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Call for papers: special issue on “Gender and Internet/Web History.”
by Janet Abbate 05 Jan '23

05 Jan '23

Call for papers: “Gender and Internet/Web History.” This is a special issue of the journal Internet Histories: Digital Technology, Culture and Society, edited by Leopoldina Fortunati, Autumn Edwards & Janet Abbate. This special issue will take stock of the historical entanglement of gender and the Internet/Web. Facing a critical juncture both in terms of the technological development of the Internet (e.g., the nascent Web 3.0, radical decentralization, the integration of AI and machine learning) and also in terms of sociopolitical struggle on the part of women and gender-linked identity groups on local and global levels, we ask: How can we root the analysis of gender and the Internet on a historical level? How can histories that integrate gender and the Internet/Web help us comprehend the sociological, cultural, and political meaning and dimensions of each? Deadline for the submission of proposals is February 28th, 2023. Full papers will be due March 1st, 2024. Complete CFP details are attached. Submit proposals to each of the editors: • leopoldina.fortunati(a)uniud.it • autumn.edwards(a)wmich.edu • abbate(a)vt.edu Please mention “CFP Gender and Internet/Web History” in the subject line. This is a great opportunity for junior scholars or people exploring a new research area, as you will have nearly a year to write your article once your proposal has been accepted. We hope to hear from many of you! Dr. Janet Abbate Professor, Science, Technology and Society Virginia Tech Co-director, VT National Capital Region STS program liberalarts.vt.edu/sts www.facebook.com/VirginiaTechSTS https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/stsconnect/

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new book
by Dick van Lente 03 Jan '23

03 Jan '23

Dear SIGCIS, Some of you may be interested in a collection of essays that I edited and that just came out with Morgan & Claypool/ACM: ACM Books (morganclaypoolpublishers.com)<https://www.morganclaypoolpublishers.com/catalog_Orig/index.php?cPath=24&so…>. Title & description: Prophets of computing. Visions of society transformed by computing. When electronic digital computers first appeared after World War II, they appeared as a revolutionary force. Business management, the world of work, administrative life, the nation state, and soon enough everyday life were expected to change dramatically with these machines’ use. Ever since, diverse prophecies of computing have continually emerged, through to the present day. As computing spread beyond the US and UK, such prophecies emerged from strikingly different economic, political, and cultural conditions. This volume explores how these expectations differed, assesses unexpected commonalities, and suggests ways to understand the divergences and convergences. This book examines thirteen countries, based on source material in ten different languages—the effort of an international team of scholars. In addition to analyses of debates, political changes, and popular speculations, we also show a wide range of pictorial representations of "the future with computers." Best regards to all, Dick van Lente Dick van Lente Book Review Editor Technology & Culture

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Martin Davis (1928-2023)
by lidemol 03 Jan '23

03 Jan '23

Dear all, it is with great sadness that I wanted to inform you about the death of Martin Davis. Next to his basic contributions to computer science he was, above all, a great person -- humble, kind, honest and with integrity, with my best wishes, Liesbeth

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STS Italia conference panel - Interesting failures to come: history, actors, and scenarios in unsuccessful digital technologies projects
by Sanvitale, Ginevra 20 Dec '22

