Dear all,
[this is a very personal and probably highly controversal note - and I would like to get your comments on the topic]
I receive more and more proposals for joint IEEE/IFIP organisation of conferences. Interestingly enough this initiatives come very rarely or never from the IEEE side but only from IFIP. Apparently the organisors of these (former) IFIP events expect a very positive outcome by means of the good name of IEEE, the better visibility, increased distribution,.. Very often a cheaper publishing with a better inclusion in digital libraries etc. is assumed.
To my (personal) opinion this development is risky. There is a danger that the following will happen: 1. Joint organisation IFIP/IEEE with IFIP as main sponsor (but not any more as full sponsor) 2. Publication by IEEE with reduced royalties for IFIP 3. IFIP only as a co-sponsor or "in cooperation with" 4. The event disappears from the IFIP calendar. This sequence has already happened for some of our (former) events.
If things continue to go like that then where is the remaining need for IFIP? I just received a ballot slip where I'm asked to vote for a dissolution of ICCC (and I don't even believe that this is a joke)!!! Some of the explanations for this proposal read as follows: "The organisation has served its original purpose admirably and with considerable consequence... Meanwhile, countless other organisations have been formed or have expanded to occupy the field first opened by our organisation. Those organisations have come to dominate in industrialised nations, including Europe and the United States. In many instances their technical, policy or business objectives are broader than our own and have expanded to cover topics traditionally addressed by ICCC. ...." To my opinion, this is nothing but a declaration of bankruptcy. The formulations might, however, just be repeated (replacing ICCC by IFIP or by IFIP TC6) if we continue to give up our major strength, namely the organisation of high-class events with full responsibility.
Best regards (and please comment!) Otto