jim@rtech.UUCP (Jim Gessling) (08/27/86)
Yesterday (Aug 27), I attended the Western Regional DECUS symposium at the Red Lion Inn in San Jose, California. I was very dissapointed that I spent $100 and a day on this event. Others I talked to also had the feeling that it was not all it should have been. Specifically: 1) the talks were OLD. Two were recycled BAYVAX presentations. One I attended had been given at New Orleans and Dallas DECUSes. 2) DEC gave a series of presentations on software support and such that I don't think anyone attended except those people with specific gripes that everybody didn't need to hear about. 3) RSX was completely ignored except for a panel Q and A session. 4) The lunch speaker, DEC manager of software support, was embarassingly bad. I know the speakers and organizers are all volunteers and worked hard but it was just too obvious that there was a lack of solid presentations that the organizers had tried to cover up with less that adequate material. When I sent in my $100 there was no list of sessions but the organizers said to trust them and I'm sorry I did. Did any of you out there share my feelings? And why is it that I get the feeling that DECUS is really only for novices or "Gurus" who want to impress the novices? Jim
cetron@utah-cs.UUCP (Edward J Cetron) (09/08/86)
I am sorry about the poor performance of the regional symposium but I have always felt that they were usually run on too much of a shoe- string budget without enough support for 'big-name' speakers... But I respond mainly due to you last line that DECUS is just for novices or gurus.... Yes it is very important for novices so we agree there, but for the mid-level person it is still very important....I have been involved with the RSX sig for many years and given many,many presentations. I have been considered a guru of rsx for several years....Yet I STILL learn things at DECUS symposia, the contacts of people and friends have helped immensely.. I still go to symposia NOT to impress the novices but to help. I spent a lot of time learning, hacking and beating the hell out of RSX and I remember to previous generation of guru's who helped me....Now I spend most of my time between U*ix and VMS, and speak RSX mainly to pass it on to the next generation (and its more fun then my job...) But yes, DECUS has been concentrating on the novices lately, but we held polls for the last 6 national symposia and a full 75% were first-timers and novices....so you can't ignore them.... Before you give up on DECUS, try the national symposia in San Francisco and try to meet some of those RSX gurus...we really are nice guys (and except for the traditional cape which was retired) we don't have THAT big an ego... -ed cetron Center for Engineering Design Univ of Utah...