“Who programs?,” it is difficult to believe that he sees much relevance in this activity.

Andriole missed my central point— that every subdiscipline in the broad array of computing specialties is experiencing growth in demand. There are undeniably more jobs in computing that do not require sophisticated programming in the classical sense. What he failed to recognize is that there are also more jobs in computing that do require such talents. We must expand educational programs that focus on the IT areas he championed but not at the expense of more traditional CS programs that produce too few graduates to meet industry demand.

The most disturbing aspect of Andriole’s comments is his charge that those of us in traditional computing disciplines are somehow jeopardizing the opportunities available to those newly entering the field. Each year, the CS graduates of my own institution [Stanford University] have extraordinary opportunities precisely because of the education they have received. Our bachelor’s degree recipients get multiple offers, sometimes commanding salaries in excess of $100,000 per year. Providing students such opportunities is hardly a disservice. If we could somehow produce 10 times the number of CS graduates, they would get the same sort of offers. The demand for those with skills is strong and growing. Shifting our educational focus away from critically needed skills would be the height of irresponsibility.

eric Roberts, stanford, cA

X be a random variable representing the possible loss values. Let Y be a random variable representing a loss due to a severe breach. Then, the possible values of Y are zero, plus the values of X that are greater of equal to T. The probability of Y=x equals the probability that X=x for those values of X greater than or equal to T. Further, the probability that Y=0 equals the probability that X is strictly less than T. The left-hand side of the equation (page 66) should have been written as E[Y]. For the example given, the random variable Y can take on the values 0, 8, and 9 with probabilities of 0.8, 0.1 and 0.1, respectively. Then, E[Y] = 0*. 8 + 8*. 1 + 9*. 1 = 1. 7.

Lawrence D. Bodin,

Lawrence a. Gordon, martin P. Loeb, college Park, Md

fession’s image problem, academic programs will continue to have trouble attracting the numbers of students needed to maintain a healthy profession in the U.S.

Jack Bush, Watkinsville, GA

correction: expected Loss conditional

In our article, “Information Security and Risk Management” (Apr. 2008), the notation for the expected value of a severe loss was incorrectly written as the expected loss conditional on the loss being severe. We thank Jonathan Katz of the University of Maryland, College Park, for bringing it to our attention. While we correctly defined the concept of the expected severe loss (page 65), the notation on the left-hand side of the second equation in the figure (page 66) was in error.

As in the article, let T denote the threshold value of a severe loss and

to Boost enrollment fix the cs image Problem

As an IS practitioner and parent of three college-age sons, my perspective on the reasons for decreased IS and CS enrollment is a bit different from that of Wayne Wei Huang et al. in “ Outsourcing and the Decrease of IS Program Enrollment” (June 2008). Although parents are a primary source of career guidance for students, they also derive their opinions from conversations with practitioners, as well as from news reports. The personal conversations are likely to carry much more weight than the news reports or the pronouncements of academic advisors who have a stake in selling their programs.

Many IS professionals today do not offer a very positive picture of the industry when asked about their own careers. The oft-quoted statistics concerning the relatively small number of outsourced jobs misses the point. Outsourcing has changed the image of the profession from valued corporate partner to commodity service performed by the lowest bidder. The change in perception affects every IS professional in organizations undergoing outsourcing and its associated layoffs; everyone worries their jobs are next. Following my own experience in the profession, none of my sons is pursuing IS or CS as a major, studying it instead only as an adjunct to other majors.

Until practitioners address the pro-

inspire excitement

Both Peter J. Denning in “Voices of Computing” (Aug. 2008) and Rick Rashid in “Inspiring a New Generation of Computer Scientists” (July 2008) were right: There are too few computer programmers coming up, and we must go to the schools and recruit them. If students don’t want jobs that pay upward of $60,000 annually, fine, there are plenty of people who need them and can be inspired to want them. Here are four ideas that could help recruit students:

Excitement of programming. Each of us can recall a program or system we developed that was exciting and that solved an important problem for our employer or client. Convey the excitement of programming;

A good life. Make the connection between well-paying jobs and a good life. Use images and videos to show the kinds of places where programmers can afford to work, live, and play. Tell students how they can give back to their communities but only if they have the wherewithal to do it;

Responsible for own success. Give students the tools they need to succeed. Lots of books explain what it takes to be a good student. Make sure schools have them, then get students to read them. Tell them the truth—that while schoolteachers and administrators, boys and girls clubs advisors, church officials, parents, and others can help, you are ultimately responsible for your own success; and

Share with administrators. Talk over these and other ideas with school administrators before giving your own presentations, eliciting and trying to incorporate their ideas. They have a strong stake in your success.

charles elliott, Philadelphia, PA

Communications welcomes your opinion. To submit a Letter to the Editor, please limit your comments to 500 words or less and send to letters@cacm.acm.org.