rcd@nbires.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (08/19/86)
I found a pretty sleazy game being played with my recent ACM (that's
Association for Computing Machinery:-) renewal notice. The renewal form
lists the basic costs plus the amounts for the SIGs I currently belong
to (as expected) and then totals it up as follows:
AMOUNT DUE $101.00
OPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION 10.00
PLEASE ENTER THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT 111.00
The last line is right at the bottom of the form, with the "PLEASE
ENTER..." highlighted and the total in a box. The idea, of course, is
that you'll check to see that you're signed up for the right SIGs, note
the final total, and pay it...hopefully not noticing that the "optional
contribution" has been foisted on you.
WHAT IS THIS SHIT???
I don't know how anybody else reacts to this sort of game, but I react by
crossing out the "optional contribution" bit and paying the base amount--
also making a mental note not to get caught next year. I might have made
an additional contribution if it had just been asked of me, but no way
will I reward someone for doing anything that even vaguely resembles
trying to trick it out of me!
I would like to think that ACM is really a professional society, but
sometimes I have my doubts. After all, they're the same professional
society which thought that life-insurance sales pitches constituted
"announcements from professional societies."
--
Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086
...If you get confused just listen to the music play...mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (Lawrence J. Mazlack) (08/21/86)
In article <524@opus.nbires.UUCP> rcd@nbires.UUCP (Dick Dunn) writes: >I found a pretty sleazy game being played with my recent ACM (that's >Association for Computing Machinery:-) renewal notice. The renewal form >lists the basic costs plus the amounts for the SIGs I currently belong > ... > OPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION 10.00 > PLEASE ENTER THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT 111.00 > >The last line is right at the bottom of the form, with the "PLEASE >ENTER..." highlighted and the total in a box. The idea, of course, is > ... has been foisted on you. > >WHAT IS THIS SHIT??? > Yeah, thanks Dick - I may well have missed it. To me it is part of the same garbage that goes with the high living at conferences of the headquarters paid staff. NOTE: This does not apply to the volunteers and organizers of the conferences, who work their butts off. All you have to is to compare the usefullness and effectiveness of ACM and CS-IEEE to wonder what is going on at ACM. My feeling is that it is pretty incestous and closed, so hardly anything ever gets through to disturb the hearts and minds of the governing powers. For a real fun experience, try sitting through an ACM Council meeting - they are held during several of the big conferences, altho most conference attendees have no idea that they are happening). ...Larry mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu
msitd22@ms3.UUCP (Jim Chappell) (08/22/86)
I dropped out of ACM several years ago. I'd been active and found it a good local forum. What pissed me off was their use of 'Communications' as a Social rather then technical journal. Have they gotten off that kick? -- Jim Chappell ...!seismo!vrdxhq!ms3!jrc ISN Corp. 1235A Jeff Davis Hwy, Suite 605A Arlington, Va 22202
jsdy@hadron.UUCP (Joseph S. D. Yao) (08/23/86)
In article <524@opus.nbires.UUCP> rcd@nbires.UUCP (Dick Dunn) writes: >I found a pretty sleazy game being played with my recent ACM (that's >Association for Computing Machinery:-) renewal notice. ... > AMOUNT DUE $101.00 > OPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION 10.00 > PLEASE ENTER THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT 111.00 I was under the impression that most members (being basically intelligent people) followed the instructions that say to carefully check the items on that list, cross off the ones they don't want any more and add any new ones, and re-total at the bottom. Am I wrong about my underlying assumption? I know that I almost always do (partly because I almost always change my list, being a flexible type of person ...). -- Joe Yao hadron!jsdy@seismo.{CSS.GOV,ARPA,UUCP} jsdy@hadron.COM (not yet domainised)
emery@gypsy.UUCP (09/15/86)
I sent the original posting (along with a few opinions of my own) to the new ACM President, Paul Abrahams. He promised me that he would look into this and get back to me. When he does, I'll post his response to the net. Dave Emery ACM SIGAda Secretary Siemens Research ...princeton!siemens!emery