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Welcome to the first issue of our new electronic version of JSS. As you can see, this electronic version looks very similar to the hardcopy issues that you
receive in the mail. It is one of two new issues that will be added to the standard four hardcopy issues that are published yearly. I am personally very pleased and excited
about this new concept, and I feel that it will be very successful.
Before any opinions are formed, I would like to explain how this electronic version came about. In a
recent member survey, one of the most frequently recurring suggestions was that the Society increase the number of yearly issues of JSS. Your Society officers have taken this
recommendation seriously, and have initiated the appropriate steps to achieve this goal. After performing a cost-benefit study of two additional yearly issues, the officers
felt it was not currently within our annual budget to produce two additional hardcopy issues, but we discovered that we could cost-effectively publish two electronic copies of
JSS. The electronic version provides many benefits, such as saving on publishing and mail costs, and making access more immediate. In addition, the Society is keeping up with
technology and the electronic trend of many other societies.
The SSS must constantly face many challenges in order to maintain visibility and provide benefits to our
members. Naturally, change is the most constant and ever-present challenge. This particular change provides added benefit to our members (two additional issues per year), and
it is also a very cost-effective approach. There is no intent to go all-electronic, and we may still add more hardcopy issues at some point in the future.
I would like
to thank Niles Welch, Technical Editor of JSS, for his foresight and boldness in taking the plunge into electronic publishing. Also, I would like to thank our JSS publisher,
ASWaterman Inc., for the great work and leadership they have provided in making JSS a premier and technology-smart publication.
We hope that all of our Society members
will come to appreciate and like this version of JSS. Please give me your feedback. Thanks. 
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