May 2008 - Vol. 51 No. 5

May 2008 issue cover image

Features

Opinion Editorial pointers May 1 2008

Editorial Pointers

The World Wide Web may bring the world to our fingertips, but for tens of millions, some of the greatest wonders of the Web still require proficiency in English—the dominant language for information seeking. Progress has been slow building search portals in other languages, but with online populations in some regions experiencing triple-digit growth, demand […]

Diane Crawford

Architecture and Hardware

News News track May 1 2008

Enrollment in computer science programs may have leveled off after the dot-com downturn, but that leveling happened only after the number of bachelor’s degree graduates hit a trough, reports Computerworld. In the latest statistics from the Computing Research Association (www.cra.org), which follows year-over-year enrollment and graduate trends from 170 Ph.D.-granting institutions, only 8,021 students graduated […]

CACM Staff

Computing Applications

Opinion Forum May 1 2008

I agree with Chenglie Hu’s "Viewpoint" "Just Say ‘A Class Defines a Data Type’" (Mar. 2008) that data types are of central importance in computer science and should be emphasized throughout the curriculum. In CS 2, I always dedicate a good number of lectures to abstract data types and their (algebraic) specification. Some students are […]

Computing Applications

News ACM A.M. Turing Award nominations solicited May 1 2008

ACM A.M. Turing Award Nominations Solicited

Nominations are invited for the 2008 ACM A.M. Turing Award. ACM’s oldest and most prestigious award is presented for contributions of a technical nature to the computing community. Although the long-term influences of the nominee’s work are taken into consideration, there should be a particular outstanding and trendsetting technical achievement that constitutes the principal claim […]

CACM Staff

Computing Applications

Opinion Viewpoint May 1 2008

The Crucial Role of CS in Systems and Synthetic Biology

Biological cells, coerced to function as hardware and driven by artificial DNA, can perform such nanoscale tasks as detecting toxic substances and manufacturing new drugs.

Jacques Cohen

Computing Applications

Opinion Staying connected May 1 2008

This Menu Has Changed

Innovative interfaces will give wireless the golden touch.

Meg McGinity Shannon

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

News May 1 2008

2008 ACM Elections

CACM Staff

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Web Searching in a Multilingual World

Studies of three prototype Web search portals---in Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic---reveal how to best support non-English Web searching.

Wingyan Chung

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances May 1 2008

How Intuitive Is Object-Oriented Design?

Intuition is a powerful tool that helps us navigate through life, but it can get in the way of more formal processes.

Irit Hadar and Uri Leron

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Words from Pictures For Dual-Channel Processing

Combining graphics and text representations of complex systems, Object-Process Methodology makes it easier to understand technical ideas, whether or not one is technically oriented by nature or training.

Dov Dori

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Emerging Trends in M-Government

Considering the advantages and implications of increased usage of wireless connectivity for governmental information and services.

Silvana Trimi and Hong Sheng

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Improving the Change-Management Process

It is crucial to integrate SCM and traceability, but significant challenges slow progress toward this goal.

Kannan Mohan, Peng Xu, and Balasubramaniam Ramesh

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Coordination in Emergency Response Management

Developing a framework to analyze coordination patterns occurring in the emergency response life cycle.

Rui Chen, Raj Sharman, H. Raghav Rao, and Shambhu J. Upadhyaya

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Taming Heterogeneous Agent Architectures

Using aspect-oriented techniques to construct high-quality multi-agent systems.

Alessandro Garcia and Carlos Lucena

Computing Applications

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Technology-Facilitated ‘Give According to Your Abilities, Receive According to Your Needs’

Software, hardware, computer networks, and online content all require mechanisms to prevent free riding, overuse of common resources, use of resources without consent, and blocking of resource access.

Oded Nov and Bharat Rao

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances May 1 2008

Reducing Internet Auction Fraud

When it comes to online auctions, "caveat emptor" is an understatement.

Bezalel Gavish and Christopher L. Tucci

Computing Applications

Opinion Technical opinion May 1 2008

Departmental Influences on Policy Design

How the U.K. is confusing identity fraud with other policy agendas.

Edgar A. Whitley and Ian R. Hosein

Computing Applications

Opinion Inside risks May 1 2008

The Physical World and the Real World

Most of us rely on the Internet for news, entertainment, research, communication with our families, friends, and colleagues, and myriad other purposes. What if it went away? Precisely that happened to many people in early February, in the wake of the failure of several undersea cables. According to some reports, more than 80 million users […]

Steven M. Bellovin

Computing Applications

Recent Issues

Explore the Issue Archive