[Info-vax] Silver lining? (was: Re: 2009 VMS Bootcamp notice)

[Bob Gezelter]

On Jan 7, 6:29 pm, "Richard Maher" <maher... at hotspamnotmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi JF,
>
> > invaluable!  However, given today's economic status and realizing that
> > many companies are restricting travel including HP, we find ourselves in
> > a position of having to cancel this year's OpenVMS Boot Camp.
>
> On the up-side, just think about all that extra "free time" that the HP/VMS
> speakers, presenters, and the attendees now have on their hands. Hey, is
> that a "CRON Scheduler for VMS" project I hear starting up? But who on earth
> would be willing to head-up such a valuable and worthy project? Chance to
> give EDS a guernsey? Last time I looked they also had their full-complement
> of navel-gazing wasters.
>
> > I wonder if HP might replace this with travelling presentations (if
> > people can't afford to travel, perhaps get Sue and a few enginers to
> > travel to people).
>
> Or they could just come out of their ivory towers and use the bloody
> internet like everyone else! Ooh and face unpleasantness and unsavoury
> characters; surely they'll bruise?
>
> Depemds whether you're trying to communicate with the user-base or control
> what the user-base has to say to your manager, I suppose.
>
> NDA my arse!
>
> Regards Richard Maher
>
> PS. If you got a copy of Sue's last "VMS Update" then I'd be curious to see
> that as well.
>
> "JF Mezei" <jfmezei.spam... at vaxination.ca> wrote in message
>
> news:0050a3de$0$4649$c3e8da3 at news.astraweb.com...
>
> > I got an email from Sue, and it hadn't been posted here yet. Hope Sue
> > won't mind my posting it here.
>
> > From: McQuaid, Ann
> > To: Skonetski, Susan
> > Cc: Herman, Wendy
> > Subject: boot camp
>
> > Hello Boot Camp Attendees,
>
> > As you know, the OpenVMS team prides itself on conducting the very
> > highest quality Technical Training in the industry, allowing for a
> > collaborative exchange of information and ideas with Customers and
> > Partners around the world.  There is no doubt that the knowledge shared
> > and the personal connections made during these face-2-face events is
> > invaluable!  However, given today's economic status and realizing that
> > many companies are restricting travel including HP, we find ourselves in
> > a position of having to cancel this year's OpenVMS Boot Camp.
>
> > As always we greatly appreciate your business and welcome your calls and
> > emails.
>
> >  Ann McQuaid
> > General Manager
> > OpenVMS, Tru64, Alpha & MCBS Customer Programs
> > Hewlett-Packard Company
> > ann.mcqu... at hp.com<mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxx... at hp.com>
> > Admin: Susan Christie
> > 598-467-9999
>
> > ------------------------------------
>
> > I wonder if HP might replace this with travelling presentations (if
> > people can't afford to travel, perhaps get Sue and a few enginers to
> > travel to people).
>
> > In terms of Mrs McQuaid's title, does anyone know what MCBS is ?
>
> > Does her title really mean "General manager of mature technologies" ?

Richard,

I refrained from responding to your comment about OpenVMS Engineering,
but in light of some points Sue made, it is worth putting in my US$
0.02.

I doubt that anybody will accuse me of being an OpenVMS sycophant.
Those who attend symposia and the bootcamps know that I have publicly
asked many questions that perhaps some would rather not be asked.
Those who were there also know that I am not always 100% pleased by
the answers that I receive.

However, accusing OpenVMS Engineering of "hiding in an ivory tower"
is, frankly IMO, quite undeserved. OpenVMS Engineering has facilitated
contact between line engineers and customers at these events over the
entire history of OpenVMS dating back 30 years, and constructive
conversations often take place. This is often not the case for the
wide variety of other vendors with which I have dealings. In many of
those cases, it is virtually impossible to identify, much less
contact, those on the actual development team.

Everybody has their shortcomings, but on balance communications with
OpenVMS Engineering are good. I would rather have the dialogue and
discussion channels that we have had, and will hopefully continue to
have, with OpenVMS Engineering, than have the communications that I
deal with on other products, both proprietary and open source.

Long ago, there were some "flame wars" which gave some the impression
that it was not wise to post in the newsgroup (one can access my
January 1, 1993 "Courtesy and Civility" critique of those "flames" and
wars at
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.vms/tree/browse_frm/month/1993-01/35a84dca088cdece?rnum=11&_done=%2Fgroup%2Fcomp.os.vms%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F1993-01%3F#doc_9cb2377b91254e1b).
It now seems apparent that this problem does go beyond novices and
newbies, and affects others.

If a technical issue is being discussed, then it is a technical issue.
If it is a product management issue, engage the product management
team.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com