Looking Back and Forward

---

"Well within our sights now is a magazine that can truly be considered the most important scholarly publication in the field of computing."

---

2008 has been a year of incredible change for Communications of the ACM. Starting with the 50th anniversary issue in January in which it was first announced that the magazine would undergo a major revitalization to the realization of this goal with the debut of the July issue with a dramatically expanded editorial scope and completely new look. Behind the scenes there has been a team of the most dedicated and talented staff and volunteers any publisher could ever hope to work with and a renewed sense of optimism about what is possible for the Association’s flagship publication.

Well within our sights now is a magazine that can truly be considered the most important scholarly publication in the field of computing that is fast attracting the interest of practitioners and industry technologists as well as researchers and educators, and a source of high-quality in-depth news for the entire computing and IT industries. Now more than ever in the recent past, Communications is attracting readers new to the magazine and longtime readers whose interest had lapsed but have now returned and are enjoying each new issue.

Getting to this point has not been easy. The past year has been at times tumultuous and filled with uncertainty, as roles and responsibilities have changed, new members have been added to the team, and several have left for other pursuits. Change is never easy and it takes a special organization to manage it well, starting with a clear vision for what needs to be accomplished and a drive to keep working toward that vision. The publication that exists today is not perfect and our job is not done, but we are on the right path and what we hear on a daily basis from you, our readership, helps to keep us focused and moving in the right direction.

The next year will be filled with even more challenges and opportunities. For the first time, ACM will launch a true destination Web site for its flagship publication. This site will among many other features include daily news for the computing community, Web 2.0 functionality such as the ability to comment on all articles published in the magazine, smart technology that will serve up related content based on user preferences, and an improved user experience for job seekers and employers looking to connect with each other. The site will serve as an important complement to the print magazine, but will in many ways exceed the magazine’s print limitations. Ultimately, it is our goal to provide you with a complete experience that serves your information needs and gives you even more value for your hard-earned membership dollars than ever before.

Thank you for all of the feedback you have given in 2008 to make Communications of the ACM what it is today and please continue to offer your ideas and contributions to help make the magazine even better in 2009.

Scott E. Delman, GROUP PUBLISHER

Back to Top