History of Computing: Learning from the Past: IFIP WG 9.7 International Conference, HC 2010, Held as Part of WCC 2010, Brisbane, Australia, September 20-23, ... in Information and Communication Technology)

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the IFIP WG 9.7 International Conference on the History of Computing, HC 2010, held as part of the 21st World Computer Congress, WCC 2010, in Brisbane, Australia, in September 2010. The 22 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers cover a broad scope of topics relating to the history of computing written both by historians and by those who were involved in creating this history, ranging from computing hardware, software and computer applications (including education) to social aspects of computing. Cover......Page 1 History of Computing: Learning from the Past : IFIPWG 9.7 International Conference, HC 2010 / Held as Part of WCC 2010 Brisbane, Australia, September 20-23, 2010 / Proceedings......Page 4 IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology 325......Page 2 IFIP World Computer Congress 2010 (WCC 2010)......Page 7 Preface......Page 8 Organization......Page 9 Prologue: An Illustrated History of Computing in Australia......Page 10 Table of Contents......Page 12 ISBN-13: 9783642151989......Page 5 George Julius’ Automatic Totalisator......Page 14 David Myers’ CSIR Differential Analyser......Page 15 Trevor Pearcey and CSIRAC......Page 16 John Ovenstone and WREDAC......Page 17 Brian Swire, John Bennett and SILLIAC......Page 18 Murray Allen’s ADA......Page 19 Murray Allen, Trevor Pearcey and CIRRUS......Page 20 ATROPOS......Page 21 Summing Up......Page 22 References......Page 24 Museum Victoria......Page 26 CSIRAC......Page 27 References......Page 28 Introduction......Page 29 Byzantine Empire......Page 30 Dark Ages......Page 31 Middle Ages......Page 32 Conclusions......Page 36 References......Page 37 Introduction......Page 39 Relay Computers......Page 40 Building a Memory......Page 41 Booth Multiplier......Page 44 Commercial Success......Page 45 Natural Language Processing......Page 47 Other Achievements......Page 48 References......Page 49 Introduction......Page 51 Early Professional Years......Page 52 Working with Trade Unions......Page 54 Data Agreements and the Working Environment Act......Page 55 Career as University Professor......Page 56 Engagement in Politics......Page 57 From Conflicts to Recognition......Page 58 References......Page 60 Introduction......Page 63 The Virtual Computer Museum......Page 64 “My Poetry and Truth,” Pioneers Reminiscences......Page 65 Information Processing Technology Heritages......Page 66 Special Issue of “Less Known Computers”......Page 67 Anatomy of Heritage Computers......Page 68 Demos and Symposia......Page 69 References......Page 70 Introduction......Page 71 Turing and the Roots of Modern Computing......Page 72 Manchester and the Birth of Modern Computing......Page 73 Contested History......Page 75 Conclusion......Page 79 References......Page 80 Introduction: The B-1 Computer......Page 81 The M-3 Computer......Page 83 The First Computer Centre in Hungary......Page 85 The M-3 Was Transported to Szeged, and the End of the M-3 Computer......Page 86 Parts Used (Approxomate Numbers)......Page 87 References......Page 91 Introduction......Page 93 The Beginning: World War II and Learning at the University......Page 94 Scientific Results and Achievements......Page 96 Anatoly Kitov and IFIP......Page 100 References......Page 101 Early Air Force Logistics and Information Technology Applications......Page 102 An Examination of ALS and Its Failure......Page 103 Conclusion......Page 110 References......Page 112 Introduction......Page 114 Acorn BBC Computer (UK)......Page 115 Designing the Australian Educational Computer......Page 116 Educational Technical Requirements......Page 118 Recommendations......Page 119 Reflections on a School Computer That Was Never Built......Page 121 References......Page 123 Introduction......Page 125 The Promise......Page 126 Basic......Page 127 Logo......Page 129 Basic and Logo......Page 130 Beyond the 60s......Page 132 Conclusion......Page 133 References......Page 134 Introduction......Page 137 Anomalies in the Historical Case......Page 138 Elements of the Ecological Method......Page 139 Analysing This Case Using the Ecological Model......Page 140 Turning Points and Ecological Explanations......Page 141 Conclusion......Page 144 References......Page 145 The Initial Idea......Page 147 The Information Society and Digital Literacy in the 1990s......Page 148 The Beginning......Page 149 ECDL 1997 - 2010......Page 150 Accessibility......Page 152 ECDL Products and Programmes......Page 153 The Work Force Sector......Page 154 Organisation......Page 155 Conclusions......Page 156 References......Page 157 Research Approach......Page 159 Brief Overview of the “PICK” Concept......Page 160 The Data Model......Page 161 Operating System Model......Page 162 Query and Reporting Language Environment......Page 163 Centralised IT Dissatisfaction......Page 164 Australian SMEs......Page 165 The Pick Community in 1992......Page 166 Pick’s Popularity......Page 167 What Changed?......Page 168 References......Page 169 