Vol. XLIX No.
9 May 2009
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
7:30 pm
The M-Lab: An Open Research Platform
for Testing Internet Performance
Sascha Meinrath
Director, Open Technology Initiative, New America
Foundation
Location:
American University
Butler Pavilion Boardroom (6th Floor)
Washington, D.C.
Nearest Metro Station: Tenleytown, Red Line
Measurement Lab (M-Lab) is an open, distributed
server platform for researchers to deploy Internet
measurement tools and was founded by the New
America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, the
PlanetLab Consortium, Google Inc., and academic
researchers.
Today, M-Lab participants are already developing a
suite of tools that allow users to test various aspects
of their broadband connections. The M-Lab platform
supports the development of these measurement
tools and assists scientific research by providing
widely-distributed servers and ample connectivity for
researchers' use. Each tool is allocated dedicated
resources on the M-Lab platform to facilitate accurate
measurements. Server-side tools are openly licensed
and operated to allow third-parties to develop their
own client-side measurement software. All data
collected via M-Lab will be made available to the
research community to allow researchers to build on a
common pool of network measurement data.
M-Lab was launched in 2009 and is actively looking to
expand the coalition of partnering organizations,
network engineers and scientists, and server
deployments around the globe to support the
initiative.
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IN THIS ISSUE
¾ Upcoming DC ACM Events (Page 1)
¾ Nominees for the 2009 DC ACM elections
(Page 2)
¾ Quick Updates (Page 2)
¾ Historical Committee (Page 3)
¾ June Event Preview (Page 3)
¾ DC ACM Calendar At A Glance (Page 4)
About the Speaker
Sascha has been described as
a "community Internet pioneer"
and an "entrepreneurial
visionary" and is a well-known
expert on community wireless
networks (CWNs), municipal
broadband, and
telecommunications policy. In 2009 he was named
one of Ars Technica's Tech Policy "People to Watch".
Leading news sources, including the Economist, the
New York Times, the Nation, and National Public
Radio, often cite Sascha's work in covering issues
related to CWNs and telecommunications policy.
Sascha is a co-founder of Measurement Lab, a
distributed server platform for researchers around the
world to deploy Internet measurement tools, advance
network research, and empower the public with useful
information about their broadband connections. He
also coordinates the Open Source Wireless Coalition,
a global partnership of open source wireless
integrators, researchers, implementors and
companies dedicated to the development of open
source, interoperable, low-cost wireless technologies.
He is a regular contributor to Government
Technology's Digital Communities, the online portal
and comprehensive information resource for the
public sector. Sascha has worked with Free Press,
the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis
(CAIDA), the Acorn Active Media Foundation, the
Ethos Group, and the CUWiN Foundation. Sascha
serves on the Leadership Committee of the CompTIA
Education Foundation as well as the Advisory
continued on page 2
Continued from page 1

Councils for both the Knight Center of Digital Nominations Update

Excellence and the Knight Commission on the
Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. At the April 28 Executive Council Meeting, the
Nominations Committee announced the following
Special Guest: slate of candidates for the 2009 DC ACM elections:
A short technical talk will be presented by M-Lab
Engineer Robb Topolski. Robb is an independent
CHAIR – Benjamin Schultz
networking and protocol consultant with over 25 years
experience in digital communications over wireline
and wireless networks, in projects from individual VICE CHAIR – Kent Miller
applications to blade-server installations, protocols
from AX.25 to VOIP, and in modes between disaster- TREASURER – Teresa Hone
recovery to long-term redundancy.
SECRETARY – Sean Stickle
His report, NebuAd and Partner ISPs: Wiretapping,
Forgery and Browser Hijacking, raised public MEMBER AT LARGE
awareness and helped launch congressional Mackenzie Morgan
investigations into large-scale ISP eavesdropping. An Gary Zupan
article about his investigation into Comcast's
interference in peer-to-peer uploads can be found An additional candidate for Member At Large,
here. Rebecca Prather, submitted her petition with five
signatures and qualified to be on the ballot.
How to get to American University:
NOTE: Due to having three candidates for Member At
A shuttle is available from Tenleytown Metro Station. Large, DC ACM will implement “Instant Runoff Voting”
The closest parking on campus is Bender Arena and as per the Standing Rules.
there is also ample parking in the Nebraska Lot just
outside of campus.

QUICK UPDATES
Upcoming elections Finances

At the April 28 Executive Council meeting, it was Balance Sheet as of April 28, 2009
decided that absentee ballots would be conducted Checking Account $9,486.79
only online this year. Members who wish to vote by Money Market (Savings) $4,663.64
absentee ballot instead of in person at the elections Certificates of Deposit $10,273.70
meeting need to use their website account (user
$10,332.90
name and password issued at the point of
registration). The revised procedures are published $20,661.32
as part of the Standing Rules. If you are a paid Other Assets $688.99
member who has the voting privilege but you are Total Liabilities $0
experiencing trouble logging in to the DC ACM NET WORTH $56,107.34
website, please contact the website team for
assistance.
Membership

As of May 1, 2009, the DC ACM had 133 registered

TIMELINE members. This total number includes 67 Members
May 15: Self-nomination petitions due to the and 66 Associate Members.
Chair of the Nominating Committee, signed by a
minimum of five Members. Email will be accepted
in lieu of a signature.
June 1: Absentee ballots made available online.
Business Meeting
June 15: Deadline for absentee ballots.
According to the DC ACM Bylaws, the chapter must
June 22: Business meeting for election.
July 1: Elected officers begin their terms. hold a minimum of one business meeting per year. It
was decided that the Business Meeting and the
Elections Meeting would be combined into one
meeting on Monday, June 22.

