Technical Community Models Proposal to IEEE-CS TAOC

1. Denis L. Baggi Founder, TF/TC on CGM, 1992 Chairman, Working Group for IEEE 1599, 2001-8 Author, Survival KIT, 1995 (in the present TAB Handbook) Technical Community ModelsProposal to IEEE-CS TAOC TCCGM

2. Summary of the presentation I. Brief mention of CS problems, assessed by experts, 2005 to present II. One (modest) proposal to extend the reach of the CS - while maintaining its engineering/scientific quality and nature - by engaging the Liberal Arts and Humanities (Las Vegas, May 12, 2008) TCCGM

3. Problem Statement • IEEE Computer Society declining: • Membership • IP relevance to Industry • Attraction from emerging technologies • Financial reserves TC organization, leadership, practices, and initiatives are a part of this problem TCCGM

4. Present Reality Computers are pervasive, used in all disciplines Computer users from other disciplines contribute significantly to computing science and technology CS does not attract them: lack of credibility See: Addressing the Evolving Profile of Computer Professionals, IEEE COMPUTER, October 1997, pp.84-85. http://www2.computer.org/portal/web/tandc/messages/-/message_boards/message/894037 TCCGM

5. Credibility issues: from CS studies CS no longer relevant, overrun by academics, need more applications of technology than pure engineering, not enough international, breadth of books too limited, incorrect educational material, non relevant topics in local chapters, no practical content relevant to work(IEEE Computer Society 2007 Member Survey, Readex Research, 35 pages) Focus shifted from technology deployment to research publication venue, papers with interest to researchers but little value to practitioners, 84% academic, 16% industry/government, need for a new CS financial model, value offered by IEEE/CS/ComSoc has not kept pace with changes, need for a researcher-practitioner-user model(Report to the IEEE CS TAB: Regaining Industry/Government Participation, Joe Bumblis, 2005, 26 slides) Low degree of connection to members, insufficient attention to “members of tomorrow”, 92% male, need for new initiatives, a new non-engineering image for the CS, “Practitioner” not defined (IEEE Computer Society 2007 Member Survey, Deborah M. Cooper, 52 slides) TCCGM

6. Credibility issues: my own experience • Even less credibility outside of engineering/scientific circles • Members of “interdisciplinary” TC’s contribute to the TC but do not become CS members, dislike the CS • Practitioners using computers in non-engineering areas look at the CS with contempt (See “scandal Rocchesso”, 1998) • Volunteers contribute with enthusiasm, yet CS officers and staff hamper their work until they give up TCCGM

7. Credibility issues (continued) • CS tends to substitute quality with adherence to procedures, processes, checklists, bureaucracy; inability to look at contents(applies to all bodies, initiative, TC’s, articles, conferences...) • Remember: a looser structure enhances quality • CS Officers and Staff are unable to see the CS as a whole: TAB, SAB, Pub, etc. As a CS body, a TC should contribute to all - the CS won't work if it acts as a set of sealed compartments • Lack of international vision, emphasis on local bureaucratic procedures and legal matters TCCGM

8. What has changed? New Trends: Contribution to “Computing” does not come only from Science and Engineering “... what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians and poets and artists and zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world...” (Steve Jobs, “Triumph of the Nerds part 3”, PBS) TCCGM

11. Why Change? A Computer Society must appeal to practitioners who are NOT of engineering/scientific background • if the trend continues, it won’t depend on present engineering, but on the growing Integration of Systems for human/computer interaction (new business opportunities, e.g. iPhone • To satisfy growing needs, it becomes necessary to invest in interdisciplinary subjects: CS has to encourage new fields and (TC) activities Note. This is not a luxury such as “it would be nice but...” “our priorities are...”, but a necessary - and not sufficient - condition for survival and expansion TCCGM

12. Solution Continue with quality of publications, conferences, ... Continue with “traditional” engineering TC’s and activities AND use this quality to credibly capture professionals not only of engineering background, but from the real world “we who work in computer network defense (and are the world's expert practitioners in the area) look to sociologists, cognitive experts, biologists, and others to help use develop the technologies we need” Jack Cole, IEEE, 2009 TCCGM

13. Solution • Expand IEEE-CS Technical Community (TC) and COI organization, scope, measures, and purpose from solely Academic and Research • To include • Computer Industry Professionals • who come from • Outside of Engineering or Science TCCGM

14. Proposal Vision.The CS represents and supports all those who contribute to computing in their activities: computer scientists and professionals, psychologists, sociologists, physicians, lawyers, musicians, artists, ... Mission. The CS is open to new proposals and new kinds of members, to extend its quality beyond engineering and technology, with flexible models for Technical Committees, publications, conferences, vitality evaluation,... (lot of editing required, but the substance is there) TCCGM