Method......Page 172 High School......Page 173 University......Page 174 First Jobs......Page 175 Microcomputers......Page 176 Using a Computer......Page 177 A Timeline (Results)......Page 178 References......Page 181 Introduction......Page 182 The IBM SSEC a Stored-Program Computer?......Page 184 Essence of the Stored Program Concept......Page 186 The Protean Computer?......Page 188 References......Page 190 Recession, S-Curves and Digital Equipment Corporation......Page 192 References......Page 200 History of Socio Technical Design......Page 202 Development of ETHICS......Page 203 Analysis of ETHICS......Page 207 Conclusion......Page 208 References......Page 209 The BBC Microcomputer - A Withered Branch......Page 211 Links between Processor Families and Operating Systems......Page 213 Alternatives to the Von Neuman Design – Triumph of Algorithm over Heuristic......Page 215 References......Page 216 RMIT University Beginnings......Page 219 Setting the Scene – Before the Department......Page 220 1988 – An Undergraduate Degree Is Created......Page 221 1988 – The First Bachelor of Business (Business Information Systems) Degree and Growth in Postgraduate Diploma Enrolments......Page 222 Consulting and Industry Engagement......Page 223 Life and Death of Office Systems......Page 224 1987 – Centenary Year......Page 226 Conclusion......Page 227 References......Page 228 Background of Museum......Page 229 Purpose of the Museum......Page 230 Collection......Page 232 First Exhibition......Page 233 Permanent Exhibition, Caulfield Campus, Monash University......Page 234 Multimedia Project with Arts Faculty......Page 235 Research......Page 236 Computer History Tours......Page 237 Future Directions......Page 238 References......Page 239 Author Index......Page 241 Connections in the history of Australian computing -- John Deane Why the real thing is essential for telling our stories -- David Demant Wonder, sorcery, and technology : contribute to the history of Medieval robotics -- Nadia Ambrosetti Andrew D. Booth : Britain's other "Fourth Man" -- Roger G. Johnson The many dimensions of Kristen Nygaard, creator of object-oriented programming and the Scandinavian school of system development -- Drude Berntsen, Knut Elgsaas, and Håvard Hegna Projects and activities of the IPSJ Computer History Committee -- Eiiti Wada Contested histories : de-mythologising the early history of modern British computing -- David Anderson 50 years ago we constructed the first Hungarian tube computer, the M-3 : short stories from the History of the First Hungarian Computer (1957-1960) -- Győző Kovács Anatoly Kitov : pioneer of Russian informatics -- Vladimir A. Kitov and Valery V. Shilov Materiel Command and the materiality of commands : an historical examination of the US Air Force, Control Data Corporation, and the Advanced Logistics System -- Jeffrey R. Yost Purpose-built educational computers in the 1980s : the Australian experience -- Arthur Tatnall and Ralph Leonard And they were thinking? Basic, Logo, Personality and pedagogy -- John S. Murnane The life and growth of year 12 computing in Victoria : an ecological model -- Arthur Tatnall and Bill Davey History of the European computer driving licence -- Denise Leahy and Dudley Dolan A brief history of the Pick Environment in Australia -- Stasys Lukaitis Turning points in computer education -- Bill Davey and Kevin R. Parker Existence precedes essence : meaning of the stored-program concept -- Allan Olley Recession, S-curves and Digital Equipment Corporation -- David T. Goodwin and Roger G. Johnson ETHICS : the past, present and future of socio-technical systems design -- Shona Leitch and Matthew J. Warren Lessons from discarded computer architectures -- Andrew E. Fluck The birth of information systems -- Audra Lukaitis, Stasys Lukaitis, and Bill Davey The Monash University Museum of Computing History : ten years on -- A. Barbara Ainsworth, Christ Avram, and Judithe Sheard. History of Computing: Learning from the Past Why is the history of computing important? Given that the computer, as we now know it, came into existence less than 70 years ago it might seem a little odd to some people that we are concerned with its history. Isn't history about ‘old things'? Computing, of course, goes back much further than 70 years with many earlier - vices rightly being known as computers, and their history is, of course, important. It is only the history of electronic digital computers that is relatively recent. History is often justified by use of a quote from George Santayana who famously said that: ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it'. It is arguable whether there are particular mistakes in the history of computing that we should avoid in the future, but there is some circularity in this question, as the only way we will know the answer to this is to study our history. This book contains papers on a wide range of topics relating to the history of c- puting, written both by historians and also by those who were involved in creating this history. The papers are the result of an international conference on the History of Computing that was held as a part of the IFIP World Computer Congress in Brisbane in September 2010.