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Queens of Code - Stories from NSA's Computing Women
by Eileen Buckholtz 30 May '20

30 May '20

[image: image.png] For everyone interested in Women in Computing History We are excited to share that the Queens of Code’s article “First Encounters of a Binary Kind,” will be the cover story for the June 2020 issue of the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing Journal. The anecdote highlights the stories of a dozen of the National Security Agency’s women computing pioneers who worked with early computers in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The Queens of Code Project has collected the stories, experiences, and insights from a number of the 150 women who contributed to early technology development and the national defense at NSA—a secret they’ve kept for over 50 years. Thanks to Gerardo Con Diaz, Mar Hicks, and Dave Walden and the IEEE staff for their encouragement and helping us publish our story. We hope our stories will encourage girls and young women to pursue STEM careers as well as other women who worked in early IT to share their experiences. To hear from some of the Queens of Code, you and your students might like to sign up for the following online talks. The Queens of Code will be presenting four talks about NSA’s Computing Women from the 60s, 70s, and 80s as part of the Cyber Center for Education & Innovation (CCEI) series on the NEPRIS platform. The programs are free, NEPRIS registration is required. The talks are geared to middle and high school students, but all are welcomed. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested. June 4, 2020, 2:00 PM Meet the Queens of Code. Eileen Buckholtz and Maureen McHugh will introduce the Queens of Code and share stories from their careers in technology at NSA. https://nepris.com/sessions/session/detail/72553 June 11, 2020, 2:00 PM PreQueen stories about growing up as “smart girls” and our experiences with early computers <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fccei.nepris.com%2Fsessions%2Fses…> https://ccei.nepris.com/sessions/session/detail/72773 <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fccei.nepris.com%2Fsessions%2Fses…> Talks 3 and 4 will be scheduled later in the summer. For more information, follow the Queens of Code on https://www.queensofcode.com https://www.facebook.com/queensofcode

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'U.S. lawmakers unveil bold $100 billion plan to remake NSF'
by David Ribes 27 May '20

27 May '20

For those of you interested in US science policy, especially about IT and computation, this is not to be missed: U.S. lawmakers unveil bold $100 billion plan to remake NSF https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/us-lawmakers-unveil-bold-100-billio… It's just a senate proposal for now, but it looks like it has legs. While I was caught off guard by the SCOPE of what they are proposing, the SHAPE is unsurprising to me, and looks a much like the NSF may be reorganized according to what I've been writing about recently as 'the logic of domains <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306312719849709>': a vast and empowered new 'technology' directorate orbited by the various domains, with a support role articulated for social science. Too soon to say for sure, but it sure smells like it. Regardless, it may of interest to members of this list, and I'd be curious if anyone knows more. I'll be following closely. Here is another article, and then the somewhat inscrutable Senate doc itself: https://www.hpcwire.com/2020/05/27/100b-plan-submitted-for-massive-remake-a… https://www.aip.org/sites/default/files/aipcorp/images/fyi/pdf/endless-fron… -- David Ribes Associate Professor Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) University of Washington http://davidribes.com

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Early History of the Domain Name System [Paper]
by Eric Gade 27 May '20

27 May '20

Hello all, After procrastinating for nearly a decade I've decided to publish my MA/MSc thesis online. It covers the genesis and early administration of the Domain Name System, taking a special interest in the decisions that led to the split gTLD/ccTLD structure. Perhaps a scholar looking into DNS history might find it useful. You can find the HTML version here: http://gade.us/thesis/ There is also a PDF version available here: http://gade.us/thesis/naming-the-net.pdf (Apologies ahead of time if it is inappropriate to post such things to this list) -- Eric

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Computing Curricula CC2020
by Jordi 27 May '20

27 May '20

Dear colleagues, Anybody involved in the www.cc2020.net? There is a lot of history on "computing curricula" in this document. History of computing in the curricula is collocated in the "Ethics" topic and scaterred along some competencies. By the way, the draft is open for comments. Bestregards, -- Jordi Fornés C6-216

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History of AI in China
by David C. Brock 20 May '20

20 May '20

I was wondering if anyone on the list is working on the history of AI in China, or could point me to references? +++++++++++++++ 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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Hagley Blog Post on Photographer of ENIAC, William M. Rittase
by Erik Rau 18 May '20

