Editorial Pointers

COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM January 2001/Vol. 44, No. 1 5 A new U.S. president was named last night. The pronouncement came 36 nights after the election took place and what occurred between then and now will be dissected for decades to come. Countless words—in every language—have been written on this unprecedented race for the U.S. presidency, and you can bet this is just a warm-up of what we can expect. Regardless of what side of the fence you’re sitting on (and where in the world that fence is planted), this event no doubt appears as much a spectacle as it is spectacular. Moreover, I doubt you will find an American who will not admit this election proved to be an extraordinary learning experience beyond anything that could have ever been found in print literature or in cyberspace. An ironic twist in this sorted story—one certainly not lost on the authors and editors of this issue—is that technology (or lack thereof) seems to be a prominent player. We’ve seen a glimpse of how the Internet and other balloting devices are used—or avoided—nationwide and how popular opinion is measured—and fueled—in a digital constituency.