[comp.software-eng] Software Engineering Digest v5n51

soft-eng@MITRE.ARPA (Alok Nigam) (12/31/88)

Software Engineering Digest     Friday, 30 Dec 1988

                Volume 5 : Issue 51

Today's Topics:

         Re: Professional Programmers (was: Seeing the future)
                 MUMPS (was: Professional Programmers)
        Re: The High Cost Of Software Practice & Experience (4)
                    Re: software complexity measures
                        Re: Vendors of Ada ADTs
               Software Developers Looking for Publishers
                 HICSS-23 SESSION/MINI-TRACK PROPOSALS
                            CONFERENCE CALL
        Is KBEmacs from MIT's Programmer's apprentice available?

------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 24 Dec 88 15:54:37 GMT
From: mcmi!hdr!unocss!mlewis@uunet.uu.net  (Marcus S. Lewis)
Organization: U. of Nebraska at Omaha
Subject: Re: Professional Programmers (was: Seeing the future)

> ... it is a safe bet
> that someone who knows MUMPS will know something about medical practice.)

I love sweeping generalizations!  Sorry, I have to cut in.
I run a machine for a stock brokerage and our entire back office system,
as well as out front office system is written entirely in MUMPS.  We also
have a product for brokers not in our office based on a multi-user PC
based MUMPS.  Not a medical person in the bunch.  BTW, any person hiring
a MUMPS programmer is likely more concerned with the "MUMPS mindset" than
familiarity with the actual application.  "Good programmers" who don't
have the mindset to deal with the MUMPS paradigm make lousy MUMPS programmers.

------------------------------

Date: 25 Dec 88 21:37:07 GMT
From: mcvax!enea!sommar@uunet.uu.net  (Erland Sommarskog)
Organization: ENEA DATA AB, Sweden
Subject: MUMPS (was: Professional Programmers)

This reminds me of when I after my first year at the University was a
summer practicant at the hospital in Lund where they used MUMPS. My
impression was that not only MUMPS discouraged what is known as "structured
programming", its syntax(*) even made it impossible. When I said this to
one in the ordinary staff, the comment was: "Structured programming,
we don't occupy ourselves with that here". I hope this is not what you
mean with "MUMPS mindset".

(*) Unless the langauge has changed since I played with it, this is
the langauge where indentation was a syntax error.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 26 Dec 88 11:54:33 PST
From: ide!tonyw@Sun.COM (Tony Wasserman)
Subject: Re: The High Cost Of Software Practice & Experience

There was a question as to whether Software: Practice and Experience
pays its authors.  As of 7 years ago, when I had an article published,
the answer was clearly no, and I have the impression that this remains
the case. It is just a scientific journal published by a commercial
publisher, in the same way as Information Systems (Pergamon),
Acta Informatica (Springer), and numerous others from them and North Holland.
All of these journals come with formidable subscription prices,
although many of them have relatively attractive (less than $100)
prices for individual subscribers.

Because of the small circulation, especially in North America, articles
published there are seen and cited less frequently than are articles
in IEEE and ACM publications in the US, so that is a factor for potential
authors who like to have their work seen and known.

------------------------------

Date: 26 Dec 88 18:41:15 GMT
From: tektronix!reed!psu-cs!warren@bloom-beacon.mit.edu  (Warren Harrison)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Portland State University; Portland OR
Subject: Re: The High Cost Of Software Practice & Experience

The authors of paper which appear in SP & E receive no money for their
articles, and in fact, as is customary within such circles, sign the
copyright of the paper over to Wiley & Sons meaning they cannot publish
it (though they do have some liberal rights to use it in "noncommercial
settings") elsewhere (e.g., in an anthology) without Wiley's permission.

Further, the reviewers of papers in SP & E (again, as is customary in
such circles) receive no pay for their efforts.  I would imagine the
editor-in-chief(s) receive some compensation for their efforts, but no
where near a full time salary (maybe $1000/month or so ... anyone know
for sure???).

The high cost of SP & E is due in part to (1) Wiley & Sons is a for-profit
outfit and (2) they accept very little advertising.  In contrast, the
Communications of the ACM only costs about $40 a year (or it is thrown in
with your ACM membership), and accepts (editorial on {way too much
editorial off) advertising.  In addition, authors of papers are not only
not paid for the papers, but they have to pay $125 a page for "page charges"
to help offset the typesetting and production charges.  This does not imply
that the CACM will accept anyone's paper, in fact there are 4 to 5 times
as many papers submitted than are published.  The party line is the page
charges are always "voluntary" but I have always opted to have my school
pay them.

