From: dsroberts@beckman.com
Newsgroups: comp.org.decus
Subject: Re: EXECUTION of DECUS Standards
Date: 16 Dec 92 07:49:31 PDT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Beckman Instruments

My, this discussion has gotten far afield of standards, hasn't it?

On elected representation from the SIG's:

When was the last time there was anything posted anywhere, DECUServe,
DECUScope, Symposia, Trade Press, Netnews, etc. that asked members to join a
SIG?  If we members are not made aware that our means of representation is
through the (imho obsolete) sig structure, how are we to participate?

I am a "DECUS leader" as a member of DECUServe executive committee.  I have,
through that position, NO VOTE other than BOD.  So, just like Terry, I feel
disenfranchised by leadership.  True, I can participate on DCS, and I do attend
symposium, but I still have NO FORUM to cast my vote for any leadership other
than BOD.  Even if I did join a SIG (and how do I do that, anyway?), I could
not justify to my company, who pays my bills at symposia, to attend
non-technical leadership meetings that are scheduled opposite the technical
presentations my company sends me for.  What possible justification could there
be for not allowing electronic voting?  And tell me when these sig meetings at
symposia occur anyway?  I've never seen them published, I have the SAG from Las
Vegas here in front of me, on no days do I see a VMS Systems SIG general
meeting, or any other SIG for that matter.

The fact is the membership IS disenfranchised.  I'm a fairly well connected
{member|volunteer|leader} and I'M disenfranshised.  IMHO this situation has
existed for so long that APATHY has gripped 59,000 of the 60,000 chapter
members and they don't make a fuss.

On the Newsletters:

There was a LONG discussion on dropping the newsletters on DCS prior to
dropping them.  This does not excuse the lack of general membership input, but
at least it will help all to recognise that this was not a spur of the moment,
no input required, type of decision.  The fact is that there were only about
2000 subscriptions.  Out of 60000 members.  Part of this is due to the lack of
publicity for the newsletters in recent years, certainly.  Joels proposal for
an electronic newsletter has been met with apathy by the leadership who are not
participants in electronic forums.  DECUServe's efforts to get their small part
of the newsletter (the DECUServe Journal) electronically published had been
stonewalled by small minded, petty members of leadership who have no desire to
serve the membership, but rather protect their own prejudicial notions of what
is "right for DECUS".

On standards:

I, for one, am one member who really doesn't care that much that DECUS
participate in standards.  But I would not presume to put my opinion over that
of the rest of the membership.  However, we should all recognise that DECUS is
VERY short on cash and there is NO SUGAR DADDY waiting in the wings to pay our
bills.
-- 
   Don Roberts                   Internet:  dsroberts@beckman.com
   Beckman Instruments, Inc.     Phone:     714/961-3029
   2500 Harbor Bl. Mailstop X-12 FAX:       714/961-3351
   Fullerton, CA  92634          Disclaimer:  Blame me, not Beckman.
   "Abortion isn't a 'choice', it's the slaughter of the innocent"