Notices by Rebecca Wirfs-Brock (rebeccawb@discuss.systems)

@gdinwiddie @grimalkina @sue I was on a sw design nsf panel once (when I was the design columnist for IEEE Software). I was the contrary one, being the only non-academic, who wasn't cowed by submissions that seemed not that interesting submitted by known folks.

It was an interesting experience. Definitely, it is "easier" to go with the status quo than to champion new and novel research

@gdinwiddie @grimalkina @sue ... I think it was a matter of professional reputation. Known quantities are, well, known quantities. Unknown quantities are, well, unknown.

Panels were definitely risk adverse.

Some soon to be minted PhDs were on the panel as well...recommended by their profs so they could learn how to write good proposals. The thing about proposals is that they tended to overhype the potential impact. And being a skeptic, I didn't buy it.

I'm not sure what those panelists learned, but they thought being a reviewer was good experience.

Me? I was so intrigued by how research was funded that I wanted to do it again. Unfortunately, my other work travels didn't make it possible. Now, if I weren't an IEEE sw design columnist, I would never have been asked to participate, I'm sure of that.