December 1999
Volume 2 • Number 1

Contents

From the Editor

Welcome to the first anniversary edition of Software Quality Professional.

In honor of this milestone, I asked our editorial board to engage in an on-line discussion about the very fundamentals of our purpose–what we mean when we say the journal is devoted to “quality principles” and their application to software-based systems. These comments have been assembled into a symposium that leads off this issue of SQP.

Did you know that, in the original use of the term, the ancient Greeks regarded a symposium (according to one reference work) as “an entertainment characterized by drinking, music, and intellectual discussion”? Well, SQP can only offer the “intellectual discussion” component of that definition, so you will have to provide the other items as you desire.

How have we been doing after this first year of publication?

I am delighted that the journal now has more than 3000 readers...and that we didn’t lose too many subscribers when they were given their chance to renew or not renew after receiving their first year of issues! I do believe we have probably saturated our potential audience within ASQ and now must be more aggressive in reaching beyond the traditional ASQ readership.

I am pleased to continue hearing such positive comments from so many of you, especially complimenting the journal on its practicality. These supportive remarks are literally coming from around the world. Some arrive by e-mail, and some are passed along to me while riding in an elevator at a professional conference.

“The quality of the articles in SQP is impressive. I do look forward to reading them. Keep up the great work.”

“Just today I received the copies from the SQP journal. They look truly very professional. I’m also impressed with the level of the various papers.... Congratulations.”

“I’m doing some work for the quality manager at [company name], and she rated it one of the best journals on software quality she’s seen!”

Software Quality Professional will continue to offer this style and level of material and to address the comprehensive scope established for the ASQ Certified Software Quality Engineer. There are areas of that body of knowledge, however, that we have yet to feature because we have not received manuscripts suitable for publication: configuration management, auditing, and verification and validation. We have also been looking for submissions on topics such as systems integration, commercial off-the-shelf components, and emerging trends in software business models.

I have been particularly appreciative of the great work done by our five associate editors, 29 editorial board members, and 80 volunteers who constitute our reviewer panel. In fact, I fear some of them are getting restless because we aren’t keeping them busy evaluating submissions in their areas of expertise.

SQP would benefit from a number of practitioners volunteering to submit reviews for publication. Remember, we have expanded the “Resource Reviews” section to cover not only books but also videos, self-study material, software, conferences, courses, and any other means a professional might use to sharpen his or her skills.

We are also increasing content on our Web site, where we will continue to add value by subjecting all submissions to peer review and copy editing. The Web site will never be a dumping ground for undigested material.

For now, SQP does not plan any theme issues, regular columnists, or recurring departments. We will, however, pay attention to any feedback from you, our readers. As the journal changes, it will be in a responsive and disciplined fashion.

Change I know.

I have recently moved to an Internet start-up firm where I direct the quality emphasis. The other hats I almost immediately put on were that of “chief security officer” and “chief knowledge officer.” The former because security lapses (including confidentiality and privacy concerns) are potential show-stoppers for medical records in particular and e-commerce in general. The latter because, whatever the hype around so-called knowledge management, the times demand individuals and organizations equip themselves for change by gathering and integrating new insights.

I have always thought “the foreseeable future” the greatest of oxymorons. If anything now, the future has become even more unforeseeable. Last month I joined some of my new coworkers at our company’s display during a college recruiting event. Students would ask whether we planned to hire any summer interns. Our standard reply became that eight months was, in “Internet time,” an eternity away.

Do you have insights about the changes we face? How can you share your insights? You could offer an experience-based article for consideration. You could submit a more opinion-oriented “Talking Points” presentation. You could write up a review of a book, video, conference, or training class you found particularly helpful. You could write a letter to the editor, whether you intend for publication or not.

I take personal interest in every response received, and you can believe I will value whatever you choose to share.

Looking forward to another excellent professional year together,