18 May '20

Some members of this list may know of, or be interested in, the photography of William M. Rittase<https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/photographer-william-m-rittase-and-his-i…> who took the iconic photographs that introduced the world to the ENIAC. He was also a contemporary of Dorothea Lange and Margaret Bourke-White and shared some stylistic sensibilities with them. Rittase’s work is scattered in several of our collections and has appeared in a few art photography exhibitions (MoMA in 1932, Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2001), but despite its artistic merit, Rittase is relatively obscure. As Hagley’s curator Kevin J. Martin notes in a current blog post on Rittase<https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/photographer-william-m-rittase-and-his-i…> not much is know about his life and even the contours of his career aren’t well known in detail. Even major photography repositories like the PMA, Chicago Arts Institute, the Getty, etc., have only sporadic pieces of his output. Industrial photography is in Hagley’s collecting mission. If you know of any Rittase photographs, or any photographic collections describing American and international business, technology, or industrial design, that are currently not being preserved and publicly accessible, please consider contacting me. -- Erik P. Rau, PhD Director, Library Services Hagley Museum & Library P.O. Box 3630, 298 Buck Road Wilmington, DE 19807 302.658.2400, ext. 344 erau(a)hagley.org<mailto:erau@hagley.org> www.hagley.org www.hagleyheritage.com<http://www.hagleyheritage.com> Sign up for Hagley Library’s monthly newsletter<https://www.hagley.org/research/news/subscribe> to receive the latest research news, collection updates, upcoming events, and more. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Digital Soviet Union (a new PhD from Finland)
by Petri Paju 15 May '20

15 May '20

Hello all, This phd dissertation from Finland might be of interest for some people on the list. It's from the (Finnish) National defence university so has current military related interest but is using history research, including some from people on this list to understand Russia's present policy regarding the internet: Digital Soviet Union: the Russian national segment of the Internet as a closed national network shaped by strategic cultural ideas, by Juha Kukkola. Downloadable from: https://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/177157 As yet I can't say much of the content and results, but I'll be interested to hear thoughts from someone who is better informed. (I've been planning a side project on IT "businesses" (yes, widely undertood) between the West and the Soviet Union in the late cold war.) Best wishes, Petri from University of Turku, Finland

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Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture (CFP)
by Jeffrey Yost 14 May '20

14 May '20

Dear Colleagues, Want to announce a new journal and its call: ******* *Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture* *General Call for Submissions * *(Short Essays and Review Essays)* The Charles Babbage Institute for Computing, Information, and Culture (CBI) is launching a new eJournal. It is entitled *Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture*. It will have a continuous publication model with publication date for each essay/article (no waiting in queue) and push email to subscribers (and volumes by calendar year).* Interfaces will exclusively publish short essay articles (1,500 to 3,000 words) and review essays (books, film, physical/virtual exhibits, other media) on computer/software/internet studies.* *Interfaces* will be co-edited by CBI Director Jeffrey Yost and CBI Archivist Amanda Wick. The editors are especially interested in content connecting the history of computing/IT studies with contemporary social, cultural, political, legal, economic, and environmental issues--e.g. essays on gender, race, class, users, human computer interaction, identity, labor, gaming, automation, capitalism, inequality, AI, algorithmic thinking, local or global environmental ecosystems, law/criminal justice, cryptocurrencies, security, leisure, and privacy. It, however, is not limited to these (any computing history or historically grounded or contextualized IT studies topics/themes are in scope). The journal seeks to be an interface between disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences/medicine (including/especially CS, HCI, information science, and sciences of the artificial); as well as an interface between academic and broader audiences--our reasoning for keeping essays short, strongly encouraging use of images (CBI has thousands digitized and online, and more than 150,000 overall), being timely (quick response, relatively rapid submission to publication), and pushing for highly accessible writing. Types of* computing history/IT studies essays* could include (but definitely are not limited to): - Essays connecting historical literature (your work and/or that of others) to contemporary societal issues - Essays presenting a case history/study you developed that resonated with students - Editorial-style essay that draws from history or makes fundamental historical connections - Review essay on two or more books on a topic/theme - Review essay on film, museum exhibit/virtual exhibit, gaming, art, music, or other media - Essays on imaginative literature, science fiction - Essays on historiography and/or archival theory - Essays on social, cultural, or economic theory CBI is a leading archives and research institute, and for decades has hosted web publications, including serials of our own (we are experienced in archiving and providing access to digital content over the very long term). *To submit *to* Interfaces: *Send a Word file (1,500 words to 3,000 words) of your essay, which includes a bibliography/sources at the end (bib., image captions, and 75 word or shorter bio, do not count to word maximum). Authors should use in-text parenthetical cites (MLA) with no footnotes/endnotes/note text. Essays should be broadly accessible and seek to avoid, or greatly limit, disciplinary jargon (and if used, done sparingly and clearly defined). Authors retain copyright and only sign a license form allowing *Interfaces* to publish (and the journal is open/free access). Send to Jeffrey Yost (yostx003(a)umn.edu) Amanda Wick ( abwick(a)umn.edu) or the general email cbi(a)umn.edu Authors are strongly encouraged to touch base with Jeffrey or Amanda for feedback on an essay idea, but this is not required and if you prefer, you can just send a submission. ****** With it being continuous publication, and to kick it off, I wrote an essay (PDF is attached--journal will present in both a mobile optimized web version and PDF) entitled "Where Dinosaurs Roam and Programmers Play: Reflections on Infrastructure, Maintenance, and Inequality." PDF attached and Web version and PDF link at https://justcode.cbi.umn.edu/interfaces If you are not already, Amanda and I encourage signing on to CBI's email list. To be added to our email list which includes Interfaces notifications, simply email cbi(a)umn.edu with "subscribe" in the subject line We hope you will consider submitting a short essay to this new publication (articles are reviewed by editors), and/or encourage colleagues to do so. Please forward to potentially interested people. Please email us with any questions. Best, Jeff Jeffrey R. Yost, Ph.D. Director, Charles Babbage Institute Research Professor, Program in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine 222 21st Avenue South University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 612 624 5050 Phone 612 625 8054 Fax

