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The author recounts the past issues and events covered by the journal since it is published in 1967 in the U.S. Patrick J. McGovern began the journal for the computer community to inform computer purchasers about disk crashes and system failures. After that, it has covered all of the significant developments related to relational databases, personal computing, Internet and open source software. When he started in 1984 in the publication, he used a PortaBubble word-processing machine with magnetic bubble memory. In 1980, debates on whether radiation from video display terminals could caused health problems were also covered.

Explores the mistakes that IT leaders in the U. S. committed and the lessons learned from it. Statements from Dan Agronow of Weather Channel Interactive Inc. on the cancellation of external security audit; Comments from Judi Zito, chief information officer at Miami-Dade on rewriting of the system without redesigning first; Mistake made by Robert W. Reeg of MasterCard International Inc. in choosing Mark IV as reporting language.

Presents the results of a `Computerworld' magazine ethics survey of information systems (IS) professionals in the United States. IS professionals' violation of copyright law; Ignorance of `fair use' doctrine for copyrighted material; Copying of commercial software without authorization. INSETS: Your worst nightmare: Computer fraud by IS insiders.;Testing to weed out the liars..

Reports on developments regarding electronic mail. Anecdotes; Survey of information systems professionals; E-mail overload; Need for E-mail management; Attitudes; Suggestions. INSETS: E mail tips for senders.;Junk mail extends its reach.;So many mailboxes, so little time..;E mail tips for recipients.

Presents the results of a study by `Computerworld' magazine focusing on the research and development (R&D) operations of several computer companies. Impact of R&D spending on a company's performance; Apple Computer Inc. as R&D leader among desktop hardware vendors; Details of the R&D operations of Encore and Apple Computer Incorporated.

Focuses on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its economic implications to Mexico. Facts and issues of NAFTA; Trade tariffs; Investment climate; Social conditions; Cultural implications; Problems involving Mexico's telephone network; Statistical information on 1992 US exports to Mexico. INSETS: What you should know.;NAFTA networking..

Features interactive television (TV). Effort of information systems executives and chief technology officers to market interactive TV to top corporate executives with deals with the motion picture industry, telecommunications, computer and cable TV companies; Companies interested in or are already using interactive TV; Requirements of the technology. INSETS: Wil it flop?, by Mitch Betts.;Who's watching whom?, by Mitch Betts.;Interactive pioneer, by Mitch Betts..

Discusses shadow information systems (IS) groups. Increased spending; Building and purchase of IS outside a company's systems department's control; Recognition of the existence of a problem; Duplication problem; Advice. INSETS: The bite of hidden costs, by Mitch Betts.;Cover your assets, by Mitch Betts..

A list of the journal's department editors and beat reporters is presented. These people are responsible for accepting calls or letters from readers to post their comments and ideas in the journal. They include Don Tennant, editor-in-chief, Mitch Betts, executive editor, and Ellen Fanning, special reports editor.

A list of department editors and beat reporter whom readers can call to or write their comments and ideas. Some of the names are: Don Tennant, editor in chief; Mitch Betts, Executive editor; Craig Sterdman, news editor; Mike Bucken, assistant news editor; Tommy Peterson, technology editor; Kathleen Melymuka, management editor; Frank Hayes, senior news columnist; Julia King, National correspondent.

The article reports on the study conducted by the National Policy Research Council (NPRC), a Washington-based think tank, on the top official states and local government web sites in the U.S. The study, which was in collaboration with "Computerworld," was conducted on 11,227 government web sites that were judged by reviewers based on 25 criteria including bid for contracts, government jobs and complain to local official about concerns such as potholes. According to Robert McArthur, NPRC's e-government project director, the highest grades went to web sites that provide wide range of services which could be found on the home page. Michigan and Montgomery county have received a grade of A+ for the state and top county web sites respectively. INSET: Lack of Standard URL Format Creates Confusion.

This article deals with the possible threat that spreadsheets can pose to businesses, amid the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the U.S., as of May 2004. In modern times, spreadsheets are allegedly easy to use and ubiquitous that they have sprouted like weeds throughout most companies, and often hold important financial data. Apparently, various studies report that 47 percent to 64 percent of companies use stand-alone spreadsheets for planning and budgeting, for example. Despite such an importance, critics say spreadsheets, invented as a personal productivity tool, are not well suited to collaboration, data quality or regulatory compliance. According to Paul Hamerman, a Forrester Research Inc. analyst, besides being extremely unwieldy for processes involving large volumes of data and multiple users, spreadsheets often contain substantial, material errors, according to academic research. On the other hand, according to Gartner Inc. analyst Michael Silver, companies are just starting to look at the problems caused by spreadsheet proliferation. Allegedly, for a modern corporation looking for consolidated planning and financial reporting, spreadsheets pose challenges. INSETS: Easy Does It;Oops!.

