We just conducted our 13th Western Conference and Exposition in San Diego, cosponsored with AFCEA. By all measures of effectiveness this was the best ever. The addresses, panels, and discussions were informative, thought-provoking, and highly charged. The exposition hall reflected the same high energy. More than 580 exhibit booths demonstrated technology, systems, software, hardware, and gray matter to more than 9,500 attendees over three days. We will provide more information about West 2003 in the March Proceedings; for now, go to www.West2003.org for more details. For CDs of any of the addresses or panel discussions, an order form and contact information appear on page 27.
Mark your calendars now for West 2004: 3-5 February 2004. Let me shift gears, from face-to-face interactions to the printed pages of Proceedings. As I have reported to you, we crafted a new Strategic Plan and have embarked on a two-year Business Plan to enliven the Naval Institute. At the heart of our open forum is Proceedings. I solicit your input for things we can do in and to our flagship publication to make it even more relevant.
One idea under consideration would be to grant anonymity in specific cases to authors of Proceedings contributions. The subjects of these submissions would have to be substantive and the risks of retribution to the authors credible.
The Royal Navy's counterpart to Proceedings operates under an anonymity policy that might offer us some direction: "To encourage freedom of discussion and criticism, and ensure that diffidence arising from lack of seniority or inexperience of writing for publication shall not discourage participation in them, original contributions may be anonymous, the identity of the writers being known only to the Editor-unless they themselves elect to append their names or initials."
There always is some risk in speaking truth to power. Our First Amendment acknowledges this, yet it recognizes free and open dialogue as the best guarantee of democracy. Our underlying concern is that if there is risk in writing for Proceedings, that risk should fall on the shoulders of the Board of Directors, the Editorial Board, the Editor-in-Chief, and me-and not on a junior officer or enlisted professional sincerely trying to make things better.
Please tell me what you think of publishing anonymous contributions in Proceedings, with the authors being known by the Naval Institute.
Publisher's Page
By Tom Marfiak