What It Really Is

Having been chief switchman at New Jersey Bell in 1972, I believe that the lead photograph with the article “AT&T’s Attic” [March IEEE Spectrum] is of a Teletype exchange (TWX) switchboard. The right-hand side of the key shelf holds a Model 28 strip printer, which would have been the primary means of communication with the subscriber.

Tom Kirk

Hamilton, N.J.

IT Workforce Survey

I read “Where the Jobs Are” [Resources, February]. Understanding the future market for jobs in technology is critical for businesses, individuals, and universities. The Society for Information Management (SIM) has been sponsoring a multi-university project looking at the future of the IT workforce. This has been considered an urgent issue, as universities have been experiencing low enrollments in IT-related programs such as computer science and information systems, and there appear to be many questions related to the impacts of outsourcing and the impending baby-boomer retirement.

The first phase of this research found that the client marketplace is seeking graduates with a balance of skills that include technical but also focus on project management and business domain skills. They are relying on the service providers to have the deep technical skills and capabilities. The second phase is in progress, looking at the provider side. It will be interesting to see if the skills that client organizations will outsource are what provider organizations plan to maintain. Early data indicate there may be a gap.

Our research team is seeking service provider organizations of any size, located anywhere in the world, to take part in this survey. Anyone wishing to participate, to receive more information, or to obtain copies of publications from the first phase may reach me via e-mail: cbullen@stevens.edu.

Christine V. Bullen

IEEE Member

Hoboken, N.J.

Shedding Light

In “Uninnovative Edison” [“…And More Forum,” Spectrum Online, February], Michael Hwang suggested that the lightbulb was not Edison’s idea. That fact is fairly well known. What is not well known is that Edison was not just trying to show a laboratory curiosity. He wanted to make a practical lighting system, of which the lightbulb was one component. He realized that the system had to operate on a relatively high voltage—such as 110 volts. His challenge was to develop a high-resistance bulb with a reasonable life span.

Kenneth Lundgren

IEEE Life Member

Bloomingdale, Ill.

The article “RFID Inside” [March] explores implantable RFID chips. RFID more commonly occurs in ID cards and credit cards; these lead to the same security and privacy concerns raised in the article. The good news is that this kind of RFID can be turned on and off at will by the cardholder. My company, Smart Tools, offers an RFID Shield that puts control in the cardholder’s hand. When the shield is active, all RFID communication is turned off, while the card stays readable and inspectable by eye. For more information, see http://smarttools.home.att.net/rfshield.htm.

Byron Siu

Los Altos, Calif.

I think implanting RFID in humans [“Hands On,” March] is one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever seen. Set aside the privacy concerns for a moment and think about the practicalities. What added value is there in implantation over wearing a wrist bracelet? RFID chips, in a simple plastic bracelet like the one you get when you check into a hospital or a fancy one like a nice watchband—or anything in between—will do the job just as well. You avoid surgical side effects such as potential rejection, as well as the problem of requiring minor surgery if you need an upgrade. This is really a solution in search of a problem. If you want RFID, you can get it for pennies—just ask Wal-Mart. You don’t need to spend this kind of money on an invasive technique.

The idea will never become widespread, simply because of economics, not because of privacy concerns.

Steve Hickman

IEEE Senior Member

Minneapolis

While reading the articles on RFID tags I was troubled by the discussion of implantation of these tags and the associated loss of freedom or anonymity associated with the implantation. It occurred to me that this discussion of security demonstrates a common error that young engineers and shortsighted executives often make. This is a short-/medium-term solution, not a long-term fix. I never considered myself a pacifist, and I recognize the need for force and extra security measures. But we need to focus on long-term solutions, applying our scientific and engineering knowledge to solve the root cause of the issue, not simply put on tourniquets.

If we spent our significant technical resources developing such efforts as renewable energy, self-sustaining housing, and improved agriculture, we could address much of the root cause of war, poverty, homelessness, and hunger. We could be improving lives.

Seems like I tell the engineers I manage that we need to think about short- and long-term solutions regularly. Maybe that’s a basic concept we should apply more often.

John Kerr

IEEE Member

Chicago