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Cray 1 disassembled
by Kevin Walsh 15 Nov '18

15 Nov '18

The Cray 1 from the Cray museum will be disassembled after 1500 today Central time where it is on display at the annual supercomputer conference in Dallas. We will take camera shots from several angles to show the interior of the machine as the power supply covers are being removed. Many older timers who used this machine are stopping by to tell stories. We are capturing many of the stories modulo memories of the late 1970s. Stay tuned. We will announce when we go live later this afternoon. Should be able to tune in here - https://www.facebook.com/pg/SCconferences/videos/?ref=page_internal Thanks, Kevin Walsh kwalsh(a)ucsd.edu

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Book announcement
by drjoy 15 Nov '18

15 Nov '18

Dear SIGCIS Colleagues, I wrote a book! *A People's History of Computing in the United States* was published by Harvard University Press[1] last month. It's now available as a hardcover, e-book, and audiobook (also accessible via your Audible subscription) on Amazon[2] and elsewhere. (Today it's just $20.04 on Amazon.) I hope you'll read it, assign it, and share it. Here's my one-sentence summary: During the 1960s and 1970s American students and educators collaboratively created personal computing and social networking on the academic computing networks they built and used; although developed with a vision of computing for the public good, those networks also retrenched the limited gender roles of the Cold War nuclear family. Thank you for making the space for me to share, revise, and improve this work starting when I was a graduate student. I've greatly appreciated the support of the SIGCIS community, especially over the past year or so. Sincerely, Joy Dr. Joy Lisi Rankin www.joyrankin.com @JoyMLRankin Links: 1. http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674970977 2. https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-Computing-United-States/dp/067497097…

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Cray 1 serial number 0 being put together on Facebook Live at SC 2018
by Kevin Walsh 13 Nov '18

13 Nov '18

All, Cray 1 fabrication on Facebook LIVE happening now - https://www.facebook.com/pg/SCconferences/videos/?ref=page_internal The Cray 1 that was the first Cray at NCAR and then Los Alamos is currently being put together for display at the ACM/IEEE Supercomputer Conference in Dallas, Texas. Folks in the Dallas area can stop by to see the Cray and supercomputing artifacts assembled for the 30th Anniversary of the SC conference. We will record the fabrication and post a separate time lapse video after completion. Regards, Kevin Walsh Scripps Institution of Oceanography KK6FRK (858)822-3356 <(858)%20822-3356> kwalsh(a)ucsd.edu

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Cfp: Tensions of Europe 9th conference
by Irish, Sharon Lee 13 Nov '18

13 Nov '18

Editor’s note: I edited this message because the listserv cannot handle attachments (thus there is no newsletter, as indicated.) ~Sharon Irish Dear colleagues, The 9th Conference of the 'Tensions of Europe: Research Network on History, Technology, Europe' has a special theme that i svery relevant to the history of computing: Decoding Europe: Technological Pasts in teh Digital Age'. Proposals are expected (by November the 15th) on topics that include the following: The history of computerisation and digitisation in Europe ・ Continuity and change between the analog and digital eras ● Computerisation and digitisation in specific fields, industries and sectors ● The history of robotics, automation, artificial intelligence in Europe, etc. ● The history of data (data histories, historicising big data, etc.) ● Critical perspectives on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” ● The influence of US trajectories and alternative European visions ● Digitised and born-digital material culture in European history ● Heritagisation of Europe in the digital age ● Digital tools and methods for analysing historical datasets/digital sources ● New digital narratives and teaching methods in history of technology/European history ● General topics on the ToE research agenda For information about the conference, see https://www.tensionsofeurope.eu/2018/09/23/call-for-papers-the-9th-tensions… For Tensions of Europe, see https://www.tensionsofeurope.eu/ For those who haven't heard about Tensions of Europe in the past, I am attaching its most recent newsletter. (too large to include ~Editor) Aristotle (Telly) Tympas

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DUE Dec 5 // Call for Research Travel Award - Software Preservation
by Jessica Meyerson 12 Nov '18

