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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] The email saga continues
by Andrew Meade McGee 04 Sep '14

04 Sep '14

Nice call on the song, Paul. We might add this classic as something to belt out at our secretive, world-shaping meetings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD3FN0Ah4RE To go along with Janet's proposed secret handshake, perhaps a hidden signal known only to the computer historians of the mail cabal: a double-click on nose? As for Tom's Haigh's excellent notion of a secret lair, could CBI or the Computer History Museum swing a National Science Foundation grant for a volcano base or a castle in Switzerland? Or, daresay, a .bat cave? --AMM -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Andrew Meade McGee Corcoran Department of History University of Virginia PO Box 400180 - Nau Hall Charlottesville, VA 22904 On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 7:40 PM, Ceruzzi, Paul <CeruzziP(a)si.edu> wrote: > Here's the theme song: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUjnqH3kMw > > Paul > ------------------------------ > *From:* members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [members-bounces(a)sigcis.org] on behalf > of Marc Weber [marc(a)webhistory.org] > *Sent:* Thursday, September 04, 2014 6:38 PM > *To:* Julie Cohn > *Cc:* members > > *Subject:* Re: [SIGCIS-Members] The email saga continues > > The first rule of Mail Cabal is: you do not talk about Mail Cabal. > The second rule of Mail Cabal is: you DO NOT talk about Mail Cabal! > - with apologies to Chuck Palahniuk > Best, Marc > p.s. I hope we can agree on the secret official movie – "You've Got Mail." > > Marc Weber <http://www.computerhistory.org/staff/Marc,Weber/> > | marc(a)webhistory.org | +1 415 282 6868 > Internet History Program Founder and Curator, Computer History Museum > > 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 > computerhistory.org/nethistory > Co-founder, Web History Center and Project, webhistory.org > > On Sep 4, 2014, at 11:45 AM, Julie Cohn wrote: > > And a theme song? > > ***************************** > Julie Cohn, Ph.D. > Research Historian > Center for Public History > University of Houston > 315 McElhinney Hall > Houston, TX 77204-3007 > cohnconnor(a)comcast.net > > On Sep 4, 2014, at 11:46 AM, Janet Abbate wrote: > > We need a secret cabal handshake. I suggest the SSL protocol. > > Janet > > On Sep 3, 2014, at 2:45 32PM, Paul N. Edwards wrote: > > As the silliness level mounts, let me contribute: > > > I suggest we drive around in cabal cars and lay an undersea cabal for > our secret messages. Or we could just kick cabal around… > > > P > > On Sep 3, 2014, at 13:04 , Thomas Haigh <thaigh(a)computer.org> wrote: > > > Hmm. A cabal obviously would focus on secret conspiracy, which is always > > hard to pull off on an open and publically archived email list. But if we > > threw in some exotic rituals and perhaps a little human sacrifice then we > > might still make the grade. I guess we could take some of the billions > BBN > > is allegedly making by distorting email history and use it to rent a > rather > > nice subterranean lair and a set of exotic dark costumes to wear while > > conducting official cabal business. > > > Tom > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces@sigcis.org] On > > Behalf Of McMillan, William W > > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 11:48 AM > > To: members > > Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] The email saga continues > > > Let it go, Dag? Are you kidding? I might be, at best, an amateur > > historian, but I do so hope I'm a genuine member of the " Internet cabal > of > > SIGCIS 'historians' "! > > > I've never been in a cabal before, but I doubt cabal members let things > go. > > We must do something cabal-ish. > > > ... if we know what that would be. > > > Bill > > > ________________________________________ > > From: members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [members-bounces(a)sigcis.org] on behalf > of > > Dag Spicer [dspicer(a)computerhistory.org] > > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 12:30 PM > > To: members > > Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] The email saga continues > > > If you were to start critiquing items appearing in the HuffPo, you would > > have a lifetime of work ahead of you. > > > Fortunately for us, their very name reeks of triviality and marginal > > journalism-even a high school student wouldn't cite them in a paper. > > > Let it go. > > > Dag > > > -- > > Dag Spicer > > Senior Curator > > Computer History Museum > > Editorial Board, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing > > 1401 North Shoreline Boulevard > > Mountain View, CA 94043-1311 > > > Tel: +1 650 810 1035 > > Fax: +1 650 810 1055 > > > Twitter: @ComputerHistory > > > On Sep 3, 2014, at 9:16 AM, Evan Koblentz > > <evan(a)snarc.net<mailto:evan@snarc.net <evan(a)snarc.net>>> wrote: > > > HuffPo is now claiming that everyone else -- they even mention SIGCIS > -- are > > the ones with the agenda and conspiracy! > > > > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-j-nightingale/the-history-of-email-fiv > > e-myths-about-email_b_5756340.html > > > > > > On 09/03/2014 11:50 AM, Brian Randell wrote: > > Hi: > > > Techdirt has an article "Why Is Huffington Post Running A Multi-Part > Series > > To Promote The Lies Of A Guy Who Pretended To Invent Email?" > > > at: > > > > https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140901/07280928386/huffpo-publishes-biza > > > rre-misleading-factually-incorrect-multi-part-series-pretending-guy-invented > > -email-even-though-he-didnt.shtml > > > Cheers > > > Brian Randell > > > School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, > NE1 > > 7RU > > EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 > > URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell > > > _______________________________________________ > > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of > > SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ > > and you can change your subscription options at > > http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > > _______________________________________________ > > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of > > SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ > > and you can change your subscription options at > > http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > _______________________________________________ > > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of > > SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ > > and you can change your subscription options at > > http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > _______________________________________________ > > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of > > SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ > > and you can change your subscription options at > > http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > _______________________________________________ > > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription > options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > ___________________________ > > > Paul N. Edwards > > Professor of Information and History, University of Michigan > > A Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global > Warming (MIT Press, 2010) > > > Terse replies are deliberate (and better than nothing) > > > University of Michigan School of Information > > 3439 North Quad > > 105 S. State Street > > Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 > > (734) 764-2617 (office) > > (206) 337-1523 (fax) > > pne.people.si.umich.edu > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription > options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > > > Dr. Janet Abbate > Associate Professor, Science & Technology in Society > Co-director, National Capital Region STS program > Virginia Tech > www.sts.vt.edu/ncr > www.linkedin.com/groups/STS-Virginia-Tech-4565055 > www.facebook.com/VirginiaTechSTS > > > > _______________________________________________ > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription > options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > _______________________________________________ > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription > options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members > > > Marc Weber <http://www.computerhistory.org/staff/Marc,Weber/> > | marc(a)webhistory.org | +1 415 282 6868 > Internet History Program Founder and Curator, Computer History Museum > > 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View CA 94043 > computerhistory.org/nethistory > Co-founder, Web History Center and Project, webhistory.org > > > _______________________________________________ > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription > options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members >

