adair 01 May '25

01 May '25

Hi all, I'm looking for any additional information about a team at Bell Labs called "Special Systems Exploratory Development" or sometimes just "Special Systems Development." Team was definitely in operation in the mid-1950s, but maybe lasted into the 1970s. I have a few documents from the *Bell Laboratories Record *that mention it, but I can't work out what its actual scope / mission is, and the archivist at Nokia Bell Labs said they "don't have more to add." Anyone heard of this team, or teams with titles like this from this era? Any clue if this mystery indicates important Cold War secrecy or just boring corporate vagueness? Cheers, Cass Adair -- Cassius Adair Assistant Professor of Media Studies The New School

3 3

History of Linux hpc/supercomputing
by Koblentz, Evan 29 Apr '25

29 Apr '25

Hi all, It's been about 30 years since supercomputer designers started using Linux and off-the-shelf hardware. Does anyone study the history of that field? -- *Evan Koblentz* - Senior Writer, Office of Communications and Marketing - Adjunct Instructor, Ying Wu College of Computing - Advisor, NJIT Lego Club evank(a)njit.edu <evan.a.koblentz(a)njit.edu> (973) 596-3065 <9735963065> https://web.njit.edu/~evank/

4 5

Introduction to Web Archives and Web Archiving
by Asger Harlung 29 Apr '25

29 Apr '25

To whom it may concern, This book is out: Asger Harlung: Web Archives and Web Archiving - Introduction for Scholars and Students 260 pages CDMM Publications, 2025 The book is meant for scholars and students who need an introduction to the methodology, traits and potentials of archived web, and web archiving. Based to a large extent on experience from PhD courses, this is - to the author's best knowledge - the first book to present the field at a completely introductory level. Since archived web is important for a wide range of contemporary studies it should therefore, hopefully, be helpful to scholars and their students alike. A free PDF edition is available. See more here: https://cc.au.dk/cdmm/cdmm-publications Please feel free to share and repost this news where relevant. Kind regards, Asger Harlung, Author, Digital Methods Consultant, Editorial assistant at Internet Histories

1 0

Looking for a 1986 book review in ABACUS
by Brian E Carpenter 24 Apr '25

24 Apr '25

Dear colleagues, I'm trying to locate the text of book review that appeared in ABACUS. That's the ABACUS magazine about computing, published by Springer-Verlag from 1983, edited by Anthony Ralston at SUNY Buffalo. So far I have been unable to find an archive on line (and any search is confused by the large number of magazines of all sorts called Abacus). Specifically I am looking for a book review: V. R. Huskey and H. D. Huskey, “Dorothy Stein’s revolutionary view of Ada, Countess of Lovelace,” ABACUS, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 46–54, 1986. Does anyone have a clue where I might find this? Regards Brian Carpenter

2 2

AAAS panel
by Jonathan Coopersmith 24 Apr '25

24 Apr '25

Colleagues, Thank you for the prompt responses -- I filled the third position on our "large AI models are cultural and social technologies" and had to reluctantly turn down several eminently qualified and stimulating people. The number of interested historians raises the issue of whether SIGCIS members should team up with computer scientists or other fields for future AAAS session submissions. The May 6 deadline is probably too close for action but think about the possibility for the 2027 AAAS and beyond. For information on what the AAAS seeks in proposals, see https://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2026/symp90/cfp.cgi#submit. Again, my thanks and appreciation to everyone who responded to my request. 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) "'What Were We Thinking?' Space Commercialization, 1960-1990," in Brian C. Odom, ed., *The Rise of the Commercial Space Industry. Early Space Age to Present* (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024). Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/

1 0

Looking for a commentator for a AAAS panel on large AI models
by Jonathan Coopersmith 23 Apr '25

23 Apr '25

For the annual meeting <https://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2026/symp90/cfp.cgi#submit> of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at Arizona State University next February, would anyone like to be a commenter in a panel discussing this *Science* paper, "Large AI models are cultural and social technologies" and the issues it raises? As usual, I'm doing this close to the proposal deadline of May 6 so please let me know soon if you are interested. Thank you. 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) "'What Were We Thinking?' Space Commercialization, 1960-1990," in Brian C. Odom, ed., *The Rise of the Commercial Space Industry. Early Space Age to Present* (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024). Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/

1 0

Call for Papers - HaPoC 2025 - History and Philosophy of Computing - 17-19 December 2025, RWTH Aachen
by Elisabetta Mori 22 Apr '25

