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Computers and Business History: Mira Wilkins Prize Winner
by Bernardo Batiz-Lazo 31 Oct '17

31 Oct '17

This week the NEP-HIS blog’s guest contributor is James W. Cortada (Charles Babbage Institute and formally IBM) who comments on IBM Rebuilds Europe: The Curious Case of the Transnational Typewriter By Petri Paju (Turku) and Thomas Haigh (Wisconsin, Milwaukee). The editors of Enterprise & Society have provided free access to the above for a limited time. Find the review and link here http://www.nephis.org Kind regards Bernardo Bangor University (Wales) ** Apologies for multiple postings ** Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig 1141565 - Registered Charity No. 1141565 Gall y neges e-bost hon, ac unrhyw atodiadau a anfonwyd gyda hi, gynnwys deunydd cyfrinachol ac wedi eu bwriadu i'w defnyddio'n unig gan y sawl y cawsant eu cyfeirio ato (atynt). Os ydych wedi derbyn y neges e-bost hon trwy gamgymeriad, rhowch wybod i'r anfonwr ar unwaith a dilewch y neges. Os na fwriadwyd anfon y neges atoch chi, rhaid i chi beidio a defnyddio, cadw neu ddatgelu unrhyw wybodaeth a gynhwysir ynddi. Mae unrhyw farn neu safbwynt yn eiddo i'r sawl a'i hanfonodd yn unig ac nid yw o anghenraid yn cynrychioli barn Prifysgol Bangor. Nid yw Prifysgol Bangor yn gwarantu bod y neges e-bost hon neu unrhyw atodiadau yn rhydd rhag firysau neu 100% yn ddiogel. Oni bai fod hyn wedi ei ddatgan yn uniongyrchol yn nhestun yr e-bost, nid bwriad y neges e-bost hon yw ffurfio contract rhwymol - mae rhestr o lofnodwyr awdurdodedig ar gael o Swyddfa Cyllid Prifysgol Bangor. This email and any attachments may contain confidential material and is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email. If you are not the intended recipient(s), you must not use, retain or disclose any information contained in this email. Any views or opinions are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of Bangor University. Bangor University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of the text of the email, this email is not intended to form a binding contract - a list of authorised signatories is available from the Bangor University Finance Office.

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] HP Archives Destroyed in Recent California Fires
by Len Shustek 30 Oct '17

30 Oct '17

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Ayyadurai in the new
by Jonathan Coopersmith 30 Oct '17

30 Oct '17

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/10/28/the-mercers-bring-their… Looks like he may have found a lucrative source of income. Could be an interesting race. Jonathan Coopersmith Professor Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.845.7151 979.862.4314 (fax) Latest article: https://theconversation.com/what-fax-machines-can-teach-us-about-electric-c… *FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University Press) is the co-recipient of the 2016 Business History Conference Hagley Prize for best book in business history.

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CFP: Symposium on the History and Philosophy of Programming
by Tomas Petricek 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

Dear all, I would like to invite you to submit two-page extended abstracts to the Fourth Symposium on the History and Philosophy of Programming organised by HaPoC, Commission on the History and Philosophy of Computing (http://www.hapoc.org) The symposium aims to bring together historians, philosophers as well as computer scientists and practitioners to discuss the broader historical, philosophical and societal aspects of programming. The submission deadline is 1 January 2018 and the symposium will take place on 23 March 2018 in Oxford and will be co-located with a Meeting on History of Computing (22 March 2018), hosted by the British Society on the History of Mathematics. For more information about the symposium, please see the official web page https://www.shift-society.org/hapop4/, which has a full CFP as well as links to the previous three HaPoP symposia. I'm attaching a brief outline of the event below. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fourth Symposium on the History and Philosophy of Programming In a society where computers have become ubiquitous, it is necessary to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of computer programs, not just from the technical viewpoint, but from a broader historical and philosophical perspective. A historical awareness of the evolution of programming not only helps to clarify the complex structure of computing, but it also provides an insight in what programming was, is and could be in the future. Philosophy, on the other hand, helps to tackle fundamental questions about the nature of programs, programming languages and programming as a discipline. HaPoP 2018 is the fourth edition of the Symposium on the History and Philosophy of Programming, organised by HaPoC, Commission on the History and Philosophy of Computing. As in the previous editions, we are convinced that an interdisciplinary approach is necessary for understanding programming with its multifaceted nature. As such, we welcome participation by researchers and practitioners coming from a diversity of backgrounds, including historians, philosophers, computer scientists and professional software developers. In addition to submissions in a wide range of areas traditional for HaPoP (outlined below), we especially welcome submissions that explore the nature of scientific progress with respect to computer programming as a discipline. We are interested in investigations concerning the methodology of computer programming, whether it follows a form of scientific method that allows it to increase its problem solving ability, whether its development more is akin to science, engineering or rather art, and what examples from the history of programming can be provided to support either argument. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm co-chairing the symposium with Prof. Ursula Martin, so if you have any questions regarding suitability of a topic, format of the extended abstract, or anything else, please contact one of us. The best way to contact me is to email tomas(a)tomasp.net. Thanks, Tomas Petricek

