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Post on Computer History Museum Blog
by Marie Hicks 27 Mar '13

27 Mar '13

Hi all, Related to Women's History Month, I wanted to draw your attention to a blog post I did for the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, which fortuitously was posted just today. It's on the implications of "brogramming" for computer history's methodology and current image. They asked me to write it for a general audience so it's rather casual. Here's the blog: http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/ And if that doesn't work, the direct link to the post is: http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/brograms-and-the-power-of-vaporware/ Best, Marie ______________________ Marie Hicks, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, History of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL USA mhicks1(a)iit.edu | mariehicks.net | @histoftech

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CBI-Computer Security History Workshop CFP
by Jeffrey Yost 13 Mar '13

13 Mar '13

Dear Colleagues, The Charles Babbage Institute will be hosting a workshop on Computer Security History on July 11-12, 2014. The Call for Papers is contained below. Proposals must be received by Sept. 13, 2013, travel assistance will be provided for authors of accepted proposals. Please feel free to forward to individuals/groups/lists who may be interested. Best, Jeff Computer Security History Workshop-Call For Papers Charles Babbage Institute SRI International scientist and noted computer security pioneer Peter Neumann was quoted last year in the New York Time’s article “Killing the Computer to Save It,” that he has “…been tilting at the same windmills for 40 years and…[he]…get[s] the impression that most of the folks who are responsible don’t want to hear about complexity. They are interested in quick and dirty solutions.” Neumann is now heading a major DARPA effort to select the very best computer security ideas from the past to better address today’s challenges. Many computer security pioneers emphasize that most of the potentially useful (and often ignored) solutions to the nation and world’s many computer security challenges have fruitful seeds in the more distant past (and that today’s problems often resulted from yesterday’s choices in structuring computing and networking). The Charles Babbage Institute (CBI) is currently engaged in a three year National Science Foundation-sponsored project “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.” The project consists of conducting oral histories, creating a computer security wiki, and collecting and making available archival resources to document computer security’s past. In conjunction with this project, CBI is hosting a workshop on computer security history on July 11 and 12, 2014 and is seeking paper proposals for the event. Preliminary plans have been laid to publish many of the revised papers from the workshop in a 2015 IEEE Annals of the History of Computing special issue on computer security. All papers must be historical studies—ranging from the technical, scientific, political, legal, social, and cultural history of computer security (contemporary analyses of current issues will not be considered). Potential topics include, but are not limited to the history of pioneering work funded by the military; Bell-Lapadula, Biba, Clark-Wilson and other computer security models; TCSEC/The Orange Book/Rainbow Series; public key encryption/PKI; computer crime/criminal justice; hacking and hackers; intrusion detection; computer security companies; and the computer security industry. Preference will be given for papers on U.S. topics between the mid-1960s and the advent of the Web in the early 1990s. Requirements and logistics To be considered for workshop participation, authors should send a 500-750 word abstract detailing their proposed paper, which includes discussion of the key sources for the study. Authors must also submit a 2-page curriculum vitae. Applications should be sent to cbi(a)umn.edu as PDF documents no later than Friday September 13, 2013. For accepted proposals, full papers (6000 to 8000 words including footnotes) must be submitted for pre-circulation to the workshop’s participants by June 15, 2014. Travel assistance will be provided to all accepted applicants, as well as lunches and an event dinner on July 11, 2014. -- Jeffrey R. Yost, Ph.D. Associate Director, Charles Babbage Institute Faculty, 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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Heinz Nixdorf - A German Computer Pioneer
by Armand Van Dormael 11 Mar '13

11 Mar '13

Hello, After completing the manuscript of The Silicon Revolution, while cleaning up my archives, I came upon a file marked Nixdorf. Since it was too late to include it, I decided to publish a short biography. The book Heinz Nixdorf - A German Computer Pioneer, is now available on Amazon. Armand Van Dormael Armand Van Dormael 33 A Drève de la Meute 1410 Waterloo Belgium Tel/fax: 00 32 2 3549663 Email : a.vandormael(a)skynet.be

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another book by Knuth which is not another volume of TAOCP
by Dave Walden 08 Mar '13

08 Mar '13

See my review at <http://www.tug.org/books/reviews/tb103reviews-knuth9-walden.html>http://www.tug.org/books/reviews/tb103reviews-knuth9-walden.html It will be published in the upcoming issue of the TeX User Group's journal. As the review says, I think this will be a useful volume for computing historians whose research brings them toward Knuth's life and publications.