20 Dec '22

Dear colleagues, we are pleased to invite abstract submissions to panel 25<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feventi.un…> "Interesting failures to come: history, actors, and scenarios in unsuccessful digital technologies projects" organized in the scope of the 9th STS Italia Conference (Bologna, 28-30 June 2023). The deadline for abstract submission is January 15, 2023. The abstract should be sent through the conference platform<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conft…>. Notification of abstract acceptance/rejection will be sent by February 20, 2023. Please, find below the details. Interesting failures to come: history, actors, and scenarios in unsuccessful digital technologies projects (https://eventi.unibo.it/stsitalia2023/panel-25<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feventi.un…>) Convenors: Olga Usachova, University of Padova Ginevra Sanvitale, Eindhoven University of Technology For a long time innovation in the development of digital technologies has been portrayed only from the successful side. In contrast, the recent review emphasizes that “innovation projects [that] failed either completely or partly range from 40 to 90%” (Rhaiem & Amara, 2021). Unsuccessful digital technologies project development has been addressed from different fields, such as government information system (Pelizza & Hoppe, 2015), digital media (Magaudda & Balbi, 2018), organizational management of ICT project implementation (Ungerer, 2021), the environmental history of technology (Jones-Imhotep, 2017), the history of telecommunications (Lipartito, 2003). This evidence shows how failure is an unavoidable and multifaceted process in the development of digital technologies. Designing interesting worlds to come thus also implies expecting interesting failures to happen. And learning from past and present technology failure is a crucial step to future success in addressing the more-than-human challenges ahead of us. This panel will focus on two connected aspects of digital technologies failure. On the one hand, we discuss the controversies in current developments of digital technologies, drawing attention to the so-called unsuccessful development. On the other hand, we are interested in historicizing failure in the development of digital technologies, looking into both exceptional and recurring cases of digital technologies failures across time. We envision digital technologies failure as a societal, technological and political construct, typically resulting from the interaction of multiple human and non-human actors. digital technologies failure is therefore also a pointer to failures in our relationship with the natural environment, in our societal order and norms, in our technopolitical arrangements. We invite submissions from science and technology studies, history of science and technology, and other related disciplines that address the following questions (but not limited to): - How can we define “failure” in digital technologies? What is the role of non-human actors in existing conceptualizations of digital technologies failure? How can discourses and practices in different contexts contribute to the definition of digital technologies? - What is the role of maintenance and repair practices in digital technologies failure? Which more-than-human alliances are implied by these practices? What is the relationship between digital technologies failure, more-than-human-challenges, and repair and maintenance practices? - What conditions underlie the institutional acceptance of technology failure? Why do some digital technologies failures receive more public attention than others? How do processes of accountability work in publicly-funded failed digital technologies projects? - What are historical and contemporary examples that address learning from digital technologies project failure? How are these learnings recorded and transmitted (but also forgotten and omitted) over time? - What is the relationship between digital technologies failures and the promises sustaining the implementation and diffusion of these technologies? Can technology promises be understood as a counterpart of technology failures? How do past technology failures inform future technology promises? Ginevra Sanvitale

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New resources for teaching about early LGBTQ life online
by Avery Dame-Griff 14 Dec '22

14 Dec '22

All, I wanted to share a new suite of resources the Queer Digital History Project <http://queerdigital.com/> developed for researching and teaching about early web history. These are specifically aimed at community members and non-specialists who might teach related topics, such as LGBTQ studies, but aren’t sure where to start. - Digital Exhibits for a selected number of important figures in the history of queer digital communities <https://queerdigital.com/exhibits/show/impfigs>, LGBTQ BBSes <https://queerdigital.com/exhibits/show/platforms/bulletin-board-systems>, and Usenet newsgroups <https://queerdigital.com/exhibits/show/platforms/usenet> - Teaching Guides on Computing and the AIDS Crisis <https://queerdigital.com/aidsbbs>, Indecency, Obscenity, and Queer Voices Online <https://queerdigital.com/cda> (including the Communications Decency Act), and Early LGBTQ Digital Communities <https://queerdigital.com/earlycomms> - A glossary <https://queerdigital.com/glossary> of unfamiliar terminology individuals might encounter in primary source readings Ideally, these initial offerings will grow over time as new exhibits and teaching guides are developed, so I welcome any suggestions or feedback. Also, the Queer Digital History Project offers public presentations, guest lectures, and/or workshops on any of the teaching guide topics, either in-person or via videoconferencing. Please feel free to reach out to me if you’re interested in discussing scheduling a session, especially if you're thinking about your classes or programming for the coming year! Finally, this work was completed with the generous support of Humanities Washington as part of their Public Humanities Fellows <https://www.humanities.org/public-humanities-fellows/> program. Best, Avery Dame-Griff -- Avery Dame-Griff (he/him/his) Lecturer, Women's and Gender Studies (Gonzaga University) Author, *The Two Revolutions: A History of the Transgender Internet* (NYU Press, August 2023) Curator, Queer Digital History Project <http://queerdigital.com/> averydame.net

