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From: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.org.usenix
Subject: Re: Places to hold conferences
Message-ID: <2106@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 30 Jun 91 22:07:45 GMT
References: <15155@ector.cs.purdue.edu>
Reply-To: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor)
Organization: Intuitive Systems, Mountain View, CA: +1 (415) 966-1151
Lines: 33

Gene Spafford writes:

> If members of the organization want to make political statements, even
> by going so far as to boycott meetings, then that is fine -- but it is
> not the place of the *organization* to make it political.

I agree wholeheartedly!  And as a further issue, I've always been a
bit baffled by people who lobby to boycott products, since it seems to
me that if one is truly 'politically aware' one ends up being almost
unable to purchase ANYthing at all, since just about every company 
manages to annoy someone or other...

Even Usenix itself: not only have they voted against having events
in Arizona, as Gene points out, but they've also voted against (or, 
to be more correct, "punted on voting") having a South African
university join the organization.

There's also a question about whether the vocal minority here on the
net truly represents the Usenix membership as a whole, and if not,
whether the protest of a few (though admitedly a *key* few!) are 
really that relevant and important for the agenda of the organization
as a whole?

Schedule permitting, I will attend a Usenix anywhere in the world, as
I find the conference valuable and enjoyable.  I don't expect Usenix
to reflect my political beliefs and ideals, and I won't accept the
Association imposing political views upon me either.

						-- Dave Taylor
Intuitive Systems
Mountain View, California

taylor@limbo.intuitive.com    or   {uunet!}{decwrl,apple}!limbo!taylor