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The email saga continues
by Brian Randell 04 Sep '14

04 Sep '14

Hi: Techdirt has an article "Why Is Huffington Post Running A Multi-Part Series To Promote The Lies Of A Guy Who Pretended To Invent Email?” at: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140901/07280928386/huffpo-publishes-biz… Cheers Brian Randell School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell

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What is unusual about the email dispute.
by Thomas Haigh 04 Sep '14

04 Sep '14

Those are interesting parallels, and certainly indicate a public need to put a single inventor next to each technology. So “Who invented X” becomes the one and only question that attracts a broad audience to an aspect of the history of technology. However I do think that something a little out of the ordinary is going on here. The various candidates for inventors of the “first computer” had each done something or other first, and the question was which one deserved the grand prize. That came down to trying to define “computer,” which was clearly subjective, and so a set of hyphenated qualifications such as “general-purpose electronic digital” were agreed on and everyone left with some kind of prize in the goody bag. If people care enough to argue and gather documents until the different contributions are pinned down then something similar is likely to happen with ATMs. What is exceptional about Ayyadurai is his insistence to have invented something many years AFTER the date range during which historians agree it was invented. Also the slickness of his public relations campaign and its stubborn disconnection from reality. His efforts to blame all doubt on corporate lies, racism, and class prejudice are also unusual. Like this incredible Huffington Post video. It features the man himself, his father, his girlfriend (“The Nanny”), her dog, and several of his supporters and is clearly in the “fawning celebrity profile” genre. Most questions come down to variants on “How amazing does it feel to have invented email.” http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/third-metric-thrive-on-live-annive… Huffington Post apparently claims that none of this was paid for, but it reminds me of nothing more than a late night infomercial. By the way, the SIGCIS page is quoted from extensively in the latest TechDirt debunking article. Mike Masnick there has really been doing a good job of staying on top of this. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140903/18514728409/huffington-post-fina… Best wishes, Tom From: members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces@sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Bernardo Batiz-Lazo Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2014 12:44 PM To: Andrew Meade McGee Cc: sigcis Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Why is HuffPost publishing another "invention of email" series? Thanks to Barbara and Andrew for their provocation. My research on cash machines faces the same issue, with sources attributing a single inventor to John Sheppard-Barron (BBC & Wikipedia), Don Wetzel (Smithsonian), Luther Simjian (MIT) and James Goodfellow (UK Intellectual Property Office). I've tried to reason with each and all of them showing original research that the ATM was a complex technology and there was more than a single individual involved. My experience is that the managers of the information are reluctant to change it if there is any shred of evidence to support their claim. So to Andrew I would respond that it is not only the preference for simplicity but also the costs of "saving face" after a retraction. Best Bernardo Bangor University (Wales) Sent from my iPad On 4 Sep 2014, at 15:48, Andrew Meade McGee <amm5ae(a)virginia.edu> wrote: I'm glad Barbara raised the issue of misattribution. It's something I was mulling over yesterday afternoon while this e-mail thread was percolating. Like Paul, I was reminded of the Atanasoff debate. I'm curious, though, and I'm sure many on the list have given this thought, why the impulse within the media and the general public to seek out specific "founders" or "firsts" with regard to technology, and if the answers are muddled or messy or not inclined to point ot a single finger, why is there a willingness to embrace shoddy claims just for the sake of having a representative "creator" figure? It seems as though some fields and industries are particularly prone to this, and I wonder if computing is one of these? In this case their are obvious publicity and pecuniary benefits to being accorded the honor in the mind of the public as the "creator" of e-mail. (And residual benefits to those associated with individuals identified