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Book just published open access "A Critical Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"
by renzotaddei＠gmail.com 14 Dec '22

14 Dec '22

Dear colleagues, The book "A Critical Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change," edited by Kari De Pryck and Mike Hulme, has just been published in open access at Cambridge University Press. The book summarizes the social science and STS literature on the IPCC across a wide range of topics. Available here: <https://tinyurl.com/5f56yefy> https://tinyurl.com/5f56yefy Renzo Taddei Federal University of Sao Paulo

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Fully Funded PhD Studentship on computing technology, sports, and media
by Troy Astarte 13 Dec '22

13 Dec '22

Hi SIGCIS, I’m pleased to advertise for a fully-funded 3 year PhD opportunity at Swansea University. The research project examines the relationship between computing technology, sports, and media, and offers the chance for a student to perform multidisciplinary research which can include history of computing/technology, STS, and media studies. The core aim is to add to our understanding of how technology shapes sports, and vice versa. The project is aligned with the PhD in Computer Science programme and candidates must have demonstrable technical expertise which they will also be expected to deploy during the project. I will be the primary supervisor, with further advisory support provided by colleagues in CS, media studies, and sports science. Funding is provided by the Faculty of Science and Engineering and EPSRC and covers tuition fees plus a stipend at normal UKRI rates. International candidates are welcome to apply and a successful international candidate would have their full tuition fees paid. However do note that 30 studentships were awarded this round and a maximum of 10 can be awarded to international candidates. For full details, and to apply, please see https://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/computer-scien…. The closing date for applications is 13th January 2023. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place in late January / early February with decisions made by the beginning of March. There are four possible starting dates from October 2023 to July 2024. I would be grateful if you could pass this advert around your network. I welcome informal enquiries from prospective candidates though I may be a bit slower to respond to email over the winter break. Best, Dr. Troy Kaighin Astarte (they/them / nhw) Lecturer, Computer Science / Darlithydd, Cyfrifiadureg Swansea University / Prifysgol Abertawe For students: my office hours are Wednesday and Friday, 10–1100, CoFO 407 and online). I fyfyrwyr: fy oriau swyddfa yw dydd Mercher a dydd Gwener (CoFo 407 ac ar-lein), 10–1100. Zoom office: https://swanseauniversity.zoom.us/my/t.k.astarte Supervision booking: https://doodle.com/bp/troyastarte/supervision Every email has a cost to the climate. Please think before sending short emails. Mae gan bob e-bost gost i’r hinsawdd. Meddyliwch cyn i chi anfon e-byst byr.

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Internet Histories, Volume 6, Issue 4 is online
by Asger Harlung 13 Dec '22

13 Dec '22

To whom it may concern Internet Histories, Volume 6, Issue 4, December 2022 is now available online. This is the Internet Histories second early career researcher award issue. The issue may be accessed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rint20/6/4 Below, please find an overview of contents of this issue. Please also consider submitting an article to the journal, more information about submission can be found here http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=rint20&page=…. Kind regards on behalf of the Internet Histories editorial team, Asger Harlung, Editorial Assistant, Internet Histories --------- Contents: Editorial Internet histories second early career researcher award Niels Brügger, Gerard Goggin, Ian Milligan & Valérie Schafer Articles “Do female anime fans exist?” The impact of women-exclusionary discourses on rec.arts.anime Aurélie Petit Moderation and authority-building process: the dynamics of knowledge creation on history subreddits Daniela Linkevicius de Andrade & Demival Vasques Filho Archives in the making: documenting the January 6 capitol riot on Reddit Terri Lee Harel Imagining networked scholarly communication: self-archiving, academic labour, and the early internet Corina MacDonald The invention of the archived web: tracing the influence of library frameworks on web archiving infrastructure Kieran Hegarty Metadata dating the digital city: a software archaeological approach Robert Jansma Book Review The New Laws of Love: Online Dating and the Privatization of Intimacy By Marie Bergström, Medford: Polity Press, 2022. Reviewed by Ben T. Pettis

