mo@seismo.UUCP (Mike O'Dell) (11/27/84)
I admit it - I broke the First Rule of electronic mail: I sent it while I was excited. My tone was more than a bit cynical, but JEEEEZ!! 5.5 times the normal cost???? I will even agