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DOI: 10.1145/1562164.1562170
David Roman
What You Read on
Your Summer Vacation
As publishers, it is imperative we always stay attuned to the kind of editorial
material our audience finds most professionally valuable and engaging. Indeed, we devour Web analytics about Communications’ site to better serve our
current audience and to draw more into the fold. And we intend to share that
information with you on a regular basis. Here, we present the most popular
articles and sections this past summer (starting with the Memorial Day weekend, May 22) as indicated by our latest site statistics.
Top articles
FYI: Only full-text articles are ranked, though some abstracts got more pageviews.
1. the Five-Minute rule 20 Years Later
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/7/32091
6. Award-Winning Paper reveals Key to Netflix Prize
cacm.acm.org/news/32450
2. one Laptop Per Child: vision vs. reality
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/6/28497
7. time for Computer Science to Grow up
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/8/34492
3. Whither Sockets?
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/6/28495
8. how Computer Science Serves the developing World
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/6/28498
4. CS education in the u.S.:
heading in the Wrong direction?
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/7/32090
9. Why ‘open Source’ Misses the Point
of Free Software
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/6/28491
5. API design Matters
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/5/24646
10. Conferences vs. Journals in Computing research
cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/5/24632
Top Blog Posts
FYI: Michael Stonebraker’s #1 entry had more
than 10 times the traffic of his #5 entry.
1. the end of a dbMS era (Might be upon us)
cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/32212
2. the Siren Song of Startups
cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/29807
3. the biggest Gains Come From Knowing Your data
cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/33805
4. What Is a Good recommendation Algorithm?
cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/22925
5. dbMSs for Science Applications:
A Possible Solution
cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/22489
Top Sections:
FYI: The homepage got more pageviews
than all of these sections combined.
1. Magazine Archive: cacm.acm.org/magazines
2. bLoG@CACM: cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm
3. News: cacm.acm.org/news
4. blogs: cacm.acm.org/blogs
5. Author Guidelines:
cacm.acm.org/about-communications/author-center
Top issues:
FYI: The site’s momentum is evident.
1. June 2009: cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/6
2. July 2009: cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/7
3. May 2009: cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/5
4. April 2009: cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/4
5. March 2009: cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/3
Ne W imaGe foR
comPu TiNG iNiTiaTiVe
an interim report by aCM
and the wgBH Educational
Foundation as part of a project
to improve the image of
computer science among high
school students confirms a
significant gender gap among
college-bound students in their
opinions about computing
as a college major or career.
Funded by the national science
Foundation, the research
found that 74% of boys,
regardless of race or ethnicity,
reported that a college major
in computer science was a
“very good” or “good” choice
for them. However, only 32%
of girls rated it as a “very
good” or “good” choice. the
aCM-wgBH Educational
Foundation report, which
covers the first phase of the
new image for Computing
initiative, seeks to answer why
interest in computer science
in U.s. colleges and pursuing
computer-related careers is
declining.
“we know that the number
of computer science majors
is not meeting projected
work force needs,” noted
John white, aCM CEo and
co-principal investigator for
the project. “Many factors
contribute to the low interest
in computer science, but the
image of the field is a key
element in current perceptions
among this population.”
the gender gap extended to
computer science as a potential
career choice as well as a field
of study. From a selection of
15 possible careers, computer
science came in fourth among
the respondents, with 46%
rating it “very good” or “good.”
However, while 67% of all boys
rated computer science highly as
a career choice, only 26% of girls
rated it “very good” or “good.”
the research showed little
racial or ethnic differentiation
in young people’s attitudes
toward computer science, with
it being held in high regard
by college-bound african
american and Hispanic boys,
but these two groups remain
underrepresented in both
academia and the computer
science work force.
