Harry Newton
Steve Schoen
Contributing Editor
How
do you say "the readers wrote this book" and have everyone believe
you? The truth is they did. Really! They send me emails -- 
.
They write, "The dictionary is great. But you forgot XYZ and,
by the way, there's another definition for ABC you forgot." The
emails flow in daily. Sometimes they're from readers who want their company's
products plugged. But 95% of the time, they simply want better or newer
definitions. Over the years my readers have contributed thousands of definitions.
I'm most appreciative.
People
are close to this dictionary because so many of them use it their daily
job. They refer to it for technical and business explanations. They copy
bits for presentations to their bosses. And they include bits in sales
pitches to their customers. Eventually they come to feel that the book
is theirs. And they want to make it the best. And, with their help, it
is.
I answer each and every email. I feel I know every reader personally. We're all part of this gigantic telecom family, enjoying the ups and suffering the downs of this wonderful industry.
This is how Steve Schoen became Contributing Editor. He started sending in definitions he ran across in his day-to-day work for GTE, Verizon and now Hawaiian Telcom. He needed definitions in his extensive teaching at colleges and universities in Hawaii and on the mainland. Now some of the newest (and best) definitions in the dictionary are his. It's ironic that he first entered telecom in 1984 -- the year the first edition of the dictionary was published. Like so many newcomers to the industry, he latched onto the dictionary because he needed an instant reference to all the jargon.
As for me, let's just say I'm fascinated with the field. I've always wanted a reference book that, in one place, I could find explanations of telecom and networking terms. I started writing the dictionary one rainy weekend and thought I could finish it that weekend. Twenty four years later I'm still at it, one word at a time. Writing definitions is one of the most pleasurable things you can do. Seriously. When you craft the "perfect" definition, you're on a high. I hope you enjoy our work. -- Harry Newton, May 2008.