The IEEE as a ‘black box’ Five members — Ranging in both experience and philosophy — Face off in a discussion of where we are and ought to be

On April 22, during ELECTRO'77 in New York City, Spectrum gathered five IEEE members together for the purpose of airing conflicting views on the state of the Institute. Chosen for this informed colloquium were EEs with no political ax to grind — that is, none had evinced any intention to run for IEEE office and so had no constituency to whom he or she might be beholden. On the other hand, each had expressed great concern for the fate of the Institute over the years — via activity on a national or local level and via letters to Spectrum. The result was an all-day debate that exposed many of the most profound divisions within the IEEE membership at large. What follows is a summary of opinions voiced — on IEEE's technical activities, on its professional activities, and on the EE as a professional interacting with society. As might be expected in any discussion of complex issues, no conclusions were reached, nor will they be drawn by Spectrum; rather, they are left to the reader.