Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!cunyvm!unknown
From: rrk@byuvax.bitnet
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: DECUS asked us to put this here...
Message-ID: <107rrk@byuvax.bitnet>
Date: 18 Apr 88 19:04:19 GMT
Lines: 42

It is very interesting to hear the point of view expressed by Ed Centron.
It appears that his experiences in running a LUG were very different from
mine in the VAX LUG in Phoenix.  I would be very interested in knowing how
he convinced DECUS to pay for newsletter mailings (yes, I intended to say
DECUS instead of DEC, but the two are very similar at the national level).
We were quite astonished that they didn't even allow for that in the budget.
After hassling for a while, we came to the conclusion (after they stopped
sending tapes and required us to send our own tapes to be copied) that there
was nothing that we could possibly put into our buget that the national
DECUS would cover, although the DEC local office stepped in and offered
to cover our newsletter costs, but that was only after DECUS refused.

The LUG in Phoenix had a large enough following to support about eight local
SIG's, if I remember correctly.  It was a very good group of people.  So
is the much smaller group in Utah Valley, in which I haven't had time to become
as active.  I certainly did not intend to knock the LUG.  It is only the
letters we received in Phoenix warning us that as an extension of DECUS,
we were not allowed to give time to non-DEC sales personell that concerned
me as to how much we really had to lose by becoming disassociated with the
national organization.  My real interest in hearing from people with other
opinions would be in hearing what, if anything the national organization
can provide for the LUG.  Maybe this should move to the DECUS newsgroup.
I also wonder why DECUS would pay newsletter costs for some groups and not
for others.  Why they would restrict some and not others.  I failed to hear
in the previous posting about any advantages but postage, which in my time on
the Arizona VAX LUG they repeatedly refused to pay.  I've got a lot of positive
things to say about the LUGs.  But none of it seemed to come from the national
organization.

Also, when I referred to heavy subsidizing, I just meant that I was not
aware of anyone else who contributed at the national level, not that they
necessarily gave large sums of money.  Sorry, I should have been more clear.
I felt that it was questionable to call THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION non-profit
when the sole contributor was DEC, who also claims sole right to product
demos, presentations, etc.

Maybe your LUG gets away with lots of things not sanctioned by the national
organization.  Yours isn't the only one.  As I said before, what is there
to be lost?

                                AMMON::RAY
                                THESE ARE ONLY MY OWN VIEWS, NATURALLY