FROM THE EDITOR

Hal Jacobs Decision Sciences Institute Home Office

Computer and information technologies are changing rapidly and drastically affecting the nature of our work and communication. We need to be sure that research and educational initiatives are focusing on this moving frontier.

(from "The President's Letter," by President John Anderson, May 1995 Decision Line)

A number of technology issues will likely impact the Institute's publication process in the future. The Publications Committee has recommended a number of issues to be examined and studied, some of which are now being considered for implementation. These are as follows: (1) Consider the creation of a DSI news group.... (2) Consider/evaluate the feasibility of electronic publishing in the future. (3) Investigate the feasibility and cost effectiveness of the purchase of a CD-ROM publication package so that the Proceedings at meetings could be distributed in this format. (4) Investigate the feasibility and desirability of starting an electronic discussion group (such as listserv, called DSI-L).

(from "1994-1995 Board of Directors Accomplishments," by Past President K. Roscoe Davis, May 1995 Decision Line)

It's obvious that the world has three distinct classes of people, each with its own evolutionary destiny: Knowledgeable computer users who will evolve into godlike non-corporeal beings who rule the universe (except for those who work in tech support).... Computer owners who try to pass as knowledgeable but secretly use hand calculators to add totals to their Excel spreadsheets.... Non-computer users who will grow tails, sit in zoos and fling dung at tourists.

(from "Men Who Use Computers Are the New Sex Symbols of the '90s," by Scott Adams, May 1995 Windows Magazine)

A few months ago, I was on the phone with a former feature editor of this newsletter, who asked how things were going.

``Great!'' I replied. ``Have you checked out the DSI gopher?''

``No.''

``That's the future of publishing,'' I said, quickly heating up on the subject.

``It's inexpensive, fast, and convenient. It's like Burger King -- you can have it your way -- only better, because you don't have to deal with a hormonally challenged counter person.

``Also, we've archived back issues of the newsletter with keyword search capabilities. Now members can search on their names to see how many times in the last three years they've appeared in print.

``Not only that, we've got the membership database on-line. It's great for searching out the phone number or e-mail address of that cowriter of yours who moved two days before deadline without leaving a forwarding address.''

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Then...

``Does that mean you're going to stop printing the newsletter?''

``Of course not.''

``Good,'' he said, sighing. ``I like getting the newsletter in the mail. Reading the articles. Looking at photos of friends...''

``But,'' I interrupted, ``We'll have photos and graphics as soon as we start publishing on the World Wide Web.''

``But I like paper.''

And dinosaurs liked eating leafy green shoots before the ice age, I thought, feeling as impatient as when I was a hormonally challenged seventeen-year-old employed by Burger King.

Cut to the present. May '95. While working on the newsletter, I suddenly realize how much I agree with the member who likes paper. It's easy to get carried away with new technology -- ask anyone who's gone beyond the third level of Doom II. And lately I've gotten carried away with gopher, news groups, and people with their own home pages. But as much as I'm impressed by keyword search capabilities, there's a lot to be said for reading through ALL the articles -- not just the ones that turn up during a keyword search routine. And for anyone who's tried to logon to their university account at 9:30 p.m. and gotten a busy signal, you know how nice it is to find what you're looking for on ye olde bookshelf.

Fortunately, the Institute offers the best of both worlds. Hard copy hot off the press and delivered straight to your door by, let's hope, a contented postal employee. AND electronic bytes that can be retrieved within minutes by a member in the Pacific Rim, and then forwarded to a colleague in a related field in Mexico (globalization and a multidisciplinary outlook are old hat to Internet users).

If you have questions, opinions, or tips concerning the Institute's foray into electronic publishing (or humorous anecdotes unrelated to anything), contact me at the Home Office, or by e-mail at hjacobs@gsu.edu.