March 2008 - Vol. 51 No. 3
Features
Opinion Editorial pointers
When embedded network sensing shifted from the laboratory to the natural environment, it was done under the meticulous design of scientists. Computer nodes embedded in the physical world would observe ecosystems, collecting field data intended to give researchers an unprecedented window into how nature works. But like most technologies with great repurposing potential, networked sensing […]
News News track
The National Science Board says leading science and engineering indicators tell a mixed story regarding U.S. achievements in science, R&D, and math in international comparisons. As reported in NetWorkWorld, U.S. schools continue to lag behind their internationally counterparts in science and math education. On the flip side, the U.S. leads in patent development and is […]
Opinion The business of software
Some thoughts on the accuracy of estimates.
Practice Practical programmer
People versus process? Watts Humphrey says it's people and process.
Opinion Viewpoint
Just Say ‘A Class Defines a Data Type’
When teaching computer programming to novices, forget "objects early," "objects later," and "back to basics."
News ACM fellows
The ACM Fellows Program was established by Council in 1993 to recognize and honor outstanding ACM members for their achievements in computer science and information technology and for their significant contributions to the mission of the ACM. The ACM Fellows serve as distinguished colleagues to whom the ACM and its members look for guidance and […]
Urban Sensing: Out of the Woods
Embedded networked sensing, having successfully shifted from the lab to the environment, is primed for a more contentious move to the city to where citizens will likely be the target of data collection. This transition will warrant careful study and touch on issues that go far beyond the scientific realm.
Tens of millions of users worldwide play games, as well as make phone calls, on their cell phones and other handheld devices.
Patterns, Symmetry, and Symmetry Breaking
Explaining software patterns by breaking the symmetry created by programming languages.
Costs and Benefits of XBRL Adoption: Early Evidence
Financial reporting via XBRL is a low-cost method for increasing transparency and compliance while potentially decreasing a firm's cost of capital.
The Contribution of Critical IS Research
Solving ongoing external problems may require looking inward first.
A fictional scenario of daily life in a world networked with ambient intelligence illustrates the dark side of the technology and the need for appropriate safeguards.
Evaluating user perceptions of location-tracking and location-awareness services.
Promoting Personal Responsibility For Internet Safety
Online safety is everyone's responsibility---a concept much easier to preach than to practice.
Requirements Engineering in New Product Development
How effective are the socio-technical interactions in developing new products?
Peer-Based Computer-Supported Knowledge Refinement: An Empirical Investigation
Nonexpert peer-based knowledge refinement, it turns out, is just as helpful as expert-centric knowledge refinement for improving the quality of results.
Opinion Technical opinion
Role of Word of Mouth in Online Store Loyalty
Comparing online store ratings with other e-store loyalty factors.
Opinion Inside risks
Wireless Sensor Networks and the Risks of Vigilance
When Wendell Phillips (an American abolitionist and reformer) told a Boston audience in 1852 that "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," he did not anticipate the advent of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). WSNs are a new technology that will help us be vigilant. Wireless networks and sensors are not new. However, deploying very large […]