Why Do Software Developers Tolerate ‘Crunch Time’?
Given the well known increased risk of burnout for an extended "Crunch Time," why do developers put up with it?
BLOG@CACM
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Connecting Women and Technology
Guest blogger Valerie Barr writes about highlights of the ninth Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference, including keynote speeches by Megan Smith and Francine Berman.
Many of the techniques for better programming have been there for a long time.
Are There Too Many IT Jobs or Too Many IT Workers?
The latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics report is out, and it says that computing is booming! So why are there so many IT workers complaining about being laid-off?
Showcasing European Computer Science
Retrospective on the 2009 European Computer Science Summit and the launch of ACM Europe
Software Engineering, Smartphones and Health Systems, and Security Warnings
Software release cycles are usually long, measured in months, sometimes in years. Each of the stages—requirements, design, development, and testing — takes time. Recently, some of the constraints on software deployment have changed.
The DARPA Network Challenge and the Design of Social Participation Systems
What have we learned from the DARPA Network Challenge and the design of social participation systems? The principal concern for designers of social participation systems is to ensure the participants both give and get something from the system that is beneficial to both the individual as well as to the group. Looking toward the next decade, the social computing research challenge is understanding how to replicate effective social actions in social participation systems, in domains such as healthcare, education, and open government.
Tweets, Second Life, Visualisation: Student Ingenuity Will Never Cease
Some thoughts on using Second Life as a platform for first year CS teaching. Also raises the issue of setting appropriate challenge for brightest students.
The Ghosts of Holiday Shopping: Past, Present and Future
In many parts of the western world, the frenzy of holiday shopping has reached its crescendo. With apologies to Charles Dickens, it is instructive to consider the ghosts of shopping past, present and future, albeit with a bit of U.S.-centric perspective.
Inside an Effective Computer Science Classroom
A discussion of Guy Claxton's "What's the Point of School" book and how it relates to CS.
Progress on the new Advanced Placement exam in Computer Science is progressing, but it's still early to see how it's going to end up and whether it will achieve its goals.
The Rise of the External Brain
From an entirely unexpected source, we begin to realize the dream of an external brain that supplements our knowledge, wisdom, and memories.
Twelve Tips For Department Heads from an NSF Perspective
Nuts and bolts advice for faculty and department heads on interacting with the National Science Foundation.
Better GPS Software Through User Feedback
I appreciate my GPS software can tell me where I am, but it should get better at predicting where I will go.
Celebrating Computer Science Education Week
CSEdWeek is a joint effort led by ACM with the cooperation and deep involvement of the Computer Science Teachers Association, the Computing Research Association, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, the Anita Borg Institute, the National Science Foundation, Google, Inc., Intel, and Microsoft.
The End of Freedom on Internet?
Recent news
on media reveals a tendency in several countries: Internet censorship and more.
Security and Privacy Issues on Internet Social Networks
Last month most Internet users in Colombia were shocked with the case of a young girl who was murdered by a couple of young guys who used the girl's profile to track where she lived.
CS Woes: Deadline-Driven Research, Academic Inequality
In excerpts from the BLOG@CACM expert blog, Jeannette M. Wing writes about the negative effects of deadline-driven research, and Mark Guzdial discusses the role of computer science faculty in fostering inequality.
SC09 Reflections: The Need For Speed
SC09 (aka the “Supercomputing Conference”) was held during the week of November 16. The conference set an attendance record this year – roughly 10,000 attendees at the combined conference and tradeshow – despite the economic malaise of the technology industry and the global economy.
The CTO roundtable on cloud computing article in a past issue of CACM made me start thinking about what cloud computing really means for HCI and how people will interact with information in the future.
Georgia again counts the Advanced Placement test in Computer Science towards high school grauation requirements. The story highlights the challenges of making progress nationally in high school CS.
Games in Schools–Sugar-Coated Learning?
A discussion of the debate about using off-the-shelf, brain-training games in classrooms.
Shape the Future of Computing
ACM encourages its members to take a direct hand in shaping the future of the association. There are more ways than ever to get involved.
Get InvolvedCommunications of the ACM (CACM) is now a fully Open Access publication.
By opening CACM to the world, we hope to increase engagement among the broader computer science community and encourage non-members to discover the rich resources ACM has to offer.
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