Revolution During Disintegration: A Brief History of Yugoslav Computing

Sunday, July 24, 2022: 2:00 pm (DAC 416ABC): The socialist Yugoslav state was in many ways an aberration of the polarized Cold War period. Socialist, but not Soviet-aligned; friendly, but not exactly allied with Western Europe and the U.S.; its unusu...

Sunday, July 24, 2022: 2:00 pm (DAC 416ABC): The socialist Yugoslav state was in many ways an aberration of the polarized Cold War period. Socialist, but not Soviet-aligned; friendly, but not exactly allied with Western Europe and the U.S.; its unusual position produced unique developments in computing. At our current tumultuous historical moment of the pandemic, worsening climate crisis, and most recently the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we may be witnessing another global polarizing moment that may have long term political, cultural, and technological consequences. By looking at unusual technological developments from the late Yugoslav period - the curious case of Iskra Delta and DEC collaboration, the history of the Galaksija (the Yugoslav DIY microcomputer), and the development of JUPAK (Yugoslav Packet Network) - Vlado will offer a few lessons as we potentially move into a world where technology is once again an integral part of geopolitical conflict.

Vlado Vince