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Virtual exhibit on "Computer pays its Debt"
by Ceruzzi, Paul 13 May '20

13 May '20

A fascinating exhibition on gender issues in computing at the Center for Craft in Asheville. Too bad the exhibit is not live, but they've done a good job of making it available on the Web. Scroll to the link "learn more" for details, including about the Apollo Guidance Computer. https://www.centerforcraft.org/event/computer-pays-its-debt-opening-recepti… Paul Ceruzzi Co-author, with Tom Haigh, A History of Modern Computing, Third Edition, forthcoming 2021.

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Programmer vs. coder vs. sofware developer vs. software engineer
by McMillan, William W 11 May '20

11 May '20

Hello, SIGCIS folks. The ruminations below might have little scholarly importance, but I think the subject is interesting at least in regard to the culture of computing. What do we call people who design and implement computer programs? Nowadays, the term coder is used, maybe most often. My understanding is that this used to refer to the job of translating a detailed flow chart, which was created by a programmer, into an implementation language. I.e., the coder was sort of like a human compiler who translated a detailed algorithm into a computer language like Fortran, Cobol, or assembly language. The coder didn't design algorithms. Later, the coder dropped out of the loop and a programmer implemented algorithms directly in a computer language (possibly after creating a flow chart or pseudo-code). The term software developer has been used, possibly implying that the job is broader than just programming, including gathering requirements, testing, and integration with existing systems. Starting in the late 1960s, the title software engineer became common. At least initially, this implied a very broad scope, as well as specialized training in requirements analysis, system design, programming style, verification and validation, risk assessment, maintenance techniques, UI design, and other aspects of software development. I believe that Texas even licenses professional engineers in software engineering, and a detailed curriculum has been defined: https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/education/se2014.pdf The title software engineer implied that the person at least had a solid university course specifically in software engineering, as well as a good foundation in computer science or information systems. The term systems analyst sometimes implies a similar role, though it might mean something more akin to requirements analysis. Currently, anyone who writes computer programs might identify as a software engineer, even if he or she has no background beyond computer programming. Companies use the title willy-nilly. This inflates the prestige of the job, I suppose. At the same time, we call developers coders, which to me sounds like it deflates prestige. What professionals call themselves does matter. If a medical assistant calls himself a physician, the risks are obvious. If a physician (true software engineer) calls herself a technician (coder), then at least confusion results. Of course governments regulate the use of job titles in medical professions, while software development as it exists today is very libertarian. Has there been much consideration of the common use of job titles in the history of computing? Certainly there's been a lot of work in the history of software engineering, programming, systems analysis, etc., but I'm asking about the use and misuse of job titles by individuals and organizations. Thanks. Bill

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