The history of information technology

Information Revolutions, the Information Society, and the Future of the History of Information Science

“…Burke, 1992;Bowden, Hahn, & Williams, 1999;Griffiths & King, 2002;Rayward & Bowden, 2004;Williams, 2002aWilliams, , 2002bRenear & Palmer, 2009;Haig, 2011). Gutenberg's revolution still held sway if only feebly through the new information order of post-World War II up to the period of the late1980s and even the beginnings of the 1990s.…”

Digital History

“…Historians of science have been rather slow in taking digital computer seriously [2]. By combining the benefits to the use of digital history with traditional historical methods, the following applications can be made [3]:…”

Transitions from Analog to Digital Computing in Electric Power Systems

“…The history of computing began with "insider stories" in the 1940s, tackled technical priority in the 1970s, and more recently embraced the examination of users, individual companies, whole economic sectors, and even larger events like wars, political change, and cultural evolution. 12 Taking its place within the history of technology field, the history of computing opens new perspectives on central questions about inventions, inventors, and the sequence of innovation. 13 The approaches in the history of technology have evolved from a fascination with individual artifacts, the creative genius of inventors, and the determinative role of technology in human history to the notion that users as well as producers shape technology and socioeconomic trends importantly influence technical choices.…”

“…14 The standard narrative of computer development in America often abandons analog machines after World War II and focuses instead on the widespread embrace of digital machines. 15 Yet a growing body of scholarship offers a corrective, highlighting the ongoing importance and advantages of analog computing for certain applications. 4,16 In this investigation of computing in the power industry, a collection of experts defined the economy-loading problem, tested apparatus, and shaped solutions through practice on the power networks.…”