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CHM Prize -- column in Communications of the ACM
by Thomas Haigh 08 Mar '13

08 Mar '13

Hello SIGCIS members, Further to my recent CFP for the next prize, you may be interested in a recent "Historical Reflections" column I wrote for Communications of the ACM which was designed to showcase current work in the history of computing by profiling the first four winners of the prize. Online at http://www.tomandmaria.com/tom/Writing/CACM-FiveLessonsFromReallyGoodHistory .pdf, or for those of you with ACM digital library access at http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=2398356.2398369. Tom p.s. On reflection there are probably not 31 days to be had in April, so better get those books posted by April 30. Also, welcome to David Nofre as the newest member of the prize committee.

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Computer History Museum Prize (outstanding book) - nominations please
by Thomas Haigh 08 Mar '13

08 Mar '13

Hello everyone, Below and at http://www.sigcis.org/chmprize please find the latest call for nominations for our book prize, given each year to an outstanding book in the history of computing. The 2013 prize will be awarded at this years SIGCIS Workshop for a book on the history of computing, broadly conceived, published for the first time in English in 2012, 2011 or 2010. It is well worth resubmitting books that are still eligible even if they did not win in the last two years. Best wishes, Tom Computer History Museum Prize The Computer History Museum Prize is awarded to the author of an outstanding book in the history of computing broadly conceived, published during the prior three years. The prize of $1,000 is awarded by SIGCIS, the Special Interest Group for Computers, Information and Society. SIGCIS is part of the Society for the History of Technology. In 2012 the prize was endowed in perpetuity through a generous bequest from the estate of Paul Baran, a legendary computer innovator and entrepreneur best known for his work to develop and promote the packet switching approach on which modern networks are built. Baran was a longtime supporter of work on the history of information technology and named the prize to celebrate the contributions of the Computer History Museum to that field. 2013 Call for Submissions Books published in 2010-2012 are eligible for the 2013 award. Books in translation are eligible for three years following the date of their publication in English. Publishers, authors, and other interested members of the computer history community are invited to nominate books. Send one copy of the nominated title to each of the committee members listed below. To be considered, book submissions must be postmarked by 31 April 2013. For more information, please contact the prize committee chair. Current information about the prize, including the most recent call and a list of previous winners, may always be found at http://www.sigcis.org/chmprize. 2013 Prize Committee Members Rebecca Slayton (chair): Lecturer in Public Polic, Stanford University, 616 Serra Street, Stanford, CA 94305-6055. rslayton(a)stanford.edu David Nofre: Research Affiliate, Centre d'Estudis d'Història de la Ciència at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Send books to him at Kleyn Proffijtlaan 47, 2343DB Oegstgeest, Netherlands d.nofre(a)gmail.com Jonathan Coopersmith: Associate Professor Department of History, Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4326 j-coopersmith(a)neo.tamu.edu Previous Winners 2009: Christophe Lécuyer, Making Silicon Valley: Innovation and the Growth of High Tech, 1930-1970 (MIT Press, 2006) 2010: Atsushi Akera, Calculating a Natural World: Scientists, Engineers, and Computers During the Rise of U.S. Cold War Research (MIT Press, 2007) 2011: Paul N. Edwards, A Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming (MIT Press, 2010). 2012: Eden Medina, Cybernetic Revolutionaries:Technology and Politics in Allende's Chile (MIT Press, 2011).

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Reference//Growth of Early Personal Computer Industry
by Evan Koblentz 06 Mar '13

06 Mar '13

>> I was wondering if you could point me to good references on the early history of the personal computer industry. I'm looking for information for 1975-1985: # of firms, product introductions, # of units sold, that kind of thing. I'm trying to get some kind of quantitative handle on the growth in this area during this decade. Dave, The best source of information for 75-76 is Stephen Gray's "Amateur Computer Society" newsletter, especially the last few issues. CBI has it, as does my user group based in NJ, but CHM has it online already: http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/accession/102654910 The other thing you'll learn from reading ACS newsletters is that "the personal computer industry" did not start in 1975. Of course it depends on how you define "personal computer"... For the later 70s and the 80s I recommend the online "museum" page on at http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp -- there's a panel on the left where you can browse product launches by year. Very convenient. Another good source is the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by former Byte editor Michael Nadeau. It was meant as a price guide, but its numbers are obsolete; it's best used as an encyclopedia / reference guide. Magazine-wise, if you're willing to drive a few hours, our museum here in NJ (InfoAge Science Center) has nearly every issue from Vol. 1, issue 1, until Dec. 79, of Byte, Creative Computing, Dr. Dobbs, Interface Age, Kilobaud, and People's Computer Company. We also have many from Jan. 80 and newer but they're not organized. - Evan

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ASIS&T History Fund Awards 2013
by Thomas Haigh 05 Mar '13

