Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
November 2012
From Schneier on Security
How Terrorist Groups Disband
Interesting research from RAND:
Abstract: How do terrorist groups end? The evidence since 1968 indicates that terrorist groups rarely cease to exist as a result of winning or losing a military campaign. Rather, most groups …From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Are You Ready for Computer Science Education Week?
I’m a big fan of CSEdWeek (Computer Science Education Week) and in the past I have done school visits and hosted field trips at Microsoft offices during the week. I don’t have anything planned this year though which is pretty…
From Wild WebMink
Does Rooting Void Your Warranty?
Find out on ComputerWorldUK
From Computer Science Teachers Association
Seeking Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Interested in Computing!
Do you have a deaf or hard of hearing student in your class who is interested in math, science and/or computing? Encourage your student to check out the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing, a summer…
From Computer Science Teachers Association
Seeking Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Interested in Computing!
Do you have a deaf or hard of hearing student in your class who is interested in math, science and/or computing? Encourage your student to check out the Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing, a summer…
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
The Power Of Guessing
Some results and ideas on guessing and nondeterminism David Doty and Michael Wehar are theorists who work in different areas of computational complexity, and are at different stages of their careers. Doty is at the California…
From Schneier on Security
Gary McGraw on National Cybersecurity
Good essay, making the point that cyberattack and counterattack aren't very useful -- actual cyberdefense is what's wanted.
Creating a cyber-rock is cheap. Buying a cyber-rock is even cheaper since zero-day attacks exist onGiven…From The Eponymous Pickle
Devices and Software
O'Reilly talks about Square Wallet and a number of other software developments. I have also been introduced recently to some Apps that interact with health data that have a similar effect on whole groups of user-data interactions…
From Computational Complexity
Andrew Goldberg guest blog on new max flow result
Guest Blog by Andrew Goldberg on the recent Max Flow in O(nm) time algorithm. Maximum Flow in O(nm) Time Recently, Jim Orlin published an O(nm) maximum flow algorithm. This solves a long-open problem. In this blog entry, we…
From Schneier on Security
Micromorts
Here's a great concept: a micromort:
Shopping for coffee you would not ask for 0.00025 tons (unless you were naturally irritating), you would ask for 250 grams. In the same way, talking about a 1/125,000 or 0.000008 risk of…From Wild WebMink
Driving Open Source
Here’s my interview with this month’s Oracle Java Magazine about the forces driving open source and the need for open source skills.
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Should Computer Science Teachers Be Paid More Than Gym Teachers
I first ran into the question of paying faculty based on the subject they taught some years ago during an industry advisory meeting for a university computer science department. We were discussing the issue of recruiting andWell…
From The Eponymous Pickle
At the VA Center for Applied Engineering
Gave a talk at the VA Center for Applied Engineering today in Indianapolis on the integration of design and analytically driven innovation. Also got to see poster presentations on a number of efforts underway there. Thanks…
From The Eponymous Pickle
New Degree of Analytic Learning
A new degree of analytic learning? An interesting interview: " ... Barbara Wixom is an associate professor at University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and has also taken on a two-year visiting scholar role at
…From The Eponymous Pickle
Failure of Social Strategies
Charlene Li on the failure of social strategies. Why most fail. Agree with many of the points made here. It can be hard to make them work disconnected from specific business strategy. " ... My colleague Brian Solis and I
…From Schneier on Security
New SSL Vulnerability
It's hard for me to get too worked up about this vulnerability:
Many popular applications, HTTP(S) and WebSocket transport libraries, and SOAP and REST Web-services middleware use SSL/TLS libraries incorrectly, breaking or disabling…From My Biased Coin
NYCE (New York Computer Science and Economics Day) Announcement
I was asked to post the following:We are pleased to announce that NYCE 2012, the fifth annual New YorkComputer Science and Economics Day, will be held in New York City onMonday, December 3rd.** General InformationThe goal ofYork…
From Putting People First
Developing a user-centered methodology for emerging markets and the BoP
In a long post, emerging markets strategist Niti Bhan [with whom Experientia collaborates] discusses her approach to strategic design planning and concept development specifically focusing on low income customers. In 2007, she…
From Schneier on Security
Regulation as a Prisoner's Dilemma
This is the sort of thing I wrote about in my latest book.
The Prisoners Dilemma as outlined above can be seen in action in two variants within regulatory activities, and offers a clear insight into why those involved in regulation…From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Vampire Numbers and other Interesting Things
In a Facebook post recently, Gerald Thurman, a computing/math instructor at Scottsdale Community College located in Scottsdale, Arizona introduced me to Vampire Numbers. I’d never heard of them before and if you haven’t either…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Coke Does Social and Photo Sharing
Coke has launched a photo sharing application about 'happy places'. Nice idea, how well it will be picked up will depend on. I worked on such an app, and depends much on the value it provides and what your friends and family…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Design plus Analytics
Have been re-reading The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage, by Roger Martin. For background on a talk on innovation I am giving tomorrow. What struck me in a second reading was how it…
From Schneier on Security
Three-Rotor Enigma Machine Up for Auction
Expensive, but it's in complete working order. They're also auctioning off a complete set of rotors; those are even rarer than the machines -- which are often missing their rotors.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Why You Can't Vote Online
In a voting line this morning, which was the first time in memory I had waited more than a few minutes, I noticed the large number of people using smart phones while they waited. It came to mind, why can't I vote online? Technology…
From Schneier on Security
Wanted: RSA Exhibitor for Book Signing
Is anyone out there interested in buying a pile of copies of my Liars and Outliers for a giveaway and book signing at the RSA Conference? I can guarantee enormous crowds at your booth for as long as there are books to give away…
From Putting People First
How teens do research in the digital world
According to Pew Internet research, the teachers who instruct the most advanced American secondary school students render mixed verdicts about students’ research habits and the impact of technology on their studies. More in particular…
From Schneier on Security
New Vulnerability Against Industrial Control Systems
These are often called SCADA vulnerabilities, although it isn't SCADA that's involved here. They're against programmable logic controllers (PLCs): the same industrial controllers that Stuxnet attacked.
From BLOG@CACM
HPC, Big Data and the Peloponnesian War
We need a concord and strategic research investment plan that recognizes the shared importance of HPC and big data. Both warrant investments in basic research, and both need investments in large-scale infrastructure deployments…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
On Industry Certifications For Students
This post all started as a comment on a guest post by Barbara Ericson on Mark Guzdial’s blog - The Need for an Industry-based Java Exam. In that post Barbara makes a case for an industry generated/supported Java exam that would…
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
The Election Outcome
We predict that one of three outcomes will happen Nate Silver is arguably the world’s foremost psephologist. This sounds like someone who foretells a person’s future by feeling the bumps on the head, but it is not—that is a phrenologist…