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of board membership for chief information officers (CIO). Value of CIO to the board; Limited operational and financial experience of CIO; Importance of professional reputation to be considered for a board membership.

Presents a forum on wireless communication strategy participated in by executives from various industries. Pragmatism among executives in exploiting the potential and applications of wireless communication systems; Agreement among the forum participant that return on investment from wireless communication systems will come from sales and field applications.

Discusses several barriers information technology employees must deal with in establishing a supply chain management system. Weak leadership; Funding problems; Data quality problems.

Provides legal advice on the strategy to be used in terminating a relationship between businesses and their application service providers (ASP). Impact of an ASP closure on customers; Terms to be incorporated in an ASP contract; Core of the ASP relationship.

Focuses on the installation of the Universal Automatic Computer to the appliance division of General Electric (GE) Corp. at the Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky, led by Roddy F. Osborn in January 1954. Details on the consumer electronics operation of the GE; Significance of the use of the computer to the company; Information on the UNIVAC machine.

Focuses on the databases used by political candidates in the United States to deliver their personal messages to voters. Databases considered for political campaigns; Capabilities of a GeoVoter system used by several politicians.

Reports on the reactions of software users to the order of a judge to break up Microsoft Corp. Different views of users on the order; Request of Microsoft to delay implementation of the divestiture plan; Results of a survey conducted on information technology professionals about the impact of the breakup of Microsoft.

Reports on the plans of Microsoft Corp. to appeal the ruling of United States District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson on the antitrust case filed against the company. Breakup proposed by Penfield; Views of legal experts on the case of Microsoft.

Focuses on the impact of the leap year in year 2000 on computer systems. Rules for determination of a leap year; Date arithmetic errors caused by the leap year; Incidents of leap-year systems problems in 1996.

Focuses on the factors that delayed the year 2000 repairs at the United States (US) trading partners. Reason Asian countries are about a year or two behind on their millennium projects; How the US banks minimize disruption from faulty data of their system; Options taken by several countries in minimizing interruption and problems. INSET: The Sleeping Bear.

Details the strategic benefits that companies may get from the euro conversions in Europe. How Deutsche Bank Ag may benefit from the euro conversion; Challenges presented by the euro; Most obvious benefit of the euro conversion; Strategic business issues that may affect information technology departments.

Discusses some of the major threats to the performance of computer networks. How to safeguard from network failures and serivce disturbances; Importance of making backups; Negative impact of bandwidth hogging applications. INSETS: Top 5 network threats;Top 5 steps taken to improve network reliability (in the past....

Focuses on the involvement of the corporate information systems (IS) division of GE Capital Corp. in venture capital investments. Risks of venture capital game; Other companies with IS departments involved in venture capital investments; Tapping of resources of a venture capital unit elsewhere in the company as a common approach of IS to the venture capital game. INSET: Health care venture flatlines..

Explores the possible problems caused by the year 2000 date conversion. Includes the inability of telephone systems such as private branch exchanges to recognize the century change resulting in improper billing and incorrectly time-stamped voice mail; Malfunction of electronic time clocks, security systems, parking lot gates and vaults. INSET: A costly specter, by Mitch Betts..

Opinion. Comments on the dissociation between the users' preference and performance using graphical user interfaces. Evaluation of the performance of users based on their preference for various types of graphical user interfaces; Definition of `performance/preference dissociation.'

Reports that the California Franchise Tax Board, the state's version of the Internal Revenue Service, had sought the services of American Management Systems Inc. (AMS) in devising a tax collection system. Implementation of the collection account processing system to increase collection of delinquent taxes; Performance-based procurement, in which the agency worked closely with vendors to design the system.

Reports on International Business Machines Corp.'s commitment to fix all of its hardware and software to handle four-digit years before the end of 1996. IBM's plan to help information systems departments deal with the problem caused by two-digit date fields; Remarks of analysts and users regarding the issue. INSET: Turn of the century..

Reports on MapInfo Corp.'s MapInfo Professional desktop mapping software. Capabilities; Enhancements; Compatibility; Pricing; Availability.

Features the CableXpress computer filing, retrieval and routing computer software system installed at the US Information Agency (USIA). Lotus Development Corporation as customizing CableXpress from Notes groupware product; Use of CableXpress for unclassified cables only.

Reports on politicians' use of the Internet's World Wide Web as a medium for the 1996 elections. Applied Political Technologies Inc. president Frank L. Tobe's projection on the increase in political activity on the Internet in 1996; Launching of PoliticsUSA, a Web site that will serve as a central meeting place for political junkies; Heritage Foundation's Web site, Town Hall. INSET: Page critiques, by Mitch Betts..