05 Mar '13

Hello everyone, See below for a call for two awards. These have been offered annually for a while, but awards have not always been made. I think it is fair to read this as evidence that a strong and well-targeted application would stand a significant chance of winning. One is $500 for an unpublished paper. The other is a small, $1,000, research grant. ASIS&T is the leading association for "information science," which is not the same thing as computer science, but has been edging more into broader coverage of information technology over the years. The reviewers have an interest in history but are information science people rather than Ph.D. historians, so making explicit the relationship of your project to information science would be helpful. The organizers have asked me to seek proposals from SIGCIS members, and Andrew Russell, our chair elect, won one of them previously. For the paper award, be aware that it comes with an expectation that you attend the ASIS&T conference. So the $500 would roughly offset the registration, which is expensive. On the other hand it would carry some prestige in information science circles, particularly if it is published in JASIST. So this could be a good opportunity for someone interested in finding a faculty or postdoctoral position in the iSchool world and attending the conference. Tom -----Original Message----- From: sighfis-l-bounces(a)asis.org [mailto:sighfis-l-bounces@asis.org] On Behalf Of Lai Ma Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 6:59 AM To: asis-l(a)asis.org; sighfis-l(a)asis.org Subject: [Sighfis-l] Second call : ASIS&T History Fund Awards 2013 The ASIS&T History Fund Advisory Board announces the following two competitive awards for 2013: 1) The ASIS&T History Fund Research Award This award will be for a maximum of $1,000 and will be awarded for the best research proposal submitted by May 15, 2013. All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology may be proposed. The proposal should include: the central topic or question to be researched and an extended abstract, qualifications of the researcher (brief vita should be included), a budget and how the funds will be expended. All funds must be expended by June 30, 2014. Submit proposal to http://www.softconf.com/asist2/History/ (choose the "Research Award" category) by May 15, 2013. The winner will be notified by June 30 if an award is made. 2) The ASIS&T History Fund Best Paper Award This award will be for a maximum of $500 and will be awarded for the best paper submitted by May 15, 2013. All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology will be considered. The paper should not have been previously published or submitted to a journal. The paper should not exceed 30 pages double-spaced, including notes and references, using APA Style Manual. The winner is expected to present the paper at the 2013 ASIS&T Annual Meeting and to give first rights of refusal for publication to the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. Submit paper to http://www.softconf.com/asist2/History/ (choose the "Research Award" category) by May 15, 2013. The ASIS&T History Fund was established by the ASIS&T Board of Directors in June 2000 for the purposes of supporting and encouraging research and publication in the history of information science and technology. The Fund is supported by donations (including book loyalties) from ASIS&T members and others. The Fund Advisory Board encourages further donations from anyone interested in supporting historical study of information science and technology. Members of the ASIS&T History Fund Advisory Board for 2013 are: Sarah Buchanan, Chair Lai Ma, Chair-Elect Michael Buckland Samantha Hastings Trudi Bellardo Hahn For further information please contact Lai Ma at lai.ma(a)ucd.ie Sincerely, Lai Ma Lecturer School of Information and Library Studies University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland _______________________________________________ Sighfis-l mailing list Sighfis-l(a)asis.org http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sighfis-l

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REMINDER: SHOT 2013, Portland, ME -- CFP and SIGCIS Panels.
by Thomas Haigh 04 Mar '13