2
Historical Committee Update: Volunteers Needed to Organize the DC ACM Archives

For over 50 years, the DC Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (DC ACM) has played an integral and
prominent role in carrying out the ACM objectives at the community level and in providing opportunities for
meaningful connections between the area’s academics, professionals, and policymakers in the computer science and
information technology fields. These 50 years have created numerous publications, meeting minutes and other
artifacts that are of important historical significance to the information technology field and the Chapter.

Over the past year, the Chapter has undertaken the exercise of collecting records and archives from current and
former members as well as the establishment of an historical committee to organize, catalog, and digitize the DC
ACM archives.

With the initial round of archive consolidation nearing completion, the Chapter is in need of volunteers to help
organize and catalog these archives as well as preparing recommendations to the Executive Council for the
disposition of items.

If you're interested, please contact the Historical Chair, Isaac Christoffersen, via email: historical@dcacm.org.

ACTIVITIES OF THE DC ACM HISTORICAL COMMITTEE

Initial Consolidation
and Acquisition Phase
October 2008 – April 2009
Sorting and Inventory
Phase
April 2009 – August 2009
Disposition and
Retention Phase
August 2009 – November
2009
• Collect and store potential Chapter records and artifacts in the Fairfax
City storage facility
• Prepare exhibit for the 50th Anniversary Gala
• Prepare record categories and preliminary retention schedule based on
the NARA recommended guidelines and other best practices.
• Catalog and categorize chapter artifacts
• Prepare incremental inventory reports
• Prepare preliminary recommendations for artifact disposal and submit
to the Executive Council
• Dispose of chapter artifacts in the appropriate manner (e.g., secure
versus normal trash)
• Identify online storage solution for the chapter’s digital assets
• Begin digitizing artifacts and uploading to the recommended storage
solution
• Reassess current physical storage facility and provide recommendation
for the appropriate storage of artifacts (i.e., size, location, etc.)

UPCOMING EVENT and how they may change the chains between
government, corporations and citizens who come live
“Lifegraphs for Mobile Mirror Worlds: Linking Supply, by them.
Value, and Customer Chains”
Location: American Academy for the Advancement
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 of Science (AAAS) Washington DC

William Glascoe, Computer Sciences Corporation More details on the DC ACM website calendar.

Have you wondered why record and bookkeeping has
not been automated for all of us? From the moment a
legal or natural person is known to be on the way to
last data generating event of its corpse. This talk
examines lifegraphing (not life logging) in the context
of the proliferation of 3D Computer-Aided everything,
the payment card industry's infrastructure, the
electronic health records mandate, geographical
information systems, and electronic data interchange
standards. To fully understand the conceptualization
of lifegraphs, a 100-yr story of a person born in the
year 2000 is use to explain what lifegraphs are/aren't
Co-Sponsors: DC SIGGRAPH and DC/Baltimore SIGAda
Seeking Submissions to CompuTopics
Do you have something of interest
to our readers?
Original material is always welcome!
Please contact the editor,
Communications Chair Cora Dickson
(communications@dcacm.org).

3
 DC ACM CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
May 6 Guest Speaker Sascha Meinrath, “The M-Lab: An Open
Research Platform for Testing Internet Performance”
May 26 Executive Council Meeting (open to all members)
June 10 Guest Speaker William Glascoe, “Lifegraphs for Mobile
Mirror Worlds: Linking Supply, Value, and Customer Chains”

About DC ACM DC ACM Executive Council

Click on the name to email.
The Washington, D.C. Chapter of the
Association for Computing Machinery (DC Chair William Fielder
ACM) was formally established on November Vice Chair Isaac Christoffersen
1, 1958. We are a local professional chapter Treasurer Teresa Hone
of the Association for Computing Machinery Secretary Ben Schultz
(ACM), which was founded in 1947. Currently Member at Large Rebecca Prather
there are more than 2,200 ACM members in Communications Cora Dickson
the Washington Metropolitan Area. Membership Kent Miller
PDC Eric Noriega
The DC ACM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Programs (acting) William Fielder
association (EIN 526066536) that supports Awards (acting) Mackenzie Morgan
educational activities and career development
for the local IT professional community, as Executive Council Meetings are held once a month.
well as nurturing future generations of They are open to all interested parties, though only
computer scientists, network engineers, and EC Members have voting power on any motions
raised in the meeting.
tech policy specialists in the Washington, D.C.
area. Among other activities, we give awards Location:
to junior and senior high school students for
exceptional science fair projects in the Radio Free Asia
computer science field and we sponsor 2025 M Street NW
educational lectures for the general public. Between 20th and 21st Streets
Ground Floor Conference Room
Our website:
http://www.dcacm.org Closest Metro Stations: Dupont Circle and Farragut
North, Red Line

Parking: Free on the street after 6:30pm; garage

next door to the meeting room charges $5.00.
Our Sponsors

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Chapter
Member
• Join the Professional Development
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