From: ctp@cs.utexas.edu (Clyde T. Poole)
Newsgroups: comp.org.decus
Subject: Re: EXECUTION of DECUS Standards
Date: 17 Dec 1992 17:46:29 -0600
Organization: Univ. of Texas at Austin
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: lisboa.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Dec17.082309@mccall.com> tp@mccall.com (Terry Poot) writes:
>
>In article <16DEC199216495941@rover.uchicago.edu>, frank@rover.uchicago.edu
>(Frank - Hardware Hacker - Borger) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec15.174907@mccall.com>, tp@mccall.com (Terry Poot) writes...
>>>Do you know the percentage, by any chance? That's something I've been curious
>>>about from time to time. 
>>
>>	A reasonable SWAG is that, at the end of their life, the newsletter
>>	sub base was about equal to DECUServe subscriptions, also equal to
>>	DCS accounts, (total, not active.)
>
>So I guess they get the axe next, eh? :-)

There are currently NO plans that I know of to discontinue DECUServe.
Their request for capital equipment has been delayed because of the
current DECUS cash crunch.

>>>Another idea would be to dump DCS and put the
>>>leadership onto DECUServe with the rabble. That would do some good, in
>>>>addition to maybe saving some money, though I don't know enough about that
>>>>setup to know if there would be any real savings to that.
>>	Would you really like to see 10 or 20 mail messages a day from the
>>	small SIGS, more from the big ones, all posted to DECUServe? DCS
>>	provides targeted messaging, via mail lists. RUN DECUS using DECUServe
>>	urk, choke, ghasp.
>
>Yup. Put all those mailing lists into public conferences and/or newsgroups.
>(Mailing lists are a lousy vehicle for conferencing anyway.) Nobody'd have to
>read them if they didn't want to but anyone who had an interest in what's going
>on could comment and be heard by the leaders and decision makers. Actually, I'd
>like to see it out on the net where I could access it, too. In a users's
>society, the users shouldn't be barred from any discussion. Conferences (like
>newsgroups) are non-intrusive. If you don't want to see them, you don't have to,
>and you can join and leave them as your interests and current events dictate,
>without having to deal with an administrator to do it for you. And, the traffic
>comes pre-sorted by topic (conference/newsgroup) rather than just dumped into a
>mailbox in chronological order. 

DECUS is made up of LOTS of different "kinds" of people.  Some of
those people like VAX Notes, some like All-In-One, some like e-mail
and some like USENET news.  The unfortunate part is that as far as I
know only a very few of the operating and administrative units of the
Society (U.S. Chapter) can agree to consistantly use any one of the
mediums as a way of communicating.  The closest we come is the DCS
mailing lists for "leadership."  DCS is closed to the general
membership but e-mail too and from DCS is NOT closed.  You can
communicate directly with anyone in "leadership" with e-mail directed
to <person>@decus.org.  I personally will be very upset for example if
I am forced to use VAX Notes to conduct DECUS business or if it
becomes a "job requirement" that I read and comment on some set of VAX
Notes NO MATTER what machine they reside on.  I have tired, but I just
can't handle the VAX Notes interface and be happy about it.

>People keep using analogies to forms of government. If DECUS were a governmental
>unit in this state, most everything it does would be illegal. We have the Kansas
>Open Meetings law that says you can only have closed meetings for reasons of
>attorney/client privilege or the like, and in a closed meeting, you can only
>disseminate information, not discuss action, and certainly not make decisions.
>Those functions must be done in an open meeting. Also, you have to tell the
>public why the meeting is closed and what will be discussed. It may make life a
>little bit less serene for the governing body, since people are watching, but it
>has sure made our government aware of our opinions. Last time the city commision
>here tried to quietly make a very controversial decision, they had to schedule
>extra public meetings to listen to people (i.e. they didn't get away with it).

All DECUS meetings are open to the public except (1) those where
"personel" issues are discused (2) those where "proprietary"
information (read competitive information) about the Trade Show are
discussed.  The MC and the Board of Directors hold many of their
meetings at Symposium so as to minimize cost to the Society and to
allow those present to attend if they are so inclined.  YES, we don't
do a real good job of telling anyone when the meetings are scheduled,
but I know of no case where a question directed to someone on the
Board or MC would not result in the information being given to anyone.

The MC has made it a policy to INVITE some of the most vocal
"opposition" as observers at its meetings just to make sure that their
opinion was heard.  The current money crunch in the Society (U.S.
Chapter) may make this difficult for awhile, but I am sure we will do
it again in the future if money permits.

It is true that much of the Society's business is conducted on
confrence calls.  This makes it difficult to have "public" meetings.
The alternative (face to face meetings) would increase the cost of
administration considerably.

I guess the bottom line for me is that "I am a volunteer."  I don't
have to do this job.  I do it because I love DECUS (U.S. Chapter).  If
you don't trust me or if you think I am doing a bad job representing
the "membership" then tell me so and tell the people that elected me
(yes there was competition for vice-chair of the MC).  If you have a
question about a particular decision I made, I will be happy to
discuss it with you.  
-----
Clyde T. Poole - Finally has a job offer and may not be unemployed much longer
 DECUS U. S. Chapter, Management Council Vice-Chair and Member of the Board of
  Directors (in my spare time)
P.O. Box 7352                   Internet: ctp@cs.utexas.edu  DCS:  POOLE
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