GMU ISM Software for Windows
Summary: Pending
LOCATION: The complete ISM for WINDOWS program files are all on Rose's computer in the folder named: ISM SOFTWARE. In addition I am sure the same program files are on John's old computer, which Dan now has in his home. A compact disk holding the ISM for WINDOWS program is also stored in a 3 ring notebinder on Rose's computer desk bookshelf, titled PROGRAM DISKS and a backup is on a disk in A DISK STORAGE BOX IN Roses'a apartment somewhere. The disk contains 6 program files plus 2 documents appropriate as user guides.
Since appoximately 2006 the complete contents of the compact disk have been available as a free download from www.jnwarfield.com/software/ism/ism.zip.
NOTE: This ACCESS table is an inventory only of the PROGRAMS and DISKS for software, not any information about how to write or how to use the software, all of which can be found in another ACCESS TABLE, NAMELY; "Textual Materials" or possibly "Papers by Others" by using the search term "ism software"
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This is the GMU version of ISM Software for Windows a collection of files on a compact disk assembled by John Warfield in 1999.
By this time the GMU software has been superceded by proprietary software packages issued by several other facilitators, not only in the U.S. but in other countries as well. John is not sure who has what type of software, these days, and no one has volunteered to give him any to examine, so he doesn't even know which ones work the best. Surely not this version which had a lot of bugs which never got ironed out. .
John put this disk together to have available if anyone asked for the Windows version, which he has now placed on his web page for free download or distribution. He has discovered, long after it was finished, that not only did Ben's Guide fail to tell the user how to print out the flow chart graphics, but also that the ISMWIN program will not print out the needed graphics at all. Ben failed to tell him this, years ago, and John did not realize the extent of the bugs in this software for years because he himself never ran the PC during any of the ISM sessions.
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What follows is John's short description attached to the jewel case label of this software:
For questions about this software, contact Professor Benjamin Broome at Arizona State University This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The disk contains the GMU Windows software for Interpretive Structural Modeling, plus a User's Guide written by Prof. Broome. And a Prototype Plan for an Interactive Management Workshop by Warfield & Staley.
The User's Guide may take you to the point where you want to print, but it weakens at that point. The Prototype Plan was developed for use with Ford Motor Company. It is recommended as something to start with and modify for other applications of the software.
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List of files on the ISM SOFTWARE for WINDOWS disk. The disk holds six program files, plus the user guide & readme documents.
Name Size Type Last Modiified
BWCC.DLL 127KB Application Extension 6/9/1992 10:10 PM
BWCC.LIB 1,536 LIB File 6/9/1992 10:10 PM
CATEGORY.STM 207 STM File 3/17/1998 10:38 AM
IMWORKSHOPPrototypePlan.doc 84KB MS Word Document 2/9/1999 2:08 AM
IMWORKSHOPPrototypePlan.wpd 102KB WordPerfect 12 Document 2/8/1999 5:04 AM
ISM.EXE 414KB Application 2/21/1995 4:32 PM
ISMWINUSERGuide.doc 455KB MS Word Document 2/9/1999 2:04 AM
ISMWINUSERGuide.wpd 416KB WordPerfect 12 Document 2/7/1999 2:09 AM
SECOND.STM 42 STM File 10/14/1997 2:28 PM
STRUCTUR.STM 2,032 STM File 4/24/1998 7:28 AM
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README file for Rose's computer,
ABOUT ISMWIN SOFTWARE (The GMU version of ISM Software for Windows)
The software was written during 1991-1994 at Institute for Advanced Study in the Integrative Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. The programming language was Borland C++. The chief programmer was Mr. Dangsheng (Daniel) Ma. He was assisted by Mr. Qingchuan (Jason) Gan. Both of them were students at Institute of Public Policy, George Mason University. Professor Benjamin Broome of GMU's Department of Communication was supervisor of the programming work.
NOTE: For questions about this software, contact Professor Benjamin Broome at Arizona State University This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
This is the ISM Windows software which was completed in June 1994, and with only a few minor changes given to John in April 1995 by Mr. Ma before he left George Mason University to start his new job in Carolina. Since the last ISM.exe file received from Mr. Ma has a date of Feb 21, 1995 we gave that date to the software package.
The ISM PLUS Package was assembled on a compact disk by John Warfield in 1999. It contains a copy of a Prototype Plan for an ISM sesion, and also Prof. Broome's 1997 User Guide in both WordPerfect and in MS Word. The files with a Feb 21, 1995 date are still intact, and are the basic and essential ones for running the program (ISM.EXE, BWCC.LIB AND BWCC.DLL) and are the same ones left with us by Mr. Ma.
The February 1995 Windows version still has many bugs, however most of them are explained and accommodated in the User's Guide written by Ben Broome. Ben's Guide is quite well written; its only drawback is that it falters when it comes to explaining how to print out documents from the Windows software and furthermore there are no illustrative graphics of the problematiques (flow charts) which can be produced by the software.
Money for the software development came from two sources, a George Mason University contract with Ford Motor Company Research Laboratory and a George Mason University contract with Defense Systems Management College. Both of these contracts had been obtained by John Warfield for his Institute for Advanced Study in the Integrative Sciences.
In 1994, at the time the software was finished and the two contracts completed, George Mason University claimed complete rights to the software. Both Ford and DSMC were able to use the software but Warfield's right to distribute it to others was blocked while GMU took over the marketing. GMU lawyers and administration officials delayed decision on marketing strategy while examining the software.
The marketing department at the university knew nothing about Interactive Management which was the only use and purpose for ISM software. Furthermore, there was a cloud on the software title because it had been based in part on older programming developed at other institutions. Aleco Christakis and David Keever had added to the cloudy title in 1984 when unbeknownst to Warfield they copyrighted the DOS version in their own names. (As we learned in 1989, Aleco & Keever had copyrighted a DOS software package 5 years earlier, under U.S. copyright office registration Numbers TX1-383-764 and TX1-383-765, effective day July 11, 1984).
Because part of the money to pay for work on the GMU software was from a federal contract (with Defense Systems Management College) the U.S. government retained rights also, permitting any federal agency in the country the full and free use the software in perpetuity.
University officials finally came to the conclusion that GMU did not want to market or to administer the ISM software. After having delayed the marketing of it for three years, GMU authorities disclaimed any rights to ownership in a memo to Ben Broome signed by GMU's Jennifer Murphy dated February 13, 1997. Broome, Warfield, Ma and Gan became owners and one or two copies were sold with the proceeds split between the four men. Other persons interested in Interactive Management had begun to write their own software by this time, and there has been little demand for the GMU ISM software.
Eventually ISM Windows software was added to "jnwarfield.com"(a web site not Warfield's, but operated by Greg Thomas of Nashville, Tenn with Warfield's permission) As of March 12, 2009 when this note is being written, the ISMWIN Software with the 2 User's documents are available as a free download, at www.jnwarfield.com/software/ism/ism.zip.
The ISMWIN program on Greg's web page has the identical 1995 ISM EXE file given us by Mr. Ma, but a few extra files have been added from somewhere. John doesn't remember circumstances about this web page version, if he ever knew. The software on Greg's web page might be a copy which Greg was using and which he simply loaded from his own computer. We don't know.
Additional Info
- Publication Year: 1989
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