as key founders of technology. I'm sure Newark and Rutgers would not mind having Ayyadurai labeled the originator of such a ubiquitous technology by the public.) I guess what I don't understand is why the public seems so prefer the story of a single genius inventor, with a technology emerging fully formed, over the incremental evolution resulting from the input of several persons and groups (as is the case with the true development of electronic mail). Is it our impulse as humans to prefer a story? Our preference for simplicity over complexity? A desire to have particular humans rather than social process refine technology? I really don't understand the motivation to rally around a single claimant with a strained claim over a multifaceted history of a technology's formulation when it seems clear the latter is true. When you consider the fascinating Al Gore incident, when it became a staple of late night comedy, talk radio, and general zeitgeist, the joke was political or personality driven: the hubris or absurdity of a politician having created the internet. The dissonance in the popular imagination was with the idea of Gore as creator, not that something as large as "the internet" could have a single creator. Am I alone in my puzzlement? --Andrew -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Andrew Meade McGee Corcoran Department of History University of Virginia PO Box 400180 - Nau Hall Charlottesville, VA 22904 On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 9:20 AM, Ceruzzi, Paul <CeruzziP(a)si.edu> wrote: I am showing my age, but I've lived through a few of these--too many. Some of you may remember the Atanasoff-ENIAC controversy, which overflowed into a fuss over the labels in the Smithsonian's "Information Age" exhibit. And the books written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, Alice and Arthur Burks, et al. I can supply unpleasant details, but perhaps best off-list. When I mentioned this to Mel Kranzberg, he said, "Hey, people are still fighting over whether Newton or Leibniz invented the calculus!" Paul E. Ceruzzi, Chairman Division of Space History, MRC 311 National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution PO Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012 202-633-2414 http://airandspace.si.edu/staff/paul-ceruzzi -----Original Message----- From: members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces@sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Russell Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 6:54 PM To: Coopersmith, Jonathan Cc: sigcis Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Why is HuffPost publishing another "invention of email" series? Hi folks - To be clear, I agree with Jonathan (and others) who pointed out Gore's important role in networking history. I think we can also blame Gore a little bit for using a clumsy turn of phrase in his CNN interview, which gave an opportunity to his political opponents who wanted to portray Gore as a liar. I found one article that Jonathan mentioned - "But Al Gore Did Help" - at http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-10-26/news/0010250556_1_patron-new-te…. In it, Jonathan gave us a clear, fair, high-level summary: "Gore's early initiatives helped shape the Internet into a more open and universal system with more access to federal and university databases than it would have otherwise." In addition to Jonathan's piece, anyone teaching about this topic should know about Seth Finkelstein's page of articles and resources: http://www.sethf.com/gore/ The point I was trying to make in my earlier note is that this "invention of email" controversy (if we can call it that) resembles the Gore/invention "controversy" in that the consensus opinion of subject experts is dismissed, or deemed part of a conspiracy! The facts and evidence are well-known; yet journalists and others with opaque or questionable motives ignore them, or twist them. I'm reminded of the way that climate skeptics and creationists "teach the controversy," which is a strategy to destabilize the overwhelming consensus of specialists and experts. That topic gives me the same irritated sensation I felt when I read the new HuffPost/email series, which is the same type of irritation I feel when I tell people that I write about Internet history and they say "you mean how Al Gore invented it? heh heh." I hope somebody writes a biography of poor Al Gore that explains how Gore did such earnest and productive work with his advocacy of networking and climate change research, but found himself at the butt of jokes and public ridicule. Cheers, Andy _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Why is HuffPost publishing another "invention of email" series?
by Andrew Meade McGee 04 Sep '14

