The study of discrete event dynamical systems (DEDS) has become rapidly popular among researchers in systems and control, in communication networks, in manufacturing, and in distributed computing. This development has created problems for researchers and potential "consumers" of the research. The first problem is the veritable Babel of languages, formalisms, and approaches, which makes it very difficult to determine the commonalities and distinctions among the competing schools of approaches. The second, related problem arises from the different traditions, paradigms, values, and experiences that scholars bring to their study of DEDS, depending on whether they come from control, communication, computer science, or mathematical logic. As a result, intellectual exchange among scholars becomes compromised by unexplicated assumptions.