BLOG@CACM – Page 19 – Communications of the ACM

Mar 12 2020

Clean Code Isn’t Enough; It Must Be Crystal Clear, Too

Writing clean code is a great start, but for programmers who really want to master their craft, you have to go further. You need to write clear code that other programmers can quickly understand and work with. Here's why.

Yegor Bugayenko

Computing Applications

Mar 12 2020

Getting a Program Right (7)

Have you run a program proof before? Now is your chance!

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Mar 10 2020

Beware of Hurting Our Weakest Students when Moving Classes Online

Our weakest students should not be the ones bearing the greatest costs of moving classes online.

Mark Guzdial

Computing Profession

Mar 9 2020

Getting a Program Right (6)

Thanks for your patience.

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Mar 6 2020

Getting a Program Right (5)

Are we there yet?

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Mar 5 2020

Voting as Tallying in Public

Voting requires common acknowledgement. Can that be achieved in automation?

Robin K. Hill

Computing Profession

Mar 4 2020

Getting a Program Right (4, Also Includes 3′)

Trying again.

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Profession

Mar 2 2020

Getting a Program Right (3)

Attempt #3 to write a binary search program.

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Mar 2 2020

How Does a Pantograph Work?

Pantographs have been widely used for centuries; for example, in surveying and embroidery. With these devices, drawings can be enlarged and reduced.

Herbert Bruderer

Computing Profession

Mar 1 2020

Coding for Voting

Robin K. Hill explains the ethical responsibility of the computing professional with respect to voting systems.

Robin K. Hill

Computing Applications

Feb 28 2020

Getting a Program Right (2)

Trying to fix a binary search attempt.

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Feb 26 2020

How Do We Make AI More Ethical?

Scientists consider the limits of ethics in the realm of artificial intelligence, and how to mitigate its biases.

Lawrence M. Fisher

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Feb 23 2020

Developing Computational Solutions With Humility: Recommending Morgan Ames’ ‘The Charisma Machine’

Morgan Ames' book highlights the missing HCI design process for the XO Laptop

Mark Guzdial

Computing Profession

Feb 22 2020

Getting a Program Right (1)

Why it is good to have a systematic approach to software verification.

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Feb 11 2020

There is More Than One Way to Become a Good Programmer

A recent Communications of the ACM article casts aspersions on the innovative concept of code academy, a fast-developing approach to teaching programming. The analysis in this article, based on my own experience developing a code academy in the past three years, shows that there is no justification for such contempt. Code academies are a different approach, complementing the traditional university model; they do not offer everything that universities do (and do not pretend to), but also provide a number of benefits not available from university education. They can also serve to provide university graduates with new expertise. They fill industry's crying need for good software developers. They are a complement to universities (and MOOCs), not a competitor, and have earned their place in the battery of educational models.

Bertrand Meyer

Computing Applications

Feb 11 2020

Talented Programmers Don’t Tolerate Chaos

Talented programmers will strive to structure chaos and write perfect code.

Yegor Bugayenko

Computing Applications

Feb 10 2020

Why IT Professionals Get A Bad Rap For Their Communications

Tips for improving business IT communications.

Steve Hockey

Computing Profession

Feb 1 2020

Sizing the U.S. Student Cohort for Computer Science

Mark Guzdial considers indicators that U.S. K-12 students will study computer science.

Mark Guzdial

Computing Profession

Jan 30 2020

The Vote as a Declared Datum

A vote is a datum that sheds its original identity but persists.

Robin K. Hill

Computing Profession

Jan 28 2020

Why Is There No Well-Known Swiss IT Industry?

Herbert Bruderer asks why no information technology industry emerged in Switzerland in the 1950s, despite the appearance of computers from several sources.

Herbert Bruderer

Architecture and Hardware

Jan 17 2020

Not So Good After All? Don’t Let ‘Altruism’ Kill Your Company

Altruism is often heralded as a panacea for management challenges, but it could actually be a death sentence for your team and projects. Here's why.

Yegor Bugayenko

Computing Applications

Jan 13 2020

The Internet at 50

A personalized take on three things we have to celebrate about the Internet today.

Saurabh Bagchi

Computing Profession

Jan 10 2020

Evolution Through Revolution: Getting Your Team to Embrace Change

Don't accept the status quo. Instead, build a team willing to fight for positive change.

Yegor Bugayenko

Computing Profession

Jan 4 2020

Computing Continues to Dominate STEM Career Opportunities

According to the most recent (2018-28) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, the top five STEM career opportunities are all in computing.

Joel C. Adams

Computing Profession

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