May 1988 - Vol. 31 No. 5
Features
An astronomer-turned-sleuth traces a German trespasser on our military networks, who slipped through operating system security holes and browsed through sensitive databases. Was it espionage?
Information technology and dataveillance
Data surveillance is now supplanting conventional surveillance techniques. With this trend come new monitoring methods such as personal dataveillance and mass dataveillance that require more effective safeguards and a formal policy framework.
The higraph, a general kind of diagramming object, forms a visual formalism of topological nature. Higraphs are suited for a wide array of applications to databases, knowledge representation, and, most notably, the behavioral specification of complex concurrent systems using the higraph-based language of statecharts.
Managing prototype knowledge/expert system projects
Computer science technology in the 1990s will involve knowledge/expert systems. Fundamental issues of technology transfer, training, problem selection, staffing, corporate politics, and more, are explored.
Growth stages of end user computing
The stages of growth and interconnectedness of the applications of end user computing are described in a model that is directed toward management and planning.
Factors of success for end-user computing
A two-phase study concerned with the factors of success associated with the development of computer applications by end users was conducted in 10 large organizations. During the first phase, in-depth interviews were used to refine a preliminary model of the factors of success for user development of computer applications (UDA). In the second phase, a questionnaire was administered to 272 end users experienced in developing applications. Statistical tests of the relationships in the model indicated that all but one of the derived hypotheses were substantiated. The result of this study is a field-verified model of the factors of success of UDA that provides a basis for implementation of UDA practices and policies in organizations, as well as for further research in end-user computing.
An experimental evaluation of the impact of data display format on recall performance
Recall, while an important topic in the study of learning and memory, has received relatively little attention as a dependent variable in studies that investigate alternative formats for presenting information. This paper describes two experiments, performed back to back, that examined the relationship between data display format and recall performance across different task categories. The results of Experiment 1 were reaffirmed by Experiment 2 and collectively suggest that a graphical presentation enhances recall when the task possesses a spatial orientation while the recall of specific facts is indifferent to data display format.
The world’s fastest Scrabble program
An efficient backtracking algorithm makes possible a very fast program to play the SCRABBLE® Brand Crossword Game. The efficiency is achieved by creating data structures before the backtracking search begins that serve both to focus the search and to make each step of the search fast.
An insertion algorithm for a minimal internal path length binary search tree
This paper presents an insertion algorithm for maintaining a binary search tree with minimal internal path length. The insertion algorithm maintains minimal internal path length by displacing keys when necessary, in an inorder fashion, until a vacant position is found in the last incomplete level of the tree. The algorithm produces trees that are optimal for searching while exhibiting a runtime behavior that is between logarithmic and linear in the number of nodes in the tree, with linear time being its worst-case behavior.
MIS careers—a theoretical perspective
MIS personnel historically have exhibited a disturbingly high rate of turnover, and the job of the MIS manager is increasingly oriented to personnel and staffing problems. The MIS careers literature consistently suggests that what is needed to improve this situation is (1) more attention to formal career planning, and (2) the implementation of a dual career ladder system within the DP/IS organization. A look at the broader literature on organizational careers suggests that these suggestions may not in fact make sense. By considering only a subset of the relevant concepts about careers, we have reached conclusions that are quite possibly erroneous, and have made suggestions that will not likely help. Until further research on MIS personnel and their career needs is accomplished, we will have no valid basis for prescribing solutions to MIS careers problems. Suggestions for needed research are outlined.