04 Sep '14

I'm glad Barbara raised the issue of misattribution. It's something I was mulling over yesterday afternoon while this e-mail thread was percolating. Like Paul, I was reminded of the Atanasoff debate. I'm curious, though, and I'm sure many on the list have given this thought, why the impulse within the media and the general public to seek out specific "founders" or "firsts" with regard to technology, and if the answers are muddled or messy or not inclined to point ot a single finger, why is there a willingness to embrace shoddy claims just for the sake of having a representative "creator" figure? It seems as though some fields and industries are particularly prone to this, and I wonder if computing is one of these? In this case their are obvious publicity and pecuniary benefits to being accorded the honor in the mind of the public as the "creator" of e-mail. (And residual benefits to those associated with individuals identified as key founders of technology. I'm sure Newark and Rutgers would not mind having Ayyadurai labeled the originator of such a ubiquitous technology by the public.) I guess what I don't understand is why the public seems so prefer the story of a single genius inventor, with a technology emerging fully formed, over the incremental evolution resulting from the input of several persons and groups (as is the case with the true development of electronic mail). Is it our impulse as humans to prefer a story? Our preference for simplicity over complexity? A desire to have particular humans rather than social process refine technology? I really don't understand the motivation to rally around a single claimant with a strained claim over a multifaceted history of a technology's formulation when it seems clear the latter is true. When you consider the fascinating Al Gore incident, when it became a staple of late night comedy, talk radio, and general zeitgeist, the joke was political or personality driven: the hubris or absurdity of a politician having created the internet. The dissonance in the popular imagination was with the idea of Gore as creator, not that something as large as "the internet" could have a single creator. Am I alone in my puzzlement? --Andrew -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Andrew Meade McGee Corcoran Department of History University of Virginia PO Box 400180 - Nau Hall Charlottesville, VA 22904 On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 9:20 AM, Ceruzzi, Paul <CeruzziP(a)si.edu> wrote: > I am showing my age, but I've lived through a few of these--too many. Some > of you may remember the Atanasoff-ENIAC controversy, which overflowed into > a fuss over the labels in the Smithsonian's "Information Age" exhibit. And > the books written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, Alice and Arthur > Burks, et al. I can supply unpleasant details, but perhaps best off-list. > When I mentioned this to Mel Kranzberg, he said, "Hey, people are still > fighting over whether Newton or Leibniz invented the calculus!" > > Paul E. Ceruzzi, Chairman > Division of Space History, MRC 311 > National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution > PO Box 37012 > Washington, DC 20013-7012 > 202-633-2414 > http://airandspace.si.edu/staff/paul-ceruzzi > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: members-bounces(a)sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces@sigcis.org] On > Behalf Of Andrew Russell > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 6:54 PM > To: Coopersmith, Jonathan > Cc: sigcis > Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Why is HuffPost publishing another > "invention of email" series? > > Hi folks - > > To be clear, I agree with Jonathan (and others) who pointed out Gore's > important role in networking history. I think we can also blame Gore a > little bit for using a clumsy turn of phrase in his CNN interview, which > gave an opportunity to his political opponents who wanted to portray Gore > as a liar. > > I found one article that Jonathan mentioned - "But Al Gore Did Help" - at > http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-10-26/news/0010250556_1_patron-new-te…. > In it, Jonathan gave us a clear, fair, high-level summary: "Gore's early > initiatives helped shape the Internet into a more open and universal system > with more access to federal and university databases than it would have > otherwise." > > In addition to Jonathan's piece, anyone teaching about this topic should > know about Seth Finkelstein's page of articles and resources: > http://www.sethf.com/gore/ > > The point I was trying to make in my earlier note is that this "invention > of email" controversy (if we can call it that) resembles the Gore/invention > "controversy" in that the consensus opinion of subject experts is > dismissed, or deemed part of a conspiracy! The facts and evidence are > well-known; yet journalists and others with opaque or questionable motives > ignore them, or twist them. > > I'm reminded of the way that climate skeptics and creationists "teach the > controversy," which is a strategy to destabilize the overwhelming consensus > of specialists and experts. That topic gives me the same irritated > sensation I felt when I read the new HuffPost/email series, which is the > same type of irritation I feel when I tell people that I write about > Internet history and they say "you mean how Al Gore invented it? heh heh." > > I hope somebody writes a biography of poor Al Gore that explains how Gore > did such earnest and productive work with his advocacy of networking and > climate change research, but found himself at the butt of jokes and public > ridicule. > > Cheers, > > Andy > > _______________________________________________ > This email is relayed from members(a)sigcis.org, the email discussion list > of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at > http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription > options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members >

