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Update on progress A Note from the President Workshop prospectus In response to the many communications containing queries about the 2007-2008 Workshop series, we have brought forward the posting of a Workshop prospectus "draft" since work continues to agree and write the final sections. This has been posted in the ISEE section under "Worskhop prospectus". Online Demonstrations & Models I would like to thank several people who have asked about how Workshop demos will be implemented. Demos of working models and production functions will accompany some briefs and Workshop Thematic presentations. We will use ECMAScript (JavaScript core standard) extensions. All model scripts will run as server-end implementations. Navatec.Com have provided ISEE with free server space for the duration of the Workshop series and will inform us which of their server farms will be used for this. It is likely to be the Seattle Hub, known as the Stromboli site, where SEEL run their R&D programme models. This is because several of the servers there already have the appropriate server software running and staff are accustomed to managing it. Client end? If there is any necessity for client end applications then use will be made of Windows Interface Language and interfaces based on virtual client technology. I personally dont think there will be any need for client end applications because the whole purpose of using server-end implementations of ECMAScript extensions is that conventional browsers are sufficient for viewing and manipulating all such models. Scripts All models used for demos will be dscribed in relevant briefs and there will be sections which provide details of the scripts used and the system implementation methodology. A Change in Brief Structure The preparation of briefs for the Workshops 2007-2008 is progressing well. However, Brief No. 2 "Fundamental relationships in the feedstocks, fibres & food domain " has now been split into four parts for the sake of a clearer exposition on the fundamentally important issue of agricultural production functions. Part 1 will deal with the relevant principles of nature, Part 2 with the relevant principles of economics, Part 3 with the principles of scarcity and Part 4 with relevant principles of survival. Progress The GBI has made impressive strides in organising the Institute for Systems Engineering Economics, ISEE, with the launch of the first workshop series coming just 5 months following its organization. Because of the large amount of effort required to implement the workshop series with a 12 months duration, these will become the main activity for 2007-2008. Duration of Workshops Some have asked why the series is 12 months long. The answer is that all of the systems implementations will be original and, as we all know, software projects take time to design and implement. Workshop progress will reflect real world circumstances and we will not be making use of canned programs and scripts. On the other hand, we will be demonstrating examples of useful script modularity during the course of the design demonstrations. Sponsorship drive I would like to thank all of those who have already volunteered time and information for this new initiative and I acknowledge here and now that those of you who have encouraged me to chase sponsorship have been heard. Once we have our 2007-2008 Workshop prospectus prepared (around March 26th, 2007) we will initiate a campaign for support. Frankly, the workshops cover such a comprehensive set of applications that we expect sponsorship to relate to different sections of the activity. Boolean Society I should add that one of the spin offs of the workshops will be a document series for the Boolean Society enabling us to fulfill out promise to produce documents of use to primary and secondary school pupils as well as training college and university students. Hector McNeill 12th March 2007