Reports on information systems for hospitals. Comparison with other systems; Drug entry-order systems; Medication errors; Factors hindering implementation. INSETS: Life support.;A matter of life or death..

Reports of the impact of International Business Machines Corp.'s (IBM) takeover of Lotus Development Corp. to its rivalry with Microsoft Corp. in workgroup computing. IBM and Microsoft's different approaches to workgroup computing; IBM's integration of Lotus as the key to its success; Potential of Microsoft to succeed by repositioning Exchange as a communications infrastructure for Lotus' Notes.

Reports that Internet Casino Inc. is facing legal battles as it launches it online gambling service. Threat of fines or jail time for users of online system; Law enforcers' knowledge of laws that apply to offshore, Internet-based casinos; Conviction of Amateur Action computer bulletin board for transmission of obscene materials; Review of laws that might relate to Internet-based gambling. INSET: Out of practice..

Reports that the state of Kentucky awarded an information highway contract to a team of local exchange carriers led by South Central Bell Telephone Co. and LCI International Incorporated. Protests from losing bidders; Costs; Business opportunities; Comments from industry executives. INSET: That ole Kentucky home page..

Focuses on voice strain experienced by users of speech-recognition technology. Incidents; Vocal habits; Treatment; Symptoms.

Opinion. Reports on the US Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) requirements for companies involved in mergers and acquisitions regarding restrictions on information exchanges between divisions. Legal aspects of information flow; Corporate goals towards enterprise-wide networking; FTC's enforcement of antitrust laws to promote competition; Merger between Lockheed Corp. and Martin Marietta Corp.

Reports that Chase Manhattan Bank, Johnson Controls Inc. and Mosanto Co. have been developing appropriate usage policies on how employees should behave on the information highway. Involvement of corporate information systems and security and legal departments; Activities prohibited; Concern of employees about legal entanglements.

Reports on the rejection of a proposed settlement of the litigation between Microsoft Corp. and the US Dept. of Justice by Judge Stanley Sporkin. Reasons for Sporkin's rejection of settlement; Prospects of appeal of decision. INSETS: Judge Sporkin's ruling.;The Justice Department appeal..

Focuses on the proposed antitrust settlement between the United States Department of Justice and Microsoft Corporation. District Court Judge Stanley Sporkin's request for informations from the parties involved before signing the decree; Questioning of Microsoft's licensing practices for original equipment manufacturers; Attempts of rivals to stall the settlement.

Reports on the development of Mark, a decision-support system software that helps a retailer when and how to mark-down prices to reach profit or inventory goals. Price trajectory calculation; Elimination of end-of-season inventory; Reflection of actual sales data and retail conditions.

Reports on the implementation of a five-module information system that will allow Wisconsin officials to analyze Medicaid data, question expenditures and spot fraud. Size of the database; Reduction in claims administration time; Benefits that can be accrued from the system.

Focuses on on-line libel lawsuits. Types of electronic mail abuse; Preventive measures; Financial issues.

Reports on the production of a white paper for the US Department of Justice that focuses on how Microsoft Corp. could take monopolistic control of the markets for personal computer (PC) software, PC networks and on-line services. Correlation with Microsoft's acquisition plans of Intuit Inc.; Feedback from industry executives.

Reports on the voters' access to a World-Wide Web server containing poll reports from the state's Election Web Server. On-line networks embraced by candidates; Number of pilot projects launched by the League of Women Voters of the United States in Washington; Issues on on-line systems for the electorate.

Focuses on the privacy of subscriber data compiled by on-line services in the United States. Investigation of America Online by a congressional panel; Public opinion polls; Potentials for surveillance; Concerns.

Evaluates the likely consequences of United States Senate's interstate banking bill on the information systems industry and interstate banking. Contradictory views of experts and analysts on likely fallout of the same; Examples of U.S. Bank, Banc One Corp., The Chase Manhattan Bank NA, Corestates Financial Corp., First Fidelity Bancorp performances in light of the bill; Stress on wide-area networking skills. INSET: Across state lines by Mitch Betts..

Examines the implications of putting wagering labels on its keyboards by Compaq Computer Corporation. Views of Lawrence F. Carnevale, attorney in a New York law firm on; Response of other vendors; Plans of IBM PC Co. and Dell Computer Corp. on the wagering labels; Distribution of `Safety and Comfort Guide' by Compaq; Reduction of lawsuits; Dissatisfaction with the new arrangement. INSET: Worth repeating..

Reports the move of some companies to include telecommuting as part of their compliance plans. Efforts of Newark, New Jersey based Prudential Insurance Co. in the direction; Influence of Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 on regulations; Opinion of experts on the issue; Potential downsides of telecommuting. INSETS: Remote control by Michael Fitzgerald.;Clearing the air..