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From: craig@sics.se (Craig Partridge)
Newsgroups: comp.org.acm
Subject: Re: It's the ACM Role Playing Game!
Message-ID: <1991May29.073751.10790@sics.se>
Date: 29 May 91 07:37:51 GMT
References: <1991May27.010251.6255@comp.vuw.ac.nz> <15450.28425cce@zeus.unomaha.edu>
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Organization: Swedish Institute of Computer Science, Kista
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In <15450.28425cce@zeus.unomaha.edu> jsaker@zeus.unomaha.edu (Jamie Saker -- Vice President, UNO ACE) writes:

>During the course of the year, you got most of your Communications, but when
>it came to the SIGs, Computing Surveys only sent you their March 1991 
>issue (Vol. 23), and SIGCAS...  well, maybe they had a nice dinner for
>the execs, or maybe they all went to Disneyland. You'll never know, because
>they never sent you anything!!!

I can't speak for CAS's particular situtation, but it is true that some SIGs
publish only sporadically (I've seen the publication schedules).  And some ACM
journals are almost as bad (publishing journals months after their official
date).

But there are some SIGs which are working extremely hard to serve their
members well by publishing regular SIG publications and holding first
class conferences.  Some that come to mind are SIGOPS, SIGMETRICS, SIGPLAN
and SIGCOMM (apologies to notable SIGs I've left out).  It makes sense
to look around a bit.  And if your SIG doesn't provide services you find
useful, run for SIG office or volunteer (many SIGs would love an activist
newsletter editor).  ACM Headquarters itself has been working harder and
harder to be responsive to member needs.  Both our last president and our
current president feel strongly about member services.

What I'm trying to say here is that yes, ACM has its bad spots, but at its
best, ACM is a first class organization.  Furthermore, the trend is toward
building on its good work, rather than slipping towards its bad.

Craig Partridge
Editor, ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review