22 Apr '25

Submissions are open for the 8th edition of the History and Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC) Conference that will take place on December 17-19 2025 at RWTH Aachen University (Germany) on behalf of the DHST/DLMPST Commission for the History and Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC). Important dates: - Submission deadline: May 25, 2025 - Notification of acceptance/rejection: July 31, 2025 - Conference: December 17-19, 2025 Conference website: https://khk.rwth-aachen.de/event/hapoc-2025-conference HaPoC website (with links to past conferences): https://hapoc.org About the conference: Since 2011, the biennial History and Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC) conference series has contributed to building an interdisciplinary community and environment to address the various facets of computing and computing technology. HaPoC aims to bring together scholars from a broad range of disciplines to discuss the past and present cultures, practices and images of computing. We welcome contributions from researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, such as history, philosophy, sociology, computer science and software engineering, cultural and media studies, computational sciences, design and art. We invite contributors to share their expertise in respective areas and openly engage in interdisciplinary discussions. Topics include, but are not limited to: - Historical and philosophical dimensions of computing practices - Social and cultural aspects of computing - Computing and the arts - New forms of computing, such as neuromorphic computing - Ethical and legal aspects of computing - Reflecting and historicizing AI We look forward to submissions by scholars from all career stages and aim at diversity of participants in terms of demographics that include gender, career stage/track, geographical location, and institutional affiliation. Submission procedure: Please submit to hapoc2025(a)khk.rwth-aachen.de a 2-page proposal in PDF format containing: - an anonymized abstract (1 page, ca. 700 words) for double-blind review - a max. 1-page statement of your name, affiliation, research focus, academic activities and optionally publications (max. 5). Acceptance notifications will be sent by July 31, 2025. There are no conference fees and travel grants will be offered to early career scholars, further information will follow. We look forward to meeting you at HaPoC-8 in Aachen! Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Robin K. Hill, University of Wyoming, US Alexandre Hocquet, Université de Lorraine, France Confirmed Members of the Program Committee: Arianna Borrelli, TU Berlin and RWTH Aachen, Germany Jianqing Chen, Washington University at Saint Louis, US Jack Copeland, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ Beatrice Fazi, University of Sussex, UK Gabriele Gramelsberger, RWTH Aachen, Germany Thomas Haigh, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, US Andrei Korbut, CAIS Center for Advanced Internet Studies Bochum, Germany Alfred Nordmann, TU Darmstadt, Germany Ben Peters, University of Tulsa, US Mate Szabo, University of Southern California, US Local Organising Committee at RWTH Aachen University: Gabriele Gramelsberger (philosophy of science) Stefan Böschen (sociology of science) Dawid Kasprowicz (philosophy of science) Phillip Roth (science and technology studies) Saskia Nagel (ethics of science) Torsten Voigt (science and technology studies)

2 1

REMINDER: Participate in the "AI for Access" Survey by April 14, 2025
by Jen Litwin 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

Hello, This is a reminder to please consider completing the “AI for Access” Survey, which closes on April 14, 2025 <https://berkeley.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6DKVbuk6lFO12tw>. We are looking for (approximately) another 160 completed responses to meet our project’s completion goal. We welcome responses from any archival worker who has not yet completed our survey, regardless of whether or not you currently use artificial intelligence or machine learning. However, to ensure we have collected responses from a variety of different archival workers, we are especially interested in responses from the following: - Younger and early career archival professionals. - Archival workers from the American South and Midwest. - Archival workers from historically underrepresented groups. - Archival workers employed in galleries or museums. - Self-employed archivists as well as community archivists. As always, participating in this study is completely voluntary. Even if you decide to participate now, you may change your mind and stop anytime. Please also feel free to forward this survey to colleagues who may also be interested. In an effort to limit bot responses, we ask you to not post this survey link to social media at this time. I have also copied our original message below, which provides context about this project. Thank you for your time and contribution, especially for those who have already submitted responses! —----------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- AI for Access is a new project funded by the Society of American Archivists Foundation (SAAF) sponsored by the CLIR/DLF Born-Digital Access Working Group (BDAWG) <https://www.diglib.org/groups/bdawg/>. Our research team is investigating how the archival community is using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) tools to enhance and facilitate access to digital archival materials. As AI technologies evolve and digital collections grow exponentially, understanding their impact and potential in archival settings is more crucial than ever. We invite you to participate in our survey, which aims to gather insights on current and planned AI/ML use in archives, as well as perceptions of these tools. Your input will help shape recommendations for the archival community, contribute to AI-related advocacy efforts, and inform work with the Society of American Archivists (SAA) to refine key AI/ML terminology. We are seeking input from all viewpoints including those who do not currently or are not planning to use AI tools to get a sense of the current state of adoption as well as those excited by the new technology. Survey Link: https://berkeley.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6DKVbuk6lFO12tw Estimated Time to Complete: 20-30 minutes Deadline: April 14, 2025 Your participation is invaluable in helping to demystify AI in archives and advocate for ethics and other considerations around its adoption. -- Jen Litwin

1 0

Final reminder Mahoney Prize nominations due by 15 April
by Janet Toland 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

Dear SIGCIS, A final reminder that nominations for the 2025 Mahoney Prize are due by 15th April. Articles published in 2022; 2023 & 2024 are eligible. If you submitted in a previous round and your article is still eligible, please note that you are welcome to resubmit. 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 2025 prize, articles published in the preceding three years (2022, 2023, and 2024) 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 annual SIGCIS meeting. Please email copies of articles being nominated to the 2025 Prize Committee by April 15, 2025. Self-nominations are welcome, as are nominations from SIGCIS members. Information on previous winning essays may be found on the website: https://www.sigcis.org/mahoneyprize<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.sigcis.org/mahoneyprize__;!!BuQPrrm…> 2025 prize committee information: David Murphy (Chair) Senior Lecturer, Digital, Tech, Innovation & Business Staffordshire University david.murphy(a)staffs.ac.uk<mailto:david.murphy@staffs.ac.uk> Janet Toland Adjunct Professor School of Information Management Victoria University of Wellington janet.toland(a)vuw.ac.nz<mailto:janet.toland@vuw.ac.nz> Luke Stark Assistant Professor Faculty of Information and Media Studies University of Western Ontario cstark23(a)uwo.ca<mailto:cstark23@uwo.ca>

1 0