Monash University > News and Events > Monash Memo > Notices

MyLifeBits - an Experiment in Lifetime Storage Seminar - Caulfield

Published: 16 April 2008

Special Event 17th April

A special seminar hosted by the Monash Museum of Computing History, FIT and Monash University e-Research Centre with guest speaker, Gordon Bell.

Gordon Bell will speak about his latest work in developing the MyLifeBits project which is an experiment in using multimedia to record every aspect of his daily life. This includes everything he has accumulated, written, photographed and presented. The digital world has presented us all with a vast amount of ephemera. The MyLifeBits project seeks to record these in a personal transaction processing database.

Gordon has a long career in the computing industry starting with 23 years (1960-1983) at Digital Equipment Corporation as Vice President of Research and Development, where he was responsible for Digital's products. He was the architect of various mini- and time-sharing computers (e.g. the PDP-6) and led the development of DEC's VAX and the VAX Computing Environment. Currently Gordon is a principal researcher in Microsoft Research Silicon Valley, working in the San Francisco Laboratory.

Workshop: Building Computer Museums

Gordon will give an informal talk on “building computer museums” for supporters of the Monash Museum of Computing History (MMoCH).Gordon started the Computer History Museum when he was working at Digital Equipment Corporation and realized that the history of computing needed to be preserved. The Computer History Museum is now housed in Silicon Valley, California.Gordon will speak about his involvement with establishing the Museum and guiding it through its various stages of development.

Event summary:

All rooms are in building B. See the Caulfield campus web page for a map and travel information.

Seminar 3 - 4pm Lecture Theatre B215

Workshop 4.30 - 5.30pm. Tutorial Room B224

Social : 6 - 7pm in Computing Museum Space

Meet and greet Gordon Bell 6pm around the environs of the Monash Museum of Computing History.

Note: the numbers are limited, especially for the workshop, so please ensure that you complete the online RSVP.

For further information about this event please contact Barbara Ainsworth of the Computing Museum via Barbara.Ainsworth@infotech.monash.edu.au or +61 3 9592 6012.