04 Mar '13

Hello everyone, So far I have heard from two people with paper ideas for possible incorporation into a panel, and one group with an existing panel proposal interested in SIGCIS sponsorship. If there is anyone else out there who has an idea for a presentation they'd like to get into a SIGCIS-organized panel for the main SHOT program then please send it to me ASAP so that I can get to work trying to fit the submissions together. Tom From: Thomas Haigh [mailto:thaigh@computer.org] Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 1:50 PM To: members(a)sigcis.org Subject: SHOT 2013, Portland, ME -- CFP and SIGCIS Panels. Hello everyone, The 2013 CFP for the annual meeting of our parent society, the Society for the History of Technology is now online. The meeting is 10-13 October, 2013 in Portland Maine, which for international travelers is fairly easy to get to as it is a 2.5 hour train ride from Boston or a short connecting flight from many US hub airports. This is NOT the Portland on the west coast. Meeting details at http://www.historyoftechnology.org/annual_meeting.html. Deadline March 31. I lived in Maine for two years, and from the viewpoint of Waterville in central Maine, Portland was a big bustling place with mild weather and fancy restaurants. For Bostonians it's a small quaint town in the exotic north with a blue collar tinge. Anyway, the weather will probably be quite nice in mid-October. SHOT is a friendly conference, open to newcomers. It's a good opportunity to meet people interest in the history of computing, but also to interact with the broader community of historians of technology. SHOT traditionally has some themes in its CFP, but I do not see any this time, just "any topic in the history of technology, broadly defined." Note: this is NOT the call for the annual SIGCIS workshop, which usually takes place on the final Sunday of the conference. Our call will follow and will have a much later deadline. Below is the description I prepared last year for those interested in SHOT and in the service SIGCIS offers of trying to assemble ideas from people interested in presenting in the main conference and knitting the resulting abstracts into coherent, relevant panel proposals. Andrew Russell is now SIGCIS Chair Elect, and so I'll be working jointly with him to get the panels together this year. OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SIGCIS SPONSORED PANELS: SIGCIS generally organizes two or three panel proposals for the main SHOT conference, and individual members sometimes also use the email list to put together panel proposals with SIG sponsorship. These proposals are reviewed like any others by the SHOT program committee. Sponsorship doesn't guarantee acceptance, but working with the SIG raises the chance of your paper being part of a coherent, relevant, and polished proposal. We also work to match people at different career stages, of different genders, and in different countries which the CFP says will boost chances of acceptance. If you are interested in being part of such a panel please send me an informal expression of interest with a brief description of your possible contribution. I would like this by March 3, well ahead of SHOT's March 31 deadline, so that we have plenty of time to work on the panels. I then try to find common themes to develop in the topics that could tie them together into a coherent looking proposal, and work with the authors to refine the individual abstracts to meet the expectations of historians of technology. SIGCIS members are also encouraged to develop their own panel proposals. These can also be sponsored by the SIG. Feel free to reply to the list (members(a)sigcis.org) to find additional panel members. For some years now SHOT has been calling for more diverse kinds of proposal, such as roundtables or interactive sessions. I've been told that not many are submitted, but the program committee is open to them. HOW SHOT PANELS WORK: Certain things are normal for history conferences but can confuse those from other disciplines. SHOT isn't usually as explicit about some things in its call as it could be. (NB: this part seemed to offend a few people last year, but it's just making explicit the taken-for-granted cultural practices of history conferences for the benefit of those who haven't been to graduate school in the humanities. I'm not judging anyone. For example, in computer science full papers are reviewed, scores and comments are shared with authors, accepted papers are published in proceedings, and everyone is expected to use LaTEX rather than Word. At ASIS&T, the main information science conference, panels and reviewed papers are expected to feature quite different kinds of content and there's a taboo against assembling scholarly papers into a panel format. So if you ever venture outside history you will realize that our practices are not universal.) What you need to know: . Panels generally run for 90 minutes and consist of three panelists, a commentator, and a chair. Speakers get about 20 minutes each, with 10 for the commentator, 10-15 for questions, and the remaining few minutes lost in setup, handover, and late return of the audience from the coffee break. Some panels are proposed as a whole. Others are assembled by the program committee from papers submitted individually. . Most people now use PowerPoint, at least for images. Some people use bullet points. Many historians still read papers word for word. . Reviewing is based on a one page abstract and one page cv, and thus is obviously not double blind. Usually about 1/3 of submissions are rejected, but you will never know why as you do not receive comments from the reviewers. At least I've never received any. Selection is done by the program committee members themselves, with program balance and session coherence a concern. Therefore the odds of being accepted are generally higher as part of a coherent panel than as an individual paper. . The full paper is never reviewed or published, but you are still expected to write out some version of it for the commentator to read prior to the meeting. The commentator is supposed to weave together useful common threads in the papers, add context where missing, and make suggestions on possible improvements. This role is known as a "discussant" in some disciplines. SHOT commentators generally err on the side of niceness, particularly versus some discussion I've seen in business schools. . All the chair does is to introduce the speakers, moderate the question period, and make sure that everything runs to time. It's a good way to get yourself onto the program if you don't have any new work to present. . Only one paper submission per person per year is allowed. SHOT discourages people from speaking two years running, but this has usually been waived in the year following an "overseas" meeting, and last year's meeting was in Copenhagen. I don't see anything in the 2013 call one way or another. . SHOT usually has travel money from the NSF and other sources to help graduate student presenters and those "between jobs." This is applied for separately after acceptance of your paper. Best wishes, Tom

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Reference//Growth of Early Personal Computer Industry
by David C. Brock 01 Mar '13

01 Mar '13

Dear List, I was wondering if you could point me to good references on the early history of the personal computer industry. I'm looking for information for 1975-1985: # of firms, product introductions, # of units sold, that kind of thing. I'm trying to get some kind of quantitative handle on the growth in this area during this decade. Thanks in advance for your kind consideration and help, Dave +++++++++++++++ David C. Brock dcb(a)dcbrock.net Senior Research Fellow Center for Contemporary History and Policy Chemical Heritage Foundation www.chemheritage.org Principal, D.C. Brock Consulting www.dcbrock.net 40 Russell Street, Greenfield, MA 01301 Mobile: 413-522-3578 **New Fax Number: 866-549-8597** Skype: dcbrock Twitter: @dcbrock

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