Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
April 2013
From ACM Opinion
The Future of Surveillance Will Turn Society Into a Massive Online Game
No matter what the future may contain, one thing is certain: just about everything in it, including us, will increasingly be under surveillance.
From ACM Opinion
The Facebook Phone Is Not As Dumb As I Thought It Was Going to Be.
People have been waiting for the Facebook Phone for years. Not real people, mind you, just technology reporters.
From ACM Opinion
Paul Mockapetris, Inventor of the Domain Name System, Wants to Filter the Web
Before the Internet, there was the ARPANet, a closed computer network that pretty much shut down on weekends and over holidays.
From ACM Opinion
What Big Data Will Never Explain
"She told him that she loves me, which is an important data point."
From ACM Opinion
From Touch Displays to the Surface: A Brief History of Touchscreen Technology
It's hard to believe that just a few decades ago, touchscreen technology could only be found in science fiction books and film. These days, it's almost unfathomable how we once got through our daily tasks without a trusty tablet…
From ACM Opinion
A Leader of Obama's New Brain Initiative Explains Why We Need It
Neuroscientist William Newsome of Stanford University is one of two scientists tapped by President Obama to lead a new brain research initiative, which the administration hopes to launch with $100 million of public funding and…
From ACM Opinion
The Bitcoin Bubble and the Future of Currency
A few days ago, the value of all the bitcoins in the world blew past $1 billion for the first time ever. That’s an impressive achievement, for a purely virtual currency backed by no central bank or other authority.
From ACM Opinion
Yes, You Should Care About Bitcoin, and Here's Why
Everybody's talking about Bitcoin these days, which is quite remarkable given the highly technical nature of the crypto-currency. So why is it such a big deal?
From ACM Opinion
Save a Soccer Referee. Hire a Machine to Rule on Goals.
Referees are the worst. Anyone who plays, coaches, or watches sports will agree. They call either too little or too much. They're blind, stupid, paid off, or just simply out to get us. (I know, I used to be one.)
From ACM Opinion
Interview with Computing Pioneer Alan Kay
Born in 1940, computer scientist Alan Curtis Kay is one of a handful of visionaries most responsible for the concepts which have propelled personal computing forward over the past thirty years—and surely the most quotable one…
From ACM Opinion
Apple and the Mysterious Case of the Missing Moonshot
When John Morrell left his post at Yale University last year and decamped to Apple, some members of the robotics community were perplexed.
From ACM Opinion
MOOCs Have Become a Straight Business Play
The distinctive feature of MOOC marketing in 2013 is the shift from being an exciting experiment to being offered as a working solution to budgetary and access crises. The flaws in MOOC quality are open secrets.
From ACM Opinion
You'll Never Believe the Data 'wiped' Smartphones Store
Few things are more precious, intimate, and personal than the data on your smartphone.
From ACM Opinion
The Child, the Tablet, and the Developing Mind
I recently watched my sister perform an act of magic.
From ACM Opinion
The Story of My App
Recently, I created an app called Petting Zoo. It is an interactive app for iPhones and iPads, and creating it was a difficult but interesting process.
From Communications of the ACM
Peacebuilding in a Networked World
Harnessing computing and communication technologies in fragile, conflict-stressed nations.
From Communications of the ACM
Cyber-Victimization and Cybersecurity in China
Seeking insights into cyberattacks associated with China.
From Communications of the ACM
The Problem with Hands-Free Dashboard Cellphones
Lawmakers misunderstand user experience of technology interface.
From Communications of the ACM
Are the Costs of 'Free' Too High in Online Education?
Considering the economic implications as educational institutions expand online learning initiatives.
From Communications of the ACM
Code Abuse
One programmer's extension is another programmer's abuse.