As far as people's motivations for publishing in these journals, it
is usually based on several things: (1) since the paper is accepted or
rejected based on the recommendations of 2 to 5 referees who are usually
experts in the field, publication of your work is indication that your
work is technically sound ... this is important since others in your
department may not be expert enough in your particular field to determine
that on their own. (2) many government grants require publication so the
results you come up with (and the govt paid for) will be disemminated to
others (3) it is (I think) human nature to want to tell others that you
respect about the stuff you're doing ... publishing in these journals
(as opposed to Dr. Dobbs Overbyte ...) will ensure that these people
will read about your work (4) it keeps others from reinventing the wheel.

As far as motivations go for serving as an editor or a referee, I can only
speak for myself, but I feel that it is an obligation I owe since I expect
others to serve as referees for my work or to edit journals and conference
proceedings that my stuff might appear in, or that I might even read.

If you want to get involved, and have some specific expertise, write the
editor in chief of your favorite journal and volunteer.  They may or may
not be able to use you, but I know it's always nice having a group of
people instead of just one or two to send a paper to.  Likewise, get
involved with ACM Computing Reviews (BTW this is the only chance you'll ever
get for a signed review - all other refereeing is anonymous) - they can
always use reviewers.  If you like what is appearing in today's journals,
you can keep it going by serving as a reviewer, if you don't, you can change
it.

------------------------------

Date: 27 Dec 88 12:46:29 GMT
From: pdn!reggie@uunet.uu.net  (George W. Leach)
Organization: Paradyne Corporation,   Largo FL
Subject: Re: The High Cost Of Software Practice & Experience

>But more importantly, for-profit publishers (as opposed to non-profit
>organizations such as ACM) charge what the market will bear.  Because
>of its quality, "Software--Practice and Experience" is a "must have"
>for any library and for many individuals.

     And it is one of the few "must have" journals that can command
such a price.  It is perhaps the *only* monthly journal that I just
had to check each and every month.  Unfortunately, I no longer have
access to it and can not affort to subscribe.  I do miss reading it.

------------------------------

Date: 28 Dec 88 05:24:23 GMT
From: tikal!sigma!uw-nsr!john@beaver.cs.washington.edu  (John Sambrook)
Organization: UW-Bioengineering, Seattle, WA
Subject: Re: The High Cost Of Software Practice & Experience

I also received a copy of this flyer, and was ready to subscribe
until I saw the price.  In my opinion the price is much too high.
If I remember correctly my dues in IEEE and a couple of IEEE societies
was less than $ 150.00 per year.

I may make a fat salary, but not that fat :-)

------------------------------

Date: 27 Dec 88 17:27:00 GMT
From: apollo!marc@eddie.mit.edu  (Marc Gibian)
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
Subject: Re: software complexity measures

The last time I visited the issue of complexity measures the
problem was one of finding a measure that was valid for the
intended purpose.  There was a very good article in an
ACM communications on this issue (sorry, but I have forgotten
the issue).  The crux of the problem is that none of the
measures that are in use have successfully been proven
valid for their use... most of the time, to help a developer
generate "Better" programs.  Better translating into:  Fewer
bugs; easier to maintain; or something related.  In fact,
the arcticle I refer to gave examples where use of the measure would
in fact generate "Worse" programs.  I had personal experience
demonstrating this problem.

Does anyone know if any complexity measure has successfully been
validated against the "better problem" type of criteria?

------------------------------

Date: 27 Dec 88 02:52:17 GMT
From: portal!cup.portal.com!Jerome_V_Vollborn@uunet.uu.net
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Subject: Re: Vendors of Ada ADTs

I have used the GRACE package from EVB and it did implement the ADT's well.
The test programs and documentation are excellent.  The design methodology
used was Grady Booch's version of object oriented design as filled in by
Ed Berard.  The modules furnished were worth the price ($50 000 for a site
license which I understand is no longer available) as examples of object
oriented design.  BTW EVB Software Engineering furnishes a warranty with the
product (apparently Ed doesn't like to be considered legally insane (i.e.,
not responsible for his actions)).

------------------------------

Date: 27 Dec 88 13:19:23 GMT
From: kong!emory!stiatl!todd@gatech.edu  (Todd Merriman)
Organization: Sales Technologies Inc., Atlanta, GA
Subject: Software Developers Looking for Publishers

Apparantly, quite a few programmers would like to publish their software;
and there are a number of software publishers willing to evaluate their
work.  My original posting seems to have generated a fair amount of interest.
I have attempted to contact all respondents via e-mail, but some messages have
bounced.

Any other interested parties wishing to join the list of publishers or
developers should e-mail a note to me.

                                ....!gatech!stiatl!todd

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 27 Dec 88 13:12:41-1000
From: Bruce Shriver  <shriver@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Subject: HICSS-23 SESSION/MINI-TRACK PROPOSALS



                           CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR

                      HICSS-23 SESSIONS AND MINI-TRACKS

       You are invited to submit a proposal for a session or mini-track
       for HICSS-23.  The HICSS series of conferences has become a unique
       and respected forum in computer and information systems and technology
       for the exchange of scientific ideas among researchers in North America,
       the Asian and Pacific Basin Nations, and Europe. We are continually
       working toward increasing the overall quality and utility of this
       meeting.  Proposals are being solicited for HICSS-23 for sessions and
       minitracks on timely and important topics in the field.

       Your proposal should be from four to five pages long and should:

         1) Define the proposed technical area, discuss the topics
            the session/mini-track will address, and describe how they
            fit into the area;

         2) Discuss how these topics have recently been covered in other
            conferences and publications to substantiate that HICSS is not
            only an appropriate and timely forum for the topics but also
            that there is a body of unpublished good work to draw from;

         3) Contain a short bio-sketch and explicitly state that your
            organization endorses your involvement and has the infrastructure
            to support that involvement as described in the attached sheets
            giving the responsibilities of session/mini-track coordinators.
            Interacting with authors and referees in a fair and professional
            manner and employing control mechanisms that increase the overall
            quality of the meeting are among the major responsibilities.

       Send six copies of proposals to the appropriate Track Coordinator
       listed on the HICSS-23 Call for Papers and one copy to Prof. Bruce
       D. Shriver, Conference Co-Chairman.  We encourage the submission of
       proposals by e-mail.

          DEADLINES: Jan. 31, 1989  Proposals Due
                     Feb. 15, 1989  Notification Regarding Proposals

       Each proposal will be evaluated by an advisory body appointed by the
       Conference Chairmen and Track Coordinators and which includes some of
       the nation's leading experts in computer and information systems and
       technology.  The decision of the advisory body will be based on the
       overall technical merit of the proposal.  Since there is only a limited
       amount of space for conducting the meeting, the number of proposals
       that will be approved in each track is limited.

       I am looking forward to receiving a proposal from you.

       Prof. Bruce D. Shriver
       HICSS Conference Co-Chairman

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 28 Dec 88 15:26:35-1000
From: Bruce Shriver  <shriver@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Subject: CONFERENCE CALL

Sorry, but in the Call for Papers for HICSS-23, I sent you the incorrect
dates.  The meeting will not be from Jan. 9-12, 1990 as the call stated,
it will be from Jan. 2-5, 1990 as the following call indicates.  I apologize
for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Bruce

===== copy follows =====

                CALL FOR PAPERS -- HICSS-23

                     Twenty-third Annual
               HAWAII INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
                             on
                      SYSTEM SCIENCES
                     January 2-5, 1990

   Twenty-third in a series of conferences devoted to
   advances in the information, computer, and system
   sciences,  this Conference will encompass developments
   in both theory and practice.  Papers are invited in the
   areas shown and may be theoretical, conceptual, tutorial,
   or descriptive in nature.  Submitted papers will be
   refereed and those selected for presentation will be
   printed in the Conference Proceedings.  Submissions must
   not have been previously published.  HICSS is sponsored
   by the University of Hawaii and the Pacific Research
   Institute for Information Systems and Management (PRIISM)
   in cooperation with the Association of Computing
   Machinery (ACM) and the Computer Society of the IEEE.

   The purpose of the HICSS conference is to provide a forum
   for the interchange of ideas, research results,
   development activities, and applications among
   academicians and practitioners in the information,
   computer, and system sciences.  HICSS-23 will consist of
   advanced seminars, tutorials, open forums, task forces,
   a distinguished lecture series, and the presentation of
   accepted manuscripts which emphasize research and
   development activities in software technology,
   architecture, decision support and knowledge-based
   systems, emerging technologies, and advanced
   applications.  The best papers, selected by the program
   committee in each of these areas, are given an award at
   the meeting.  There is a high degree of interaction and
   discussion among the conference participants because the
   meeting is conducted in a workshop-like setting.  All
   registrants are expected to attend the entire conference
   and actively engage in these discussions.

   All registrations must be received no later than November
   10, 1989.  Applications received after this deadline may
   not be accepted for registration due to space
   limitations.  Since HICSS is a non-profit activity funded
   primarily by registration fees, all participants and
   speakers are expected to have their organization bear the
   costs of their expenses and registration.

      Relevant topics include:

      ARCHITECTURE
      *  Advances in High Speed Computing
      *  Advances in Networking and Telecommunication
      *  Distributed Processing
      *  Implementation Issues in Neural Computing
      *  Optical Computing
      *  Parallel Processing
      *  RISC (Silicon and GaAs)

      SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY
      *  Advances in Programming Languages and Their Implementation
      *  Alternative Design and Programming Paradigms
      *  Application Enabling Technologies
      *  Computer Aided Software Design and Engineering
      *  Design and Software Reuse
      *  Distributed Operating Systems and Databases
      *  Rapid Prototyping

      DECISION SUPPORT AND KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS
      *  Computer Based Decision Support Systems
      *  Executive Information Systems
      *  Expert Systems
      *  Group Decision Support Systems and Electronic Management Support
      *  Knowledge-Based Systems
      *  Model Management in DSS

      EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
      *  Advanced Authoring Systems
      *  Advances in End User Computing
      *  Computer Supported Cooperative Work
      *  ISDN Services, Systems, and Technology
      *  Multi-lingual and Multi-cultural Software Systems
      *  Technology Absorption, Deployment, Impact, and Transfer
      *  Very High Bandwidth Networks

      INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PAPERS:
      1. Submit six (6) copies of the full paper, consisting
         of 22-26 double-spaced, typewritten pages, including
         diagrams, directly to the appropriate track
         coordinator listed below, or if in doubt, to the
         conference co-chairmen.

      2. Do not submit the manuscript to more than one Track
         Coordinator.

      3. Each paper must have a title page which includes the
         title of the paper, full name of all authors, and
         their complete addresses including affiliation(s),
         telephone number(s), and e-mail address(es).

      4. The first page of the manuscript should include the
         title and a 300 word abstract of the paper.

      DEADLINES:

      *  Abstracts may be submitted to track coordinators for
         guidance and indication of appropriate content by March 1, 1989.

      *  Full papers must be prepared and sent to the
         appropriate track coordinator by June 5, 1989.

      *  Notification of accepted papers will be mailed to
         the author on or before August 31, 1989.

      *  Accepted manuscripts, camera ready, are due no later
         than October 1, 1989.

      *  All registrations must be received no later than
         November 10, 1989.  Applications received after this
         deadline may not be accepted for registration due
         to space limitations.

      TRACK COORDINATORS

      ARCHITECTURE
      Dr. Veljko Milutinovic             Dr. Lee W. Hoevel
      School of Electrical Engineering   Dir. of Advanced Systems Architecture
      Purdue University                  NCR Corporation
      W. Lafayette, IN  47907            World Headquarters   5E
      (317) 494-3530                     Dayton, OH  45479
      FAX: (317) 494-6440                (513) 445-1279
      Internet: hicss@ee.ecn.purdue.edu  Internet: lee.hoevel@dayton.ncr.com

      SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY
      Bruce D. Shriver
      HICSS-23  Software Tech. Track Coordinator
      Department of Decision Sciences
      University of Hawaii at Manoa
      2404 Maile Way
      Honolulu, HI  96822
      (808) 948-6606
      Internet: shriver@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu

      DECISION SUPPORT AND KNOWLEDGE BASED SYSTEMS
      Jay F. Nunamaker, Jr.
      HICSS-23 DSS & Knowledge Based Systems Track Coordinator
      MIS Department Eller Graduate School of Management
      University of Arizona
      Tucson, AZ  85721
      (602) 621-4475
      FAX:  (602) 621-2433
      BITNET:  nunamaker@arizmis

      EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
      Ralph H. Sprague, Jr.
      Emerging Technologies and Applications Track Coordinator
      Department of Decision Sciences
      University of Hawaii at Manoa
      2404 Maile Way
      Honolulu, HI  96822
      (808) 948-7082
      Internet:  sprague@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu

------------------------------

Date: 29 Dec 88 18:49:13 GMT
From: sunybcs!sbcs!cchen@rutgers.edu  (Chyouhwa Chen)
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Subject: Is KBEmacs from MIT's Programmer's apprentice available?

Does anybody know if the demonstration system KBEmacs from MIT's
programmer's apprentice project is available for research institutions?
Or if you have their email addresses, I would appreciate it very much
if you can send it to me.  Thank you very much.

------------------------------

End of Software Engineering Digest
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