SIGGRAPH

In the beginning, the only function at the SIGGRAPH annual conference was the technical papers session. While the technical papers were the primary focus of the conference, as indeed they are now, many other activities have been added to the conference through the years. Conference goers today know that, besides the papers, there is an equipment exhibition, an art show, a film and video show, about thirty day-long courses, and a complete slate of panels. For all these functions, there is some written record of the event's activities. Papers are published in the Proceedings, there are catalogs for the film and video show and the art show, printed notes are provided for the courses, and exhibition attendees can carry away literature in any volume they can manage. Finally, brief summaries of the panel sessions, written in advance of the conference, appear in the Proceedings.

In view of the growing importance of the panels to conference attendees (we often find panels better attended than paper sessions), this seems a disproportionately small record of their proceedings. For SIGGRAPH'86, in Dallas, some first steps were taken to provide technical program attendees with a permanent record of what transpired at the panel sessions. All panel presentations, as well as subsequent intra-panel and inter-audience interactions were audiotaped. After the conference, the tapes were transcribed to computer- readable form and were rough-edited by the Panels Chair to correct words and phrases that were nearly inaudible or were not understood by the transcriber. Following that, the intention was to have each panel chair, eleven in all, further edit their material, obtain appropriate visuals from their panelists, and to return all material to the Panels Chair for publication. Unfortunately, budget uncertainties for SIGGRAPH'86 and a serious underestimate of the work involved precluded these final steps.

For S1GGRAPH'88 we had the opportunity (and the budget!) to try again. Just as in 1986, the panel proceedings were audiotaped, most visual material was captured on site, and, with the assistance of the Panels Committee, the panel chairs, and paid staff, the material was transcribed, edited, and printed. A copy of the panels proceedings is being mailed to every person who registered for the technical program. In this way we hope to provide panel attendees with more than just fond memories of the excitement they experienced at the Conference. More important, it is a first step in developing an archive of a highly significant annual event in the field of computer graphics.

Finally, we hope that the reader will be both critical and tolerant of this first effort. Tolerant of the mangling of some names, particularly those of the questioners from the audience which we had no way of verifying. Critical feedback is essential at this point. Do you want to see this activity continue? Is it worth the effort for SIGGRAPH to produce panels proceedings and do you find it to be a valuable publication?