12 Nov '18

Research Travel Award: Study Software Preservation and Emulation in Libraries, Archives in Museums OVERVIEW The Fostering a Community of Practice: Software Preservation and Emulation Experts in Libraries and Archives (FCoP) [IMLS grant RE-95-17-0058-17] project is calling for FCoP Research Travel Award applications <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop-research-travel-award/> from October 24, 2018 - December 5, 2018. Research undertaken using the FCoP Travel Award will take place at two of the six FCoP project sites: University of Arizona <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/#fcop-team4>, Guggenheim Museum <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/#fcop-team2>, University of Virginia <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/#fcop-team1>, University of Illinois <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/#fcop-team6>, Living Computers: Museum + Labs <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/#fcop-team5>, Georgia Tech University <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/#fcop-team3>. Research outcomes are expected to complement the efforts of the FCoP project, and the Software Preservation Network <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/about/> more broadly, which seeks to bring software preservation into mainstream digital preservation practice (addressing specific legal, metadata and technical preservation and access challenges). RESEARCH TRAVEL AWARD DESCRIPTION In complement to research-in-practice currently underway by members of the FCoP cohort, the FCoP Research Travel Award will fund an academic researcher (doctoral students, post-docs or junior faculty/pre-tenure faculty) to travel up to four times (two visits each to two different project sites - once earlier in their project timeline and once closer to completion of their projects) in order to observe and document different organizational approaches to software preservation and emulation. The researcher will be expected to submit at least two peer-reviewed open access journal articles before May 2020. Important practice-based questions driving the creation of the FCoP Research Travel Award include: 1. How are the outcomes of local problem solving, policy development and changes to practice translated to shifts reflected in discussions between cohort members? 1. How do these outcomes help us to focus the field on areas of activity that would benefit the most from collective action? 2. How does each organization translate system-level activity into their local context? 1. Where are their major gaps in the translation of more general tools and outcomes in local organizational contexts? 3. What types of data are more or less comparable across organizational contexts? 1. Where else can we look to understand the relationship between local and field-level changes to practice? 2. How does the available data limit our understanding of which strategies are most effective for broadening participation in software preservation? Given these practice-based questions, we invite scholars from information studies, sociology, law, sociotechnical systems/science and technology studies, communication studies, public policy, economics, organizational studies, and related fields to apply for the award. In particular, the FCoP team is looking for proposed research that advances understanding of practice through the lens of one or more of the following research areas: Standards Development and Sociology of Standards; Information Infrastructure; Capacity Building and Economic Sustainability of Public Institutions; Cross-institutional and Cross-sector Alignment (Collective Impact); Information and Technology Policy; Legal Advocacy for Cultural Institutions; and Social Impact of Public/Private Partnerships. Any research resulting from the travel award should aim to build stronger theory and empirical evidence in at least one of these areas. Regardless of the applicant’s scholarly/discursive community, researchers will be asked to explicitly address the ways in which their research methods speak to the goals of “participatory action research” in their application. Selection for the/Benefits of the FCoP Research Travel Award includes: - $5,000 travel award to be used primarily for airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation and travel per diem. If, after completing their research site visits, the researcher’s travel costs are below the $5,000 allotted, additional uses including conference registration costs and publication costs may be considered. - Direct access to FCoP Cohort members for interviews and observation - Access to Software Preservation Network community resources - Action research opportunity that has the potential to make a significant impact on cultural stewardship practice All FCoP Research Travel Award applications must include: - Research Statement - How does the fellowship fit into your research agenda - How will you bring your research interests and skills to bear on the intended practical outcomes of the project - 1-3 well-defined research questions that could be answered in the scope of this research travel award - CV from the Applicant - 2 Letters of Recommendation APPLICATION TIMELINE >From October 24 to December 5, 2018 the FCoP Project Staff for the FCoP Research Travel Award <http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop-research-travel-award/> MORE INFORMATION: For more details about the FCoP project, check out the project website: http://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/fcop/

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Cray 1 serial number 01 being put together on Facebook Live at SC 2018
by Kevin Walsh 12 Nov '18

