Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
February 2013
From ACM Opinion
After Adding Online Privacy Protections, F.t.c. Chief Resigns
Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, said on Thursday that he would resign effective mid-February.
From ACM Opinion
Inside the Targeted Attack on The New York Times
The Chinese group behind the targeted attack on The New York Times was laser focused on accessing the email of a reporter and the newspaper’s former Beijing bureau chief to the point that it used an inordinate number of custom…
From ACM Opinion
Google's Eric Schmidt: Drone Wars, Virtual Kidnaps, and Privacy For Kids
Google's chairman has sketched out a future world in which cyberterrorists are targeted by government drone strikes, online identities are taken hostage and held for ransom, and parents explain online privacy to their children…
From Communications of the ACM
More Sight on Foresight
My previous column, "The Foresight Saga, Redux," began a discussion that is continued here regarding some lessons learned from the 2012 U.S. November elections. In addition, I reflect on the collateral effects of Hurricane Sandy…
From Communications of the ACM
The Value of Microprocessor Designs
Applying a centuries-old technique to modern cost estimation.
From Communications of the ACM
The Explosive Growth of Postdocs in Computer Science
Considering the factors influencing the recent rapid increase in the number of postdoctoral positions in computer science.
From Communications of the ACM
Cloud Services Certification
How to address the lack of transparency, trust, and acceptance in cloud services.
From Communications of the ACM
The Tangled Web We Have Woven
Seeking to protect the fundamental privacy of network interactions.
From Communications of the ACM
Reflections on Stanford's MOOCs
New possibilities in online education create new challenges.
From Communications of the ACM
Divided By Division
Is there a "best used by" date for software?