[comp.lang.smalltalk] ISA News...

Paul.Regenhardt@p0.f500.n5000.z200.METRONET.ORG (Paul Regenhardt) (01/21/91)

Just an update about the International Smalltalk Association...
 
We had our first meeting on 1/17/91 and it went pretty smoothly. We 
are currently forming a charter and looking into non-profit status.  
Our next meeting will be 2/12/91, look for your ISA newsletter around 
the first week of February for the minutes of the last meeting and 
the agenda for the next meeting.  Keep mind that ISA is really more 
of a concept then an actuallity yet.  How well it works depends on 
how active the members are.  There have been previous attempts at an 
organization like this, and they've all died pretty horrible deaths.  
BTW, you don't have to be at a meeting if you have something to say 
or would like to cast a vote.  You can send your votes, comments, and 
requests to me via NETMAIL (or regular mail) and I will act as your 
mouthpiece. All you have to be is a member, and to be a member you 
just have to let me know that you want to be.
  
From my NETMAIL I would like to confirm the following people have
been added to the ISA mailing list (i.e. become members):  Richard 
Bently, Peter Smith, Barry Prescott, and Susan Phillips.
--- QuickBBS 2.75 Ovr (Gamma-1)
 * Origin: Jaguar's NetWorking Labs, (303)377-2371 HST/v.32 (200:5000/500.0)

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Paul Regenhardt - via MetroNet node 200:5000/301 
The Bohemia BBS System, Boulder Colorado (303)449-8946
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Paul.Regenhardt@p0.f500.n5000.z200.METRONET.ORG (Paul Regenhardt) (01/26/91)

I received a number of messages from Smalltalk enthusiasts asking to 
be put on the International Smalltalk Association (ISA) mailing list, 
but they did not include there mailing address, just there E-MAIL 
address.  In fact Peter Goodall wrote:
 
> I'm not quite clear on a number of things here. Are you sending 
> the newsletter out by treemail, i.e. on paper? I find that I'm 
>  constantly terrorized by huge delays in surface Mail. . . . I
> would really like to know about the meeting, and who went 'n 
> what they had to say. It's difficult working here in the backwoods.
 
Currently I have no plans to put the ISA newsletter up on this 
forum, that is it will go on white paper with black ink via 
postal carrier.  However, if the powers that be will grant permission,
I will happily post any portions of the newsletter which just happen 
to be in ASCII format.  Not that this is a perfect solution, but it
would certainly keep everyone informed in a timely manner.  Peter, can
I ask you to check with the powers that be and do whatever organizing,
arm-twisting and hoop jumping is required?  
  
However, in the mean time I would still like postal mailing addresses.
Those people who requested to be added, but did not include there 
mailing address are: Kaveh R. Ghazi, Joep Vaes, David Carlson, Berg 
Onstad, Steve Byrne (So how's it going anyway guy?), Glenn Meader, 
Dan Walowski, Ethan Young, and Wing Guy.
   
I can confirm that the following people did supply full addresses and
have been added to the ISA mailing list:  Andy Cohil, Dan Benson, Mike
Khaw, Michael S. Kerstetter, and Andrew Jones.
  
I apologize for not being able to answer all of your questions on ISA.
But the fact is that ISA is still being born, and I just don't know
the answers yet.  In fact, I hope that you are not vastly disappointed
in this first newsletter.  It's going to be black ink on a white page,
very very thin, and hardly exciting all since it will mainly contain
organizational news and details.  But while it won't be exciting in
the "how to program" realm, it will be exciting in that it signals the 
birth of a new organization devoted to promoting Smalltalk.  The first 
newsletter will also have details on how things might work (I say 
might because they haven't been voted in yet).  Don't forget, once you
get your copy of the agenda, you can cast your vote!
   
I can tell you, in a foggy way, how I envision ISA functioning.... 
ISA will be made up mostly of local regional support groups.  Through
the International group the regional groups will exchange ideas and 
code.  The international group will keep various libraries including   
code, employment, employers, bibliographies, and the like.  Regional
groups will take on these tasks.  Members of ISA will write for the 
newsletter and other interested members will be able to contact them 
to exchange ideas.  Furthermore, members will donate code they've 
written to the association, making it available for others to use and 
learn from.  The International branch might not ever meet formally,
although they would have to be in contact through some means.
Regional groups will meet more often and be exciting, but the 
international one will be primarily through mail and email, deciding 
the issues and electing the committees that will run the various 
aspects of the overall organization.
    
I will be posting a lot of the first newsletter here (despite what I 
said earlier -- so Peter, you're not off the hook!), because it will 
be the type of news this forum was created for.  Hopefully it will 
give you a better idea about what ISA is all about.
 
                         Making Smalltalk in Denver -- Paul Regenhardt
--- QuickBBS 2.75 Ovr (Gamma-1)
 * Origin: Jaguar's NetWorking Labs, (303)377-2371 HST/v.32 (200:5000/500.0)

--  
=============================================================================
Paul Regenhardt - via MetroNet node 200:5000/301 
The Bohemia BBS System, Boulder Colorado (303)449-8946
UUCP:  Paul.Regenhardt@p0.f500.n5000.z200.METRONET.ORG
 or :  ...!boulder!bohemia.METRONET.ORG!500.0!Paul.Regenhardt
=============================================================================