Scope
Ubiquity Magazine’s BLOG@UBIQUITY is our primary venue for opinion-driven content. The editors may select some blogs for further development and invite the authors to republish an updated version as “Editor’s Choice” Commentaries.
Bloggers should explore the new possibilities emerging around us and speculate about how they might be influenced by computing technology and policies and practices. Our diverse audience includes many readers who are not computing professionals. They are looking to your blog post for orientation and interpretation of computing trends.
What We Look for
Ideally, Ubiquity blog posts should satisfy these goals:
- Orientation toward the future of computing— can be speculations about what might happen under the influence of computing technology, or creative speculations with new ideas and interpretations
- One (bold) main claim – preferably stated in the title
- Grounding – supporting reasons and evidence – for the main claim
- Images and links to interesting supporting materials
- Edifying and credible
- Beginning of a conversation – an invitation for more
We recommend that blog posts be about two pages when printed, or about 700 words. Speak in active voice and do not be afraid of first person sentences where needed. Give proper attribution to your sources, such as quotes, documents, videos, or speeches.
Fate of Your Posts
Every blog post is an experiment to see what reactions, including none, it provokes in your readers. Posts that do not gather interest will receive no comments or negative comments. The editors watch which posts readers like and we read their comments, looking for topics and ideas that provoke interest. Posts that provoke interest become starting points for more posts, interviews, longer commentaries, and occasionally symposia.
Avoid Self Promotion
We welcome discussion of your own experience and work when it supports your main claim. We ask however that you avoid coming across as promoting yourself, colleagues, students, or organizations. Disclose connections that might affect reader interpretations such as you are a member of the board of directors of an organization you are discussing.
Editorial Management
Blogs are posted by the editors and other bloggers approved by an editor. We encourage bloggers to distribute drafts among the editors for quick reactions before posting. The editors reserve the right to remove posts containing content not appropriate or relevant to our audience.
Intellectual Property
The blog text is owned by the blogger.
By submitting your blog entry or comment for distribution in BLOG@UBIQUITY, you hereby grant ACM the non-exclusive, perpetual and worldwide rights to publish and redistribute, edit or adapt and archive the blog entry in print or electronic formats published by ACM.
Being a Blogger
If you would like to blog for Ubiquity, even for one post, contact us at blog@ubiquity.acm.org. Please explain what you will write about or send us a draft.