About this Issue

The production of the March Issue of Interface has been a challenging one.  Behind the scenes we have had to deal with a major technical problem, discussed in the editorial “Killing the Chickens to Frighten the Monkeys” found at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/edit.php

But despite the alarums and excursions here at Berglund central, our editors and authors produced their usual thoughtful and professional contributions to understanding the impact of the Internet.

For some time we have been working with Yang Desheng (Tom Yang), a very active scholar and innovator in the use of computers and the Internet for teaching English as a foreign language at Wenzhou Medical College in Wenzhou, China.  This project has been funded by the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium for whose support we are extremely grateful. (See: http://www.nwacc.org/)

In this issue Tom discusses his initial findings and analysis. We hope that Tom will be joining us at the Berglund Center for next fall, making still more cooperation between our two institutions possible. See his article at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/desheng.php

Also of interest to teachers and academics will be our Education editor, Mark Szymansky’s piece, “The Early High School Initiative” found at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/szymanski.php This piece is particularly appropriate for us because it deals with a major initiative emanating from the Gates Foundation to systematically improve high school education.

Our indefatigable Medical editor, Kevin Kawamoto, turns his attention to another security issue, “Phishing,” the practice whereby innocents are lured into turning over data that might facilitate a plundering of their bank accounts.  This is an increasingly major threat, and surprisingly, a continually successful one. We highly recommend that you read Kevin’s article at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/kawamoto.php even if you think you already know all there is to know about this threat.

Pat McGregor, one of our two security editors, discusses security as well, but with the additional fillip of teaching us a great deal about some of the unexpected impacts of outsourcing as well.  And she does it all within the context of our annual tax-paying rituals.  We think you will find her piece, “In Like a Lion but Out Like a Lamb? I don’t think so.”  both informative and entertaining.  See it at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/mcgregor.php

After the foregoing concerns about security issues, some might find it a relief to turn to our Gaming Editor, Chris Pruett’s piece, “Culture-Conscious Nightmares” found at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/pruett.php As usual, Chris, with his background in both computer game programming and Japanese studies, has produced an extremely interesting analysis relating to the global impact of the internet, and the many interesting hybrid productions that have risen from it.

The book reviewed in this issue, Dave Morris and Leo Hartas’ Game Art might well be read in conjunction with Chris’ article as some of its images and discussions eerily mirror it.  See the review at: http://bcis.pacificu.edu/journal/2005/02/morris.php

As always, we hope that you will find this issue of Interface both interesting and informative.

The Berglund Center for Internet Studies
Pacific University