Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
February 2013
From The Eponymous Pickle
Choosing a Pie Critique
Most of us who do data visualization know that the Pie Chart form is rarely a good choice for displaying comparative data to promote understanding. Though I have seen it being used more often recently as sheer artistic relief…
From Schneier on Security
Anti-Drone Clothing
Clothing designed to thwart drones.
From The Female Perspective of Computer Science
My Secret to Surviving Grad School With a Baby
When I reflected on all that's happened in the last year or so, I didn't mention how I managed to do it. My secret? An excellent support system!I'm really lucky that both my and my husband's parents live near us. I'm even luckier…
From Computational Complexity
The (il)logic of fandom
(UMCP is having an REU (Research Experience for Undergradutes) this summer on Combinatorial Algorithms Applied Research. If you are an ugrad, go to that site and see if you want to apply. If you are a faculty see if you want…
From U.S. Public Policy Committee of the ACM
ACM Council Endorses New Publishing Policy
ACM released this statement today on changes to its publishing policy. Considering discussions around copyright policy and open access, we thought our readers would be interested in the publishing models ACM is adopting. ACM’s…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Robots Influencing Jobs
In IEEE Spectrum: How will robots effect the of market of 2045? An interview. " ... Automation has displaced a lot of workers in the last 50 years, and it’s set to displace a lot more of them—taxicab and truck drivers,…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Coke War Room in Action
In Ad Age: A look at the Coke war room during the Super Bowl. Quite an interesting case of the real time, manual manipulation of a digital event. What kind of support is needed in this 'War Room' to make it useful and efficient…
From Schneier on Security
Proactive Defense Papers
I just printed this out: "Proactive Defense for Evolving Cyber Threats," a Sandia Report by Richard Colbaugh and Kristin Glass. It's a collection of academic papers, and it looks interesting.
From Putting People First
Designing for the human brain
Sarah Rotman Epps of Forrester thinks the challenge ahead for wearables is in designing for the human brain. “No, I’m not talking about sensors implanted in your brain (although that’s certainly possible, and already happening…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
XNA is Dead (or will be soon)
I’ve really loved using XNA Game Studio for game development. I think its been a great tool for hobbyists, students and even serious casual game developers. It looks like its time is about over though. While I was still atXNA…
From Computer Science Teachers Association
Wally Addresses Computer Literacy
As a teacher, I love it when real-world events seem to come together and influence my teaching. Just the last week, I ran across a great Dilbert comic in which Wally refers to bits and their value, which was the perfect conversation…
From Schneier on Security
Security Seals
I don't see a lot written about security seals, despite how common they are. This article is a very basic overview of the technologies.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Stream Browsers Introduce Time Dimension
Yale prof David Gelernter on the 'Stream Browser'. " ... Gelernter recently predicted the end of current Web and search technology as the focus shifts from a space-based Web to a time-based "worldstream." "By adding together…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Article on Postdocs by Anita Jones
In “The Explosive Growth of Postdocs in Computer Science,” a VIEWPOINT article in Communications of the ACM, CCC Council member Anita Jones analyzes trends that have accompanied the increase of CS postdocs in recent years. “The…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Big Data and Operational Intelligence
In Inside Analysis: The end game of all analytics, Big Data or otherwise, should be the way that it plugs into decision making. If you don't know how you make decisions it is tough to insert it where it is needed. So I agree…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Superbowl Ads
Ad Age links to all the 2013 super bowl ads in one spot. Convenient for review purposes.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Router Details you Don't Need
Mashable on how a Router Works. Its fun to see the internal details of things we use every day and take for granted. And in this case there is history too, about the integration of the ARPANET concepts, which I have also used…
From Schneier on Security
Using Imagery to Avoid Censorship
"It's really hard for the government to censor things when they don't understand the made-up words or meaning behind the imagery," said Kevin Lee, COO of China Youthology, in conversation at the DLD conference in…
From BLOG@CACM
Doing It Right or Doing It Over?
Not everyone hits on America, who for India sets sail.
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Interesting Links 4 February 2013
I was flat out all last week teaching full-time. It was a good week even though a bit stressful. Starting teaching new courses, especially after a long hiatus, usually is. But I still managed to find some time to scan blogs,One…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Data Company Emerges from Stanford Math
In BusinessWeek:With today’s powerful data analysis systems, users gather a ton of information—a breakdown of Wal-Mart Stores’ (WMT) sales in the U.S. or things people “like” on Facebook (FB)—in one place and then run queries…
From My Biased Coin
Ad Board Update
We've finally got an update on the Government 1310 situation. As reported by the Crimson, FAS Dean Mike Smith sent out an email Friday, where he wrote that“somewhat more than half” of cases heard by the College’s Administrative…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Biological Simulation
In CACM: New progress in sources of data, and simulation analytics, and better and more complete models of biological systems are leading to better simulated systems.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Questions about Conversations with a System
My thoughts and questions prompted by an article today In the NYT: As alert systems and devices start having extended conversations with us, can we expect them to be affirming? Critical? Congratulatory? I am working on a…
From Putting People First
Talking, walking objects
The future is rich with sensor-based, animated devices to give us affirmation, coach us and just plain keep us company. Smart Design’s Carla Diana gives a good overview in this opinion piece for the New York Times. “As products…
From Putting People First
Nicholas Carr on taking Clay Shirky’s ‘cognitive surplus’ idea to its logical, fascistic extreme
Max Levchin [one of the Silicon Valley elite—computer scientist, cofounder of PayPal, buddy of Peter Thiel, Yahoo director, restless entrepreneur, big thinker, venture capitalist, angel] gave the keynote Iat DLD13 in Munich recently…
From Putting People First
Redesigning public services so they can actually help people
Although I don’t agree with the implicit meaning of this Fast Company title (i.e. that public services currently do not help people – whereas the real issue is the degree of impact), I am always excited to hear the latest updates…
From Putting People First
Social Innovation Europe Magazine interviews Ezio Manzini
For more than two decades Ezio Manzini has been working in the field of design for sustainability. Recently, he focused his interests on social innovation –he started, and currently coordinates, DESIS, an international network…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Smart Cities Critique
Think of Smart Cities as extremely complex version of process control. With the added complexity of a mix of difficult to predict people. It also reminds me of algorithm based AI systems we developed. SimCIty also inspired…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Failed Resource Predictions
Some examples of failed resource availability projections. In many cases some huge misses despite the apparent sophistication of the models. Forecasting models are often wrong, the question is how wrong.