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Why is HuffPost publishing another "invention of email" series?
by Andrew Russell 04 Sep '14

04 Sep '14

At the risk of (or in hopes of) provoking Tom Haigh and others, I thought I would share the following: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140901/07280928386/huffpo-publishes-biz… I’m sure many of you noticed the recent round of HuffPo stories, promoting the claims of the guy who claimed to invent email in 1978. Similar to the “Al Gore invented the Internet” story from several years ago, this particular “invention of email” story seems to be more compelling through a media studies lens (i.e., why do media outlets keep publishing nonsense?), and not at all a case of uncertainty or debate amongst serious historians or networking engineers. Andy

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Fascinating edit war at the Wikipedia page on email
by Thomas Haigh 03 Sep '14

03 Sep '14

Hello everyone, The last few days seem to have seen a great deal of back and forth in edits and on the talk section of Wikipedia's page on email. Pro-Ayyadurai forces have jumped in to seize on the Huffington Post series as documentation to rewrite the text to give him a staring role. A cynic might speculate that the Wikipedia page is the real prize and the Huffington Post articles merely a means to an end. They have, thus far, been beaten back with heavy resistance by Wikipedia loyalists. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Email#Recent_published_research:_1978_Inve ntion_by_Shiva_Ayyadurai. It is interesting to see the social processes at work in shaping what for most will be the first and only destination in a search for an authoritative account of something. I did notice many references to Ayyadurai being edited over the past couple of years into other, less policed, Wikipedia pages. This included about a dozen references to his book being added to various pages before it was even published. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Arttechlaw Ayyadurai himself saw the removal of previous references to him from various articles as some kind of conspiracy and documented the process as part of how "systems of power react when they feel threatened." http://www.inventorofemail.com/Removal-Of-References-On-Wikipedia-To-VA-Shiv a-Ayyadurai-As-Inventor.asp Tom

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IBM Song Book
by Brian Randell 01 Sep '14

01 Sep '14

Hi: Arstechnica has an article about, and a full copy of an 1937 edition of the IBM Song Book. http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/08/tripping-through-ibms-astonishingly… Cheers Brian Randell School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk<mailto:Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk> PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell

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Fernando Gil International Prize 2015
by david nofre 29 Aug '14

