ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie) (03/04/91)
Category 8, Topic 4 Message 1 Sun Mar 03, 1991 JAX at 18:03 PST Dear Mr. President, Congratulations on your elevation to the presidency of the Forth Interest Group. Few other individuals, if any, have had as great a hand in shaping our fraternal organization of Forth programmers and afficionados. The installation of Dr. Ting as vice-president further fills me with hope that FIG's slide into perdition may yet be reversed. Your selection along with that of your colleague and the change in composition of the Forth Interest Group board of directors gives FIG an opportunity to move promptly to erase a blot from the history of the organization. I refer, you surely understand, to my dismissal as Forth Interest Group chapter coordinator for having brought to members' attentions the sorry financial state of the Forth Interest Group. It might have been expected that the year intervening since the events in question would have sufficed to still that controversy; it happens rather that the recently-announced increase in FIG dues has been taken by some, (the writer included), as confirmation that my diagnosis, somewhat undiplomatically expressed, that "FIG is financially f***ed" was essentially complete and correct. Dennis Ruffer, in postings to the ForthNet, has further succeeded in casting napalm upon troubled waters by levelling previously- unheard false charges against my tenure as chapter coordinator, stating that "no new chapters were added to FIG" while I held that office. On the contrary, while no new cities were added to FIG, two entire new *countries* were added (Spain and Finland) utilizing my personal email account on the WELL to make the necessary approaches and arrangements. Dennis's attempt to justify the star-chamber proceedings which terminated my officeholding have succeeded only in enraging FIG members past and present who previously had taken little interest in that event. Mitch Bradley of X3J14 has posted on the international USENET a one-sentence description of Dennis's arguments: "That's a lot of crap." I can add no more to this concise epigram. Ray Duncan's reaction to the controversy is that "it is too late for FIG to die gracefully." Frank Sargeant, winner of the Harris RealTime Express contest, has spoken in qualified support of my position, along with virtually every other person posting to ForthNet who has taken note of the issue. The real enemy of FIG is not Jack Woehr or Dennis Ruffer or any other member of our fraternity; the Enemy is the inability of FORTH Dimensions magazine to turn a profit. Please excuse me for having the hubris to remind you that this critique comes from the keyboard of one of the most widely-read Forth journalists in the world today. Mr. President, the only step that will truly excise this divisive controversy is an apology from the FIG leadership in the form of my re-instatement as chapter coordinator. This is nearly more easily done than said. Those on the Board (if any) who support my position will rejoice in justice deferred being performed at last. Those who oppose me may take the philosophical consolation that Lyndon Baines Johnson took when explaining why he did not fire J. Edgar Hoover: "I'd rather have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in." Trusting in your favorable reply, I remain, Yours truly, Jack Woehr ----- This message came from GEnie via willett. You *cannot* reply to the author using e-mail. Please post a follow-up article, or use any instructions the author may have included (USMail addresses, telephone #, etc.). Report problems to: dwp@willett.pgh.pa.us _or_ uunet!willett!dwp
ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie) (03/12/91)
Category 8, Topic 4 Message 2 Mon Mar 11, 1991 F.SERGEANT [Frank] at 02:16 CST JW>Frank Sargeant [sic], winner of the Harris RealTime Express JW>contest, has spoken in qualified support of my position . Jax, I hope in my attempt to present a reasoned, moderate view I didn't give the impression that my support for your position is weaker than it actually is. I believe you and I are in almost complete agreement. The exceptions as I see them are (1) whether Fig should ever consider borrowing money (I think it should not - I'd rather it go to newsprint Forth Dimension first, if it had to, rather than borrow), (2) whether Fig had a right to "can" you (I think it had the right, but that doing so was an error). I can see that your (forgive me) tactlessness could have rubbed the board the wrong way. I don't, however, see how that interferes with co-ordinating chapters. I can also see that, since you are/were a volunteer, rather than a salaried employee, that you could feel you have the right to speak the truth as you see it, regardless of whether it rubs people the wrong way. (There *is* (or used to be) a first amendment to the U.S. constitution, after all.) . Furthermore, I was surprised to see your kind offer to accept re-instatement as chapter co-ordinator (it was an offer, right? You're not just going to say no if the board re-instates you, are you?). I'm surprised because I, myself, probably wouldn't be so good-hearted in similar circumstances. I wish all of us in Fig good luck, and await further events. . -- Frank ----- This message came from GEnie via willett. You *cannot* reply to the author using e-mail. Please post a follow-up article, or use any instructions the author may have included (USMail addresses, telephone #, etc.). Report problems to: dwp@willett.pgh.pa.us _or_ uunet!willett!dwp