12 Nov '18

Hello all, According the the signage provided by Cray, this is Serial Number 1. See photo below. The unit has a imprinted serial number "01" on the base. Sorry for the earlier inaccuracy referencing serial number 0. I was told by a Cray person that the unit on site was a test machine. /r Kevin Walsh kwalsh(a)ucsd.edu in ref to... On Mon, Nov 12, 2018 at 7:29 AM, Cynde Moya <CyndeM(a)livingcomputers.org> wrote: > I was at the Bradbury Museum a year or so ago. They had an exhibit about > supercomputing built around a CRAY-1. The front-end staff did not know the > serial number. Perhaps this is Serial number 2 you refer to? > > > > Cynde Moya > > > > > > > > > > *From:* Members <members-bounces(a)lists.sigcis.org> *On Behalf Of *Grider, > Gary Alan > *Sent:* Friday, November 9, 2018 2:13 PM > *To:* Kevin Walsh <kwalsh(a)ucsd.edu>; members(a)lists.sigcis.org > *Cc:* Tom Hutton <hutton(a)sdsc.edu>; Ian MacConnell ( > ianmacconnellsc(a)gmail.com) <ianmacconnellsc(a)gmail.com> > *Subject:* Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Cray 1 serial number 0 being put together > on Facebook Live at SC 2018 > > > > Perhaps I should share why serial number 1 was sent back to Cray since > this is a history group. > > > > When Serial 1 showed up in Los Alamos in 1976 it wouldn’t run for more > than a few minutes yet it would run for hours in Minnesota. > > Turns out there was no memory protection and cosmic events at Los Alamos > altitude were different enough from Minnesota. > > The memory was reworked and protection was added. Serial number 1 was a > bit of a testbed and had many mods/corrections made > > before subsequent machines were produced in 1977 and beyond. That was the > intent of the trial. > > > > Gary > > > > *From:* Grider, Gary Alan > *Sent:* Friday, November 9, 2018 3:01 PM > *To:* 'Kevin Walsh' <kwalsh(a)ucsd.edu>; members(a)lists.sigcis.org > *Cc:* Tom Hutton <hutton(a)sdsc.edu>; Ian MacConnell ( > ianmacconnellsc(a)gmail.com) <ianmacconnellsc(a)gmail.com> > *Subject:* RE: [SIGCIS-Members] Cray 1 serial number 0 being put together > on Facebook Live at SC 2018 > > > > I think there is a correction to be made here: > > From https://www2.cisl.ucar.edu/supercomputer/c1 > > “By 1975, NCAR's 7600 was straining under a severe overload. SCD was > oversubscribed; turnaround time had become intolerable. A request for > proposal (RFP) was issued, resulting in an order for a CRAY-1A. While > serial number 1 of the CRAY-1 computer system had been shipped to the Los > Alamos National Laboratory in 1976 for a six-month trial period, NCAR was > Cray Research's first official customer. > > On July 11, 1977, the CRAY-1A, serial number 3, was delivered to NCAR. The > system cost was $8.86 million ($7.9 million plus $1 million for the disks).” > > For a long time, Serial number 1 sat in the Bradbury Museum in Los Alamos > until Cray asked if they could have it for their Chippewa > <https://www.google.com/search?q=chippewa&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9_Iilp8je…> > museum. > > They shipped Los Alamos Serial number 2 for the Bradbury Museum. I > believe it is sitting in a back room at Bradbury now. > > Thanks > > Gary Grider > > LANL > > > > > > *From:* Members <members-bounces(a)lists.sigcis.org> *On Behalf Of *Kevin > Walsh > *Sent:* Friday, November 9, 2018 2:48 PM > *To:* members(a)lists.sigcis.org > *Cc:* Tom Hutton <hutton(a)sdsc.edu>; Ian MacConnell ( > ianmacconnellsc(a)gmail.com) <ianmacconnellsc(a)gmail.com> > *Subject:* [SIGCIS-Members] Cray 1 serial number 0 being put together on > Facebook Live at SC 2018 > > > > All, > > > > Cray 1 fabrication on Facebook LIVE happening now - > > > > https://www.facebook.com/pg/SCconferences/videos/?ref=page_internal > > > > The Cray 1 that was the first Cray at NCAR and then Los Alamos is > currently being put together for display at the ACM/IEEE Supercomputer > Conference in Dallas, Texas. > > > > Folks in the Dallas area can stop by to see the Cray and supercomputing > artifacts assembled for the 30th Anniversary of the SC conference. > > > > We will record the fabrication and post a separate time lapse video after > completion. > > > > Regards, > > Kevin Walsh > > Scripps Institution of Oceanography > > KK6FRK > > (858)822-3356 <(858)%20822-3356> > > kwalsh(a)ucsd.edu > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

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Data and Society positions for postdocs, researchers and faculty fellows (social instabilities in the labor force)
by Megan Finn 08 Nov '18

08 Nov '18

Please share widely! Data & Society is pleased to announce a cluster of new openings that are designed to attract a range of junior and senior scholars. Postdoctoral Scholars: https://datasociety.net/blog/2018/11/07/call-for-postdoctoral-scholars/ Data & Society is recruiting one to three Postdoctoral Scholars whose work complements research projects currently underway at the Institute and advances our mission. Postdoctoral Scholars will be expected to work with senior research leadership to construct a viable research project that will both advance scholarly knowledge and contribute to the broader goals of Data & Society. These are 2-year positions based in NYC starting in September 2019. Applications are due December 6, 2018. Researchers (Social Instabilities in Labor Futures): https://datasociety.net/blog/2018/11/08/researcher-social-instabilities-in-… Data & Society is hiring for two research positions in Data & Society’s Social Instabilities in Labor Futures Initiative. Candidates would design and conduct research into one of two topics: "Public Sector Labor and Technology Disruption" or "Franchise Entrepreneurship and Financialization." Ideally, one of these positions will go to someone who can take on the role of "Research Lead" for the initiative. The other position would be a researcher position. These are two-year positions with the possibility of renewal. Applications due December 17, 2018. Faculty Fellows: https://datasociety.net/blog/2018/11/07/call-for-faculty-fellows/ Data & Society is seeking two to three Faculty Fellows for our 2019-20 Class of Fellows. Faculty fellows work on independent or collaborative research projects that contribute to the mission of the organization. These are 10-month paid fellowships and fellows are expected to be in residence two days a week. Applications are due December 17, 2018.

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First use of "policy" in computing/robotics
by Colin Garvey 06 Nov '18

06 Nov '18

Hi all -- Apologies if this is common knowledge and I've just not done my homework but-- Could anyone point me toward a source of/on the first uses of the word "policy" in the computing/robotics world? Especially interested in the use of "policy" as something an "agent" has that basically tells them "what to do." Even just some estimates of when this language became widely used would be helpful. Thanks! Colin Garvey PhD Candidate, RPI

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permission to reprint to DEC/Compaq's Systems Research Center reports?
by Yarden Katz 05 Nov '18

05 Nov '18

Dear all, I’d like to get permission to reprint a graph from a report published by the Systems Research Center (SRC), which was originally part of DEC, and later Compaq. The Compaq web page that lists SRC’s reports no longer exists, but you can see an archived version of it here (http://web.archive.org/web/20001117014300/http://www.research.compaq.com/SR… <http://web.archive.org/web/20001117014300/http://www.research.compaq.com/SR…>). Does anyone know who to contact to obtain rights to these reports? Is HP in charge of this now? The Computer History Museum has DEC’s archives (https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8t72p80/entire_text/ <https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8t72p80/entire_text/>) but I don’t believe it includes SRC's reports. Thanks very much! Best, Yarden

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Mar Hicks wins Sally Hacker Prize
by Sarah Roberts 01 Nov '18

01 Nov '18

While we are celebrating all these incredible contributions and prizes for work done by SIGCIS members, I thought I’d give a shout out to our own Mar Hicks, whose Programmed Inequality is the winner of this year’s SHOT Sally Hacker Prize. What an incredible statement as to the importance of the history of computer to a larger constituency. Congrats to Mar and to all winners! I’m in awe. Warmly, Sarah — S a r a h T. R o b e r t s, P h. D. Assistant Professor University of California, Los Angeles Department of Information Studies Graduate School of Education & Information Studies https://is.gseis.ucla.edu/ Blogging periodically at http://illusionofvolition.com **Please note: I’m increasingly finding email unmanageable. If I don’t respond and your issue is urgent, please resend and indicate that in the subject line. Your message likely just got lost in the shuffle. Thanks.

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