29 Aug '14

Dear all, See message below: it might be of interest for historians of computing. Last year Mark Priestley's *A Science of Operations* won a special commendation. Best, David Nofre ------------------- Dear Sir/Madam, Please find attached the announcement of Fernando Gil International Prize 2015. We would be grateful if you could make it available widely in your institution, and generally circulate the announcement to anyone whom you think might like to make a nomination for the prize. Thank you in advance. Yours sincerely, Teresa Santos (on behalf of Professor Miguel Seabra, President of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) FCT- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia http://www.fct.pt/apoios/premios/fernando_gil/

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Can computers replace historians?
by Dag Spicer 25 Aug '14

25 Aug '14

That is the provocative headline this morning on the BBC website… http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28895098 It’s a brief puff-piece on Big Data… but I thought SIGCIS members would at least enjoy the headline… Also this anodyne conclusion: "Leetaru says historians should see this kind of computational tool as just another technique amongst many rather than a threat to their professional expertise.” I’m reassured! :_) Dag -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum Editorial Board, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 1401 North Shoreline Boulevard Mountain View, CA 94043-1311 Tel: +1 650 810 1035 Fax: +1 650 810 1055 Twitter: @ComputerHistory

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Fwd: [Ssnet_list] Job Listing: Position in STS at Univ. of Washington-Bothell
by David Stearns 21 Aug '14

21 Aug '14

Apologies if you’ve already received this, but some on this list might be interested in this new position at University of Washington's Bothell campus... Dave Stearns The Information School University of Washington https://ischool.uw.edu/people/faculty/dlsinfo Begin forwarded message: From: Johanna Crane <johcrane(a)uw.edu<mailto:johcrane@uw.edu>> Subject: [Ssnet_list] Job Listing: Position in STS at Univ. of Washington-Bothell Date: August 21, 2014 at 11:05:05 AM PDT To: <ssnet_list(a)u.washington.edu<mailto:ssnet_list@u.washington.edu>> School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington Bothell Science and Technology Studies, Faculty Search, 2014-15 Science and Technology Studies – Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track (One Full-Time Position) The School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS) at the University of Washington Bothell (UWB) seeks dynamic educators who integrates research with teaching in science and technology studies and/or the history and philosophy of science. Potential areas of expertise include science and technology policy, science communication, citizen science, ethics, and history of science and/or technology. The successful candidate will join a faculty that spans the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences in a curriculum that values interdisciplinarity, diversity, and community-engaged research and pedagogy. Record of teaching excellence, evidence of commitment to working with diverse student and community populations, and PhD are required at time of appointment. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. IAS houses undergraduate and graduate programs, is located in the Seattle metropolitan area, and provides faculty members with access to the research and funding resources of the UW as a whole. IAS houses twelve undergraduate majors, including degrees in Science, Technology, and Society; Environmental Studies; and Mathematical Thinking and Visualization, among others. It also offers Master of Arts degrees in Cultural Studies and Policy Studies, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Poetics. IAS as a whole stresses links among fields and methods of inquiry. We value engaged scholarship and experiential learning relevant to diverse student populations and communities. Successful candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to innovative and effective pedagogy, and should be prepared to teach an upper-division core course that introduces students to interdisciplinary inquiry in a portfolio-based undergraduate curriculum. For more information about IAS, UW Bothell, and the position, go to http://www.uwb.edu/IAS/, or e-mail the search committee chair, Professor Colin Danby, at cdanby(a)uwb.edu<mailto:cdanby@uwb.edu>. Preferred deadline: 15 October 2014. Applications should include a letter addressing the candidate’s scholarly and pedagogical qualifications for working in IAS; CV; research sample; sample syllabus; evidence of teaching success or teaching dossier. Email applications in one electronic file to ias-facultysearch(a)uwb.edu<mailto:ias-facultysearch@uwb.edu>. Letters of recommendation will be requested of candidates who advance in the process. University of Washington faculty members engage in teaching, research and service. Candidates should expect to teach at all levels of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. The University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. IAS is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. We strongly encourage applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. -- Johanna Crane<http://www.bothell.washington.edu/ias/faculty-and-staff/johannacrane> Assistant Professor Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences University of Washington - Bothell Office location: UW2-323 Office phone: 425-352-3560 Scrambling for Africa: AIDS, Expertise, and the Rise of American Global Health Science<http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100922670>

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