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Question about IBM in Iran, 1970s
by Lilly Irani 09 Dec '22

09 Dec '22

Hello! I come to you all with a question about IBM in Iran in the 1970s. A SIGCIS colleague suggested this list is a generous space filled with IBM experts. I have an old family story told to me by my family about IBM dumping computers into the ocean to maintain secrecy of its engineering designs. I am looking for help either corroborating it or understanding what really happened, as the person who told me the story no longer remembers it. Longer version with context: My mom worked at IBM in Tehran in the 1970s in customer support phone answering, then in a program room where clients would bring code tape/reels to process, and finally in a procurement department. I remember my mom telling me a story about IBM throwing computers in Iran into the ocean when they were disposed of because they did not want Iranians to learn how to build their own computer. Now she doesn't remember this. I interviewed my mom about what she did remember. She talked about the Shah asking IBM to manufacture computers in Iran in the 1970s and IBM rebuffed him. She also said that IBM probably didn't want the Soviets to get access to computers and Iran shares a 2000 mile border with Iran so that might be why they'd dump computers in the ocean but they'd do it in the gulf, not the caspian which bordered the USSR. *Can the IBM experts in this community advise me on where or how I might inquire into these dynamics of secrecy and refusal to tech transfer, but also specifically into how IBM did dispose of computers during this period in Iran or similar locations?* Thank you so much, Lilly Irani UC San Diego, Communication & Science Studies -- Lilly Irani Associate Professor, Communication & Science Studies Co-Director, Just Transitions Initiative Faculty, Design Lab Affiliate Faculty, Computer Science Member, Institute for Practical Ethics http://quote.ucsd.edu/lirani/ http://justtransitions.ucsd.edu/ Books: Redacted <https://tallercalifornia.cargo.site/Libros> (Taller California 2021) | Chasing Innovation <https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691175140/chasing-innovation> (Princeton University Press 2019) I respectfully acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation that spans across and precedes the US-Mexico border.

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Annals, issue 2022-4
by vahrenkamp2＠gmx.de 09 Dec '22

09 Dec '22

Thank you, David Hemmendinger, for drawing attention to the issue 4 of Annals 2022 and making it available to us. I have looked at the review of the book by Corinna Schlombs Productivity Machines: German Appropriations of American Technology from Mass production to Computer Automation, and I am not entirely convinced. Automation was only a brief but heated debate in the US, Germany and Europe in the 1950s. But computer use in industrial production and administration came later. In the 1950s, there were perhaps two computers in industry and administration in Germany, and perhaps ten in the United States. In this respect, it seems exaggerated to speak of the computer as a productivity machine in the 1950s. It is true that productivity was the buzzword in the Americans' Marshall Plan. But Germany did not need any advice on this, since German industry was producing at a very high level as a result of weapons production in WW2. What today is largely redeemed as automatic production with the use of computers in industry was merely a debate in the 1950s. It is typical of Norbert Wiener who took part in it. But he contributed nothing to the development of the computer. The rationalization debate in the 1920s and the automation debate in the 1950s have been addressed in Germany by many publications by historians, as has the Taylorism debate. Where Corinna Schlombs' book perhaps overestimates U.S. leadership is in the office machinery sector. Germany had a quite competitive industry in office machines, as I have shown in my book "The First Informationexplosion". All the best Richard -- ******************************************** Prof. Dr. Richard Vahrenkamp Logistik Consulting Berlin Phone 0177- 628 3325 E-Mail: Vahrenkamp2(a)gmx.de Web: www.vahrenkamp.org Heubnerweg 11, 14059 Berlin *********************************************

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