Lewis M. Branscomb

Ease of use: a system design challenge

While it is becoming increasingly obvious that the fundamental architecture of a system has a profound Influence on the quality of its human factors, the vast majority of human factors studies concern the surface of hardware (keyboards, screens) or the very surface of the software (command names, menu formats). In this paper, we discuss human factors and system architecture. We offer best-guess guidelines for what a system should be like and how it should be developed. In addition, we suggest ways in which advances in research and education could result in systems with better human factors. This paper is based on an address by L. M. Branscomb and a publication by the authors in the Proceedings of the IFIP 9th World Computer Congress, Paris, France, September 19-23, 1983.

Computer communications in the eighties — time to put it all together☆

Abstract This paper provides some broad views on the applications environment of the eighties for computer/communications systems, and some of the technical challenges it represents. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be to make these systems easier to install, service and, especially, to use. The growth of distributed computing will underscore the importance of flexibly layered system architectures that can grow with the times, and the role of gateways in allowing different networks to exchange information. For communications within an establishment, two philosophies have emerged: the intelligent, digital PABX and the broadband, shared network. Outside the establishment, there are also many approaches which will continue to coexist. The options available have become so numerous that improved simulation and modeling tools represent a major technical challenge for the decade. And as networks grow increasingly complex and indispensible to their owners, the need for network management tools will become even more critical. How well the computer and communications communities handle these challenges will determine both the future growth of these industries and whether the newly emerging information services of the eighties will realize their true potential.

IBM and U.S. Universities???An Evolving Partnership

Both universities and industry have much to gain from closer relationships based on their natural interdependence. IBMs direct support for U.S. higher education includes, for example, investments in younger faculty and graduate students, in leading academic departments, and in selected initiatives to respond to critical needs to strengthen American education and research in science and engineering. Many of the companys most important relationships with, and support for, universities, however, arise through collaborative research activities on specific problems of common interest. So long as academic freedom and goals are respected, collaborative research is an especially promising area which can bring industrys technical and applications strength into academia, and the creativity of the university environment into industry.

Improving r&d productivity: the federal role.

Despite widespread concern about lagging productivity growth rates and renewed interest in research, federal support for the review and packaging of hard-won new knowledge continues to languish. Yet accurate, accessible data are critical, not only in every R&D project but also in the most advanced manufacturing processes. Ensuring reliable, retrievable data is not a function that can be left to the professional societies, the publishing industry, or the private sector. In this article a six-point national science and technology data policy is proposed, and it is suggested that progress ultimately will depend on an overall science and technology policy, the first priority of which is to make available existing knowledge.

Opportunities for Cooperation Between Government, Industry and the University

A hearings today called by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, one Representative called for the establishment of a federally chartered research institute and the appointment of a White House assistant for automotive affairs, while another proposed raising the ante higher by creating an Apollo-type of project. Hearings were held earlier this week by the House Subcommittee on Transportation, Aviation and Communications.

Obituary: Edward U. Condon

The extraordinary career of Edward Uhler Condon, president of the American Physical Society (1946) and of the American Association of Physics Teachers (1964), ended with his death in Boulder, Colorado, on 26 March 1974.