The IEEE journal Annals of the History of Computing invites submissions for a special issue titled “Governance in the History of Computing.” Edited by Gerardo Con Diaz (University of California, Davis), this special issue will showcase how formal and informal forms of governance (from law and policy to self-policing) have shaped the history of computing broadly conceived. According to the call for papers:
Some topics of interest include:
In recent years, scholars have developed a keen interest on the historical relationships between information technology and governance. Their work is revealing that computing and telecommunications technologies have been inseparable from the web of formal and informal forms of governance in which they are embedded. In the process they are showing how the study of law, policy, and regulation can shed new light on every major theme in the history of computing—from the design and commercialization of specific technologies, to the politics of their usage, representation, and disposal. This special issue aims to bring these scholars together. We welcome papers that draw from the history of computing and its allied fields, including STS, media studies, environmental studies, business history, and gender and sexuality studies. . . .Papers may focus on any time period from the early nineteenth century to the recent past and on any geographical region. Possible topics of interest include
Some topics of interest include:
- Computing, free speech, privacy, and censorship
- Criminal activity, due process, and punishment
- Corporate governance and industry standards
- Gender and race politics of IT governance
- Computing and environmental policy
- Internet standards and regulation
- Ownership rights and piracy
- Influential court opinions at the local, national, or international level