15. IEEE Membership Associate Member grade is designed for technical and non-technical applicants who do not meet the qualifications for Member grade, but who would benefit through membership and participation in the IEEE, and for those who are progressing, through continuing education and work experience, towards the qualifications for Member grade. Member grade is limited to those who have satisfied IEEE-specified educational requirements and/or who have demonstrated professional competence in IEEE-designated fields of interest. For admission or transfer to the grade of Member, a candidate shall be either: (a) An individual who shall have received a three-to-five year university-level or higher degree (i) from an accredited institution or program and (ii) in an IEEE-designated field (b) An individual who shall have received a three-to-five year university-level or higher degree from an accredited institution or program and who has at least three years of professional work experience engaged in teaching, creating, developing, practicing or managing in IEEE-designated fields; or (c) An individual who, through at least six years of professional work experience, has demonstrated competence in teaching, creating, developing, practicing or managing within IEEE-designated fields. Affiliate A Society Affiliate is a non-IEEE professional who is generally a member of another professional Society and wishes to affiliate with one of IEEE's Societies. For an annual Affiliate fee paid to IEEE plus the individual Society's membership dues, the affiliate is admitted to membership in a specific IEEE Society. TCCGM

16. IEEE-designated fields • Engineering • Computer sciences and information technology • Biological and medical sciences • Mathematics • Physical sciences • Technical communications, education, management, law and policy No contradiction, as long as bullet 2 includes what described by Steve Jobs (slide 11), and all disciplines that make a heavy use of computers such as in the liberal art and humanities TCCGM

17. Informal Definition of TC • Dedicated to • common technical interests • breaking new grounds • novel areas • needs and enjoys CS support • Communications, e.g. newsletter, web portal, special magazine issues welcome letters, email • Provide a forum for discussion of technical topics, e.g. technical meetings • Focal point of industry and academia, • Other technical activities • Awards for technical excellence • Satisfies the needs of Membership • CS infrastructure & funding • Organized e.g. Officers, Charter, P&P, planned activities, reports • Produces and shares IP TCCGM

18. Checklist used by TAB to assess Vitality Web presence Communications, Newsletters Conferences Participation to meetings Publications, Membership Promotion and Awards Collaborations Unique Initiatives, Impact Elections Annual Report and Budget Not appropriate to all TC’s TCCGM

19. Advantages of the Criteria • Objective • Well suited to scientific/technological societies Disadvantages of the Criteria • Special case of model (see Math: “+” vs. Op) • do not always favor innovation TCCGM

20. Negative examples • TAB rules has stifled rebirth of a TC by applying blindly andinsisting on criteria such as newsletter, constitute an Ex Com, propose activities such as conferences, workshops, tutorials, publications, ongoing projects by members • Some TF’s did not even take off because their members, who looked forward to joining the CS, were turned off by its insistence on bureaucratic criteria Positive examples • TC that tried out new models and structures, generated scientific and newspapers articles, conferences, TV, videos, two projects financed by international funds, standard and book accepted, and yet put on probation by TAB - it did not respond to the checklist of established “vitality criteria” TCCGM

21. Recommendations for TC’s(Ideas by Shukri Wakid) • Strive for creativity,new initiatives and sponsors, business value for the CS; joint ventures with universities, industry, government; non-competitive technologies, open standards • new activities, initially supported by the CS, must have self-financing • the traditional TC model is valid but not unique: in engagement with liberal arts and humanities etc., TC’s assemble and disassemble • Vitality assessment includes innovation, intellectual knowledge and output, and attractiveness, to extend the reach of the CS in unexplored areas TCCGM

22. Markets for TC’s For many TC’s there exist possibilities to “expand their market” by: • contributing to journals in related areas • contributing to conferences in related areas • establishing contacts with industries in related areas • in a nutshell, going beyond the standard pattern, with the encouragement of the CS that has constantly favored innovative initiatives, regardless of procedures TCCGM

23. Other Actions TCs, COIs etc. follow new models with activities and programs designed by and for members in an interdisciplinary way. • Examples: • section in COMPUTER (see TC forum) • joint conferences with non-engineering societies (e.g., ICMC, with better quality) • “advertising” in non-engineering publications, • interdisciplinary transactions; new magazines; new types of books; programs and exchanges with non-engineering societies; openness to new initiatives, extend existing practices TCCGM

24. Concrete Actions (1) Motion #1: CS supports the definition of a new Vision and Mission to extend its reach to all computer professionals beyond science and engineering Vision.The CS represents and supports all those who contribute to computing in their activities: computer scientists and professionals, psychologists, sociologists, physicians, lawyers, musicians, artists, ... Mission. The CS is open to new proposals and new kinds of members, to extend its quality beyond engineering and technology, with flexible models for Technical Committees, publications, conferences, vitality evaluation,... (from slide 14) • Concretely: • CS sets up a committee to write new Vision/Mission • CS nominates responsible members to contact associations dedicated to the Liberal Arts and Humanities • The TAOC Handbook will be modified accordingly TCCGM

25. Concrete Actions (2) Motion #2: CS supports alternative models for TC and revises the TAB (T & C) handbook accordingly Strive for creativity,new initiatives and sponsors, business value for the CS; joint ventures with universities, industry, government; non-competitive technologies, open standards new activities, initially supported by the CS, must have self-financing the traditional TC model is valid but not unique: in engagement with liberal arts and humanities etc., TC’s assemble and disassemble Vitality assessment includes innovation, intellectual knowledge and output, and attractiveness, to extend the reach of the CS in unexplored areas (from slide 21) • Concretely: • CS sets up a committee to redefine and broaden TC tasks and vitality criteria • CS nominates responsible members to constantly and dynamically update models for TC’s • The TAOC Handbook will be modified accordingly TCCGM

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