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Upcoming Job
by Kidwell, Peggy 26 Oct '17

26 Oct '17

Dear All: The Smithsonian's National Museum of American history plans to hire a Curator of the History of Computers and Informational Technology. As the time of the job opening will be brief but is not yet entirely determined, we wanted to let people know in advance. Diane Wendt and I will be at the SIGCIS meeting in Philadelphia this weekend, should anyone have queries. Coming soon to USAJobs.gov! The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Will Advertise: A Position for a Curator of the History of Computers and Informational Technology Division of Medicine and Science Position involves: Research, Exhibitions, Collections, Public Programs and Publications GS-12 - $77,490-$100,736 and GS-13 - $92,145-$119,794 Announcement opening soon on www.usajobs.gov<http://www.usajobs.gov>. Check back often, the National Museum of American History will be advertising several curatorial positions this year and you don't want to miss out! Contact Erika Mack-Dillaber with questions about the application process: NMAHApplications(a)si.edu<mailto:NMAHApplications@si.edu> or (202) 633-3555 Contact Alexandra M. Lord with questions about the position or if you want to be notified when the position will be advertised: lorda(a)si.edu<mailto:lorda@si.edu> or 202-633-0885 The Smithsonian is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Peggy Kidwell Curator of Mathematics Address for US Mail: MRC 671, National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution P.O. Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012 Address for UPS or FedEx: MRC 671, National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution 12th St. and Constitution Ave. Washington, DC 20560 Email: kidwellp(a)si.edu<mailto:kidwellp@si.edu> Telephone: 202-633-3828

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Fundraising at SIGCIS events this weekend
by Andrew Russell 26 Oct '17

26 Oct '17

Hi everyone - This message is intended especially for anyone coming to the SIGCIS events this weekend in Philadelphia, the SIGCIS lunch Friday at SHOT, and the SIGCIS conference on Sunday. tl;dr: Please bring cash to support funding for the SIGCIS Travel Awards. Those who have been coming to SIGCIS events for a while know about our 2 different fundraising activities: the book auction and the money cup. I thought I would remind the veterans and alert the newcomers about these rituals and their purpose. 1. The book auction takes place at the Friday lunch: members donate books (so far I have over 2 dozen committed), and we auction them off to bidders in attendance. If you plan to bid, it helps if you bring cash or your checkbook, so that we can collect winning bids on the spot. IOUs are acceptable if all other options fail. 2. The money cup is something that we pass around at the SIGCIS lunch (Friday) and the SIGCIS conference (Sunday). Our requested donation is $20, or so, for those with stable employment. More is great, less is great - as the saying goes, give at the level where you feel comfortable. I hope you are asking: where does this money go? Simple: it goes directly into the SIGCIS fund that SHOT maintains, and is used to support the SIGCIS Travel Awards <http://www.sigcis.org/travelaward>. In fact, the funds mainly go to support two of those awards, the Michael S. Mahoney Travel Awards and the MIT Press Travel Awards. (I’m happy to note, parenthetically, that we have another travel award, the Computer History Museum Travel Award, that exists thanks to the generous support of Len Shustek, who many of you know as the Chairman of the Computer History Museum.) Proceeds from the auction of books donated by MIT Press support the award in its name; the rest of the auction proceeds and money cup proceeds go toward the Mahoney Travel Awards. This year we are awarding nearly $2000 in Mahoney Travel Awards and MIT Press Travel Awards, all to early-career scholars who are presenting their work at the SIGCIS conference on Sunday and who will be recognized at the beginning of the meeting on Sunday morning. In order to maintain awards at this level - and, ideally, increase the amount and number of the awards we give out! - we need to raise at least $2000 this year. Given past trends, I’m optimistic that we can raise a significant sum from the book auction and money cup. I’ll report back after SHOT to tell you all how we did, and to ask for further contributions. Of course, you can donate to SIGCIS at any time via SHOT's online form, at https://shot.press.jhu.edu/membership/contribute <https://shot.press.jhu.edu/membership/contribute>. Thank you all for your support and engagement with SIGCIS, and I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend! Andy Russell SIGCIS Chair

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SIGCIS 2017 Conference Details // October 29
by Laine Nooney 24 Oct '17

24 Oct '17

This email offers logistic info for those of you on the list attending SIGCIS 2017, Measure, Model, Mix: Computer as Instrument. All details can additionally be found on our website meetings.sigcis.org (the website menu dropdown is in the upper left hand corner). *Program* A PDF of our finalized program can be found here: http://meetings.sigcis.org/uploads/6/3/6/8/6368912/program_redacted.pdf(win… of the Mahoney and CHM prizes have been redacted from this digital version, so not to spoil the excitement Sunday morning) *Registration* Sunday morning, you will find our registration desk available on the lobby level of the SHOT conference venue, the Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill Hotel. All events will happen on the lobby level. Registration runs from 8-8:45AM. Light breakfast will be available. The conference will start on time with our Welcome and Awards at 8:45AM. Online registration is currently closed, but day-of registration will be available onsite for $80. *Keynote* Our keynote this year is Joanna Radin, Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Yale University. Her keynote is titled: ‘DIGITAL NATIVES’: Why Indigenous and Medical Histories Matter for the History of Computing Keynote begins promptly at 9AM. *Lunch* Lunch will be provided in the Hamilton Room from 12:30PM-2PM. *Conference After Party* Conference presenter Theodora J. Dryer (Panel C.1 in program) generously invites local and visiting historians for autumnal hors d’oeuvres and drinks from 6:00 - 9:00PM just south of the conference venue (address can be found in the printed conference program). After 9:00PM there is a bar downstairs where guests can continue to convene. RSVPs appreciated: tdryer(a)ucsd.edu. Let us know if you have any other questions! We look forward to seeing many of you this weekend. ~SIGCIS Conference Committee (aka Laine Nooney, Andy Russell, Con Diaz, Joy Rankin, Steph Dick, Kera Allen and Nabeel Siddiqui) -- Laine Nooney <http://www.lainenooney.com/> MCC <http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/mcc/> @ NYU <http://www.nyu.edu/> Assistant Professor

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SHOT book co-launch
by Mar Hicks 23 Oct '17

23 Oct '17

Hi All-- At the Society for the History of Technology meeting this coming weekend in Philadelphia, MIT Press will being doing a joint launch of my book, Programmed Inequality, <http://bit.ly/mitorder> and Edward Jones-Imhotep’s terrific new volume on a unique set of Cold War technological failures <https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/unreliable-nation>. It runs from *3:30-4:30 on Friday, October 27, at the MIT Press table in the SHOT book hall*. Discounts, free bookmarks, and snacks will be available--come on by! Full details (and pics of the bookmarks) here: http://bit.ly/shotlaunch Best, MH __________________________ Marie Hicks, Ph.D. Department of History University of Wisconsin-Madison mariehicks.net *Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing* www.programmedinequality.com

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SIGCIS events at SHOT in Philadelphia
by Andrew Russell 23 Oct '17

23 Oct '17

Dear colleagues - With the SHOT and SIGCIS meetings about a month away, I’m writing with a few reminders and requests about SIGCIS-related events and happenings. I’m guessing I and others will be back in touch with more announcements as the time draws near, but what follows should be plenty to get us started. 1. Friday SIGCIS Lunch Our annual lunch will take place on Friday from 12:30-2. When you registered, you should have checked the box. If you didn’t, I’m sure that SHOT can find a way to accommodate you when you register in Philadelphia. As usual, our agenda for the lunch, beyond eating, will be (1) introductions from first-time attendees; and (2) the SIGCIS book auction, once again starring Tom Haigh as auctioneer. Regarding the latter, I have two reminders: a. Please bring books you would like to donate for the cause. It would help our accounting and record-keeping system if you can tell me ahead of time what book you plan to bring. b. Please bring cash to pay for books, or to otherwise donate to SIGCIS. We are lucky to have so many generous members in SIGCIS, since member donations allow us to award travel grants to students and others who need travel support. This year we are awarding over $2000 in travel support; to make this sustainable, we need to recoup those costs. If you’d rather donate to SIGCIS online or by check, we would be happy to facilitate that as well. 2. SHOT Sessions of Interest The SHOT program may be found from the following link: https://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual-meeting/2017-shot-annual-meeting… <https://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual-meeting/2017-shot-annual-meeting…>. In keeping with the trends of current years, the program has a great variety of sessions and papers that features, were organized by, or will be of interest to SIGCIS members, including: Nathan Ensmenger on the opening plenary panel on Thursday evening; Friday panels on the future of work (F2), computerized futures (F6), governance in IT (F17), communication (F22), AI history (F28), material histories of data (F30), AI history part 2 (F40); and Saturday panels on data management (S5), democracy & communication technologies (S14), computerized futures part 2 (S20), radio & politics (S25), visual media (S28), visual environments (S37), women and gender in computing (S39), ‘hidden figures’ (S41), and Cold War IT (S43). My goodness. 3. Sunday SIGCIS Conference: Measure, Model, Mix: Computer as Instrument Once again we have an amazing lineup of presentations for our Sunday SIGCIS conference. Details are available from http://meetings.sigcis.org/conference-schedule.html <http://meetings.sigcis.org/conference-schedule.html>. I’ll only highlight a couple of aspects here: at 8:45 we will introduce the workshop and announce our SIGCIS Travel Awards, the Mahoney Prize, and Computer History Museum Prize, which is always an exciting occasion; and we will then move into our keynote address by Prof. Joanna Radin at Yale University. More information about the conference will be forthcoming - stay tuned…. I hope to see you in Philadelphia! All the best, Andy Russell SIGCIS Chair

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new article on Soviet computing
by Ksenia Tatarchenko 19 Oct '17

19 Oct '17

Hi Sigcis,An article of mine on Soviet computing just came out in a journal that most of you are not consulting regularly. Hopefully, it might be of interest for some of you for comparative purposes as well as its transnational arguments.Ksenia Tatarchenko, "The Computer Does Not Believe in Tears": Soviet Programming, Professionalization, and the Gendering of Authority, in Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History Volume 18, Number 4, Fall 2017 pp. 709-739 Ksenia

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