Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!dsl.pitt.edu!pitt!willett!ForthNet
From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: A SIGForth is starting in ACM - Help!
Message-ID: <1699.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 10 Sep 90 02:08:33 GMT
Organization: String, Scotch tape, and Paperclips.  (in Pgh, PA)
Lines: 36

Category 5,  Topic 3
Message 61        Sun Sep 09, 1990
ATFURMAN                     at 02:31 PDT
 
FIG:

Member services such as exchange of information via chapter meetings,
technical conferences, and GEnie/ForthNet (MAJOR contribution--good show, Gary
Smith!); distribution of software and textbooks.  Contrary to popular belief,
FIG is about an even mix of hobbyists and professionals rather than
predominantly hobbyist.  Informality reigns.


SIGForth:

A presence for Forth inside the professional/research/academic Establishment. 
Publications and conferences address software engineering topics of special
professional concern such as reliability and project management (along with
general technical topics).

SIGForth was intended to complement FIG by reaching professionals who never
joined FIG, by leveraging off ACM's aura of starchy professionalism, and by
doing whatever else is needed to make Forth application design a viable way of
making a living with a bearable level of job-hunting hassle.


Bottom line:

The two organizations, put together, address essential needs of the Forth
community, which no single organization could.  FIG's freewheeling, open
atmoshphere would shrivel if FIG tried to put on the kind of professional
image that promotion in the commercial arena demands.  I would feel the loss
personally.  It is worth paying two sets of dues to avoid it.
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