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New Cortada Book
by James Cortada 09 Sep '25

09 Sep '25

I wanted to share with my colleagues that Bloomsbury Publishing has just published my new book about information. This one is about tacit knowledge. I have completed another book, *Beyond the Facts. *This one is about tacit knowledge—what we learn through experience that remains in our subconscious until we need to use it. People know more tacit knowledge (wisdom) than explicit knowledge (facts, data, etc.). Tacit knowledge is difficult to explain and now with AI consuming so much explicit information, we need to better understand tacit forms so that we can appreciate its relationship to AI and explicit knowledge. I integrated findings of brain scientists and the thinking of philosophers into a short book that describes tacit knowledge and how it is normally applied. I want to increase awareness of the vast amount of information and wisdom that we stockpile between our ears. Attached is a coupon for a discounted price for the book, if ordered directly from the publisher. If you read the book, please give me some feedback, because this is a really hard topic to understand and I will probably have to keep working on it. Jim Cortada [image: Screenshot 2025-09-08 at 8.12.43 AM.png] -- James W. Cortada Senior Research Fellow Charles Babbage Institute University of Minnesota jcortada(a)umn.edu 608-274-6382

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The Limiting Principle: How Privacy Became a Public Issue
by Martin Eiermann 09 Sep '25

09 Sep '25

I wanted to share news of my recently published book, The Limiting Principle: How Privacy Became a Public Issue (Columbia University Press). I hope that some SIGCIS members will find it interesting and relevant. The book explores how privacy evolved from a set of informal cultural norms about domestic life into a broad and salient "limiting principle" of the Information Age that now seems everywhere under threat but also functions as a touchstone for myriad debates about the rights of citizens and consumers—and it chronicles how this transformation has shaped the functioning of American society and the governance of personal data. If you are interested in ordering the book directly from the publisher (https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-limiting-principle/9780231218887/) use code CUP20 for 20% off. Warmly, Martin Eiermann Assistant Professor UW-Madison Department of Sociology Read my book (The Limiting Principle: How Privacy Became a Public Issue<https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-limiting-principle/9780231218887/>), reserve time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/e104de0b9a714d2bbacf4a39bdb6a7e8…>, or learn more<https://www.martineiermann.com/> about my work.

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JPEG history
by Jonathan Coopersmith 08 Sep '25

08 Sep '25

And another example of reaching out to a wider community: https://spectrum.ieee.org/jpeg-image-format-history 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) with Arthur Daemmrich, “The Road Not (Yet) Taken. Historians As Policy Professionals*,” AHA Perspectives* May 2025, 18-20. "'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).

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electronic health records
by Jonathan Coopersmith 05 Sep '25

05 Sep '25

>From IEEE Spectrum - interesting in itself but also an example of writing for a wider audience https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11120349 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) with Arthur Daemmrich, “The Road Not (Yet) Taken. Historians As Policy Professionals*,” AHA Perspectives* May 2025, 18-20. "'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).

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Job: Assistant Professor in Emerging Technologies
by Tilton, Lauren 05 Sep '25

05 Sep '25

I thought the following position would be of interest, and I hope you can help spread the word. Let me know if you have any questions! Best, Lauren We are hiring an Assistant Professor who specializes in emerging technologies! Areas of focus might include, but are not limited to, algorithms, AI, infrastructure, extended reality, information science, platform studies, and game studies. It is an exciting moment at UR! We are expanding our offering in media studies to support the interests of our excellent students, who we learn with in a small liberal arts college setting. Transdisciplinary approaches to research and teaching are highly valued. UR centers a teacher-scholar model that emphasizes academic excellence, belonging and community, access and affordability, well-being, and experiential learning and community engagement. For more information, visit https://richmond.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/staff_faculty/job/UR-Main-Camp… Please help spread the word! And I am happy to answer any questions! Best, Lauren Tilton Search Chair and E. Claiborne Robins Professor of Digital Humanities, University of Richmond

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Celebrating 60 Years of ELIZA? Special Issue CfP
by Magnus Rust 05 Sep '25

05 Sep '25

Dear SIGCIS members, On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of ELIZA, the chatbot introduced to the public by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966, Christian Strippel (Weizenbaum Institute, Berlin, Germany) and myself (University of Basel, Switzerland) are editing a Special Issue for publication in the Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society (WJDS) next year. We welcome contributions that recount the technical history of chatbots and AI programs, as well as those that focus on the social and cultural contexts. We are reaching out to researchers working in the fields of history of technology, media studies or critical code studies. You can find all the information about this Special Issue in the Call for Papers: https://ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wjds/announcement/view/8 We would highly appreciate if you would consider submitting suitable work and/or forwarding the Call for Papers to interested colleagues. Thanks a lot! Best, Magnus Magnus Rust | Assistant Department of Media Studies University of Basel Tel. +41 61 207 67 43 magnus.rust(a)unibas.ch<mailto:magnus.rust@unibas.ch> -- Call for Papers: https://ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wjds/announcement/view/8 Abstract Sixty years ago, Joseph Weizenbaum introduced ELIZA, one of the first computer chat programs, which became a landmark in the early history of Artificial Intelligence. Although ELIZA relied only on simple keyword detection and predefined response templates, it sparked the so-called “ELIZA effect,” enabled the first automated chatbot exchanges on the ARPANET, and is still regarded as a precursor to today’s systems such as ChatGPT. At the same time, ELIZA marked the beginning of Weizenbaum’s critical engagement with AI research and its societal implications. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, this Special Issue seeks to explore the historical, technical, and societal significance of ELIZA from an interdisciplinary perspective. It aims to relate this legacy to current developments in generative AI and robotics, and to ask what—if anything—there is to celebrate six decades after ELIZA. Individual submissions to the special issue could cover, but are not limited to, the following topics: • Automating of Psychotherapy. How have psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists actually used computers and text-based programs in their work over the past few decades? What imaginaries are mobilized and produced in these applications? • Authoring AI. What genealogies follow ELIZA, not as a psychotherapist, but as an author and co-pilot in the writing of all kinds of texts? What successes and failures have been celebrated in this history of human-machine interaction? • Commercializing AI. How were “expert systems” and other commercial AI tools received by the industry? What changes did they bring it for employees and workers? What does AI mean for the future of work in factories and offices? • Anthropomorphizing of AI. What does the humanization of chatbots and other computer programs mean for our perception of AI? How does it shape our expectations of such technologies? How does it affect our image of humans? • Mythologization of AI. How have AI myths developed since the 1950s? Why are dystopian accounts of AI so particularly successful? Why do we listen to the developers of AI when it comes to critically assessing the technologies they have helped build? • Gendering of AI. How has the gendering of AI, robots, and chatbots evolved since ELIZA? What can we learn about our society from it? What impact does it have on the use and social consequences of such technologies? Key Dates • Abstract submission deadline: November 17, 2025 • Invitation of full papers: December 1, 2025 • Full Paper submission deadline: April 6, 2026 • Notification of acceptance and reviews available: July 6, 2026 • Paper revision deadline: October 5, 2026 • Issue release: November–December 2026 For inquiries about the special issue, please contact the guest editors (christian.strippel(a)weizenbaum-institut.de<mailto:christian.strippel@weizenbaum-institut.de>, magnus.rust(a)unibas.ch<mailto:magnus.rust@unibas.ch>).

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In three weeks: SIGCIS 2025: Power Surge (virtual edition): 9/25-27 w/ keynote speaker Lily Geismer
by Gili Vidan 04 Sep '25

04 Sep '25

Dear SIGCIS community, We're excited to share the program for this year's virtual edition of *SIGCIS 2025: Power Surge <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nKvXJt8ZKmzuQTLliKKHGFFE1ygINuUkOJKp_i-…>* ! We have a fantastic lineup of presenters and we're excited to feature our keynote speaker, Lily Geismer (History, Claremont McKenna College) and launch our new works-in-progress mentorship program, with 4 senior mentors and 6 graduate students workshopping their manuscripts. The conference will take place virtually, across multiple time zones on *9/25-27*. Those who register will receive a Zoom link in the days leading up to the conference. Registration to the conference is now open (pay-what-you-can model). See more details and register here: https://meetings.sigcis.org/registration.html. Please see the SIGCIS website (meetings.sigcis.org) and follow SIGCIS on bsky <https://bsky.app/profile/sigcisconf.bsky.social> for general conference announcements and details in the coming weeks. The SIGCIS Meetings Organizing Committee: Morgan Ames (SIGCIS Vice-Chair of Meetings), Katya Babintseva, Xiaochang Li, Colette Perold, and Gili Vidan --- Gili Vidan Assistant Professor | Information Science | Cornell University Pronouns: she/her

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Research Fellowships from the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center (apps due 15 Oct 2025)
by Hintz, Eric 27 Aug '25

27 Aug '25

**Hi SIGCIS– Check out the Lemelson Center’s call for fellowship applications, due October 15, 2025. Over the years we’ve had several SIGCIS members join us at research fellows and NMAH has great collections in the history of computing such as the Ralph Baer papers<https://sova.si.edu/record/NMAH.AC.0854>, the Grace Murray Hopper collection<https://sova.si.edu/record/NMAH.AC.0324>, the Computer Oral History Collection<https://sova.si.edu/record/NMAH.AC.0196>, the Video Game Pioneers Oral History collection<https://sova.si.edu/record/nmah.ac.1498> and many other gems. Best, Eric Hintz Through its fellowship programs, the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation<https://invention.si.edu/> supports research projects that present creative approaches to the study of invention and innovation in American society. Projects may include (but are not limited to) historical research and documentation projects resulting in publications, exhibitions, educational initiatives, documentary films, or other multimedia products. Collections: Our programs provide access to the expertise of the Institution's research staff<http://americanhistory.si.edu/about/staff> and the vast invention and technology collections of the National Museum of American History (NMAH). The NMAH Archives Center<http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/collections> holds the archival papers of several inventors including Earl Tupper (Tupperware), Joseph Friedman (flexible straw), Robert Kearns (intermittent windshield wiper), Leo Baekeland (Bakelite synthetic plastic), Marion O’Brien Donovan (household inventions), Jacob Rabinow (optical character recognition), Grace Murray Hopper (software), Ralph Baer (video games), Patricia Bath (cataracts treatments), InBae Yoon (laparoscopic surgery), and Van Phillips (prosthetic limbs). The museum also holds the technical artifacts and business records of several corporations and small entrepreneurial firms, including the Western Union Telegraph Company (telecommunications), the Mergenthaler Linotype Company (printing), Jogbra, Inc. (sports apparel), and Small Beginnings (neonatal care). In addition, the NMAH Library offers long runs of historical technology serials like Scientific American and American Machinist, and the American Trade Literature collection<http://library.si.edu/trade-literature>, which includes 300,000 catalogs, technical manuals, and advertising brochures for some 30,000 firms, primarily from 1880-1945. For a comprehensive catalog of objects, manuscripts, images, and research materials available at the NMAH (and other Smithsonian units), see http://www.collections.si.edu/. Topics: The Lemelson Center invites all applications covering the broad spectrum of research topics in the history of technology, invention, and innovation. However, the Center especially encourages proposals that align with one (or more) of its strategic research and programmatic areas, including 1) projects that illuminate inventors from diverse backgrounds or any inventions and technologies associated with under-represented groups, such as women, minorities, LGBTQ, and the disabled; (2) projects exploring innovation in sports and sports technology; or (3) projects that explore the broader ecosystem of individuals and institutions that support inventors, including inventors' professional organizations; angel investors, venture capitalists, and financiers; incubators and entrepreneurial coaches; patent agents and IP attorneys; product designers, manufacturers, and marketers; and bankruptcy-liquidation specialists. The Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship supports the work of an experienced author or senior scholar (associate/full/emeritus professor level or equivalent) from the history of technology, science and technology studies, business history, museum studies, STEAM education, or an allied field. Smithsonian staff are not eligible. The specific arrangement is flexible: the Molella Fellow may use the funds as a sabbatical supplement; for several short-duration visits; for a virtual appointment focused on research and writing; or for a series of lectures leading to a major publication. The stipend is $35,000. Funds may be used flexibly to support teaching buyouts, travel for several short-term visits, living expenses for longer residences up to seven months, and related research expenses. Dates are flexible. Applications are due 15 October 2025. Appointed fellows may begin their residencies on/after 1 June 2026 through 31 May 2027. For application procedures and additional information, see http://invention.si.edu/arthur-molella-distinguished-fellowship. The Lemelson Center Fellowship Program annually awards 2 to 3 fellowships to pre-doctoral graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and other professionals who have completed some advanced training (usually an MA or JD, but please inquire if you have questions). Undergraduates and Smithsonian staff should not apply. Fellows are expected to reside temporarily in the Washington, D.C. area and participate in the Center's activities. Fellowship tenure is based upon the applicants’ stated needs (and available funding) up to a maximum of ten weeks. Stipends will be $850/week for pre-doctoral fellows and $1,100/week for post-doctoral and professional fellows. Applications are due 15 October 2025. Appointed fellows may begin their residencies on/after 1 June 2026 through 31 May 2027. For application procedures and additional information, see http://invention.si.edu/lemelson-center-fellowship-program. Program Alumni: Click the links to see project descriptions for past and current fellows<https://invention.si.edu/lemelson-center-fellows-1996-present>. Contact: Applicants may wish to consult with the fellowship coordinator before submitting an application; contact archivist Alison Oswald at oswalda(a)si.edu<mailto:oswalda@si.edu>.

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Cold War Computing
by Dag Spicer 25 Aug '25

25 Aug '25

Hey Everyone! Just a heads up: Coming up on September 18, the Computer History Museum is hosting the wonderful Professor Victor Petrov who will speak about cold war computing based on his 2024 CHM-SIGCIS Book Award winning book, “Balkan Cyberia.” See here: https://email.computerhistory.org/cold-war-computing? Summary: Amid the geopolitical bifurcation of the Cold War Bulgaria emerged as an unexpected epicenter of electronics and computing innovation within the socialist world. Long overshadowed by Silicon Valley–centered narratives of technological progress this history challenges the dominant West-centric framework that has shaped both popular memory and much of the historiography of computing. Drawing on recently declassified archives and transnational perspectives historian Victor Petrov reframes the story of Bulgaria’s computing sector as one of high-stakes espionage socialist visions of cybernetic modernity and ambitious technocratic reform. In doing so he situates Bulgaria not as a passive recipient of imported models but as an active inventive participant in the global technological order of the late twentieth century. Lecture is hybrid: online and in-person. Reserve your ticket now. Hope to see you there! Dag ----- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum Editorial Board, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing ACM History Committee 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View CA 94043 “History is a vast early warning system.” — Norman Cousins, American journalist (1915-1990). Join our Mailing List here: https://info.computerhistory.org/subscribe

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Looking for earliest mainframe contracts and computer contracts archive
by anushka 25 Aug '25

25 Aug '25

Dear SIGCIS members I was wondering if someone has any mainframe and/or supercomputer contracts? or if there is an archive of computer contracts? jurisdictions and time periods, no bar although the older the better. The query is fairly broad so time share, leases, procurement contracts across contexts are very welcome :) I wish to look at the evolution of vendor restrictions (if any, although i think there would be ?) Happy to e-meet you all! Regards Anushka PhD Candidate, Institute for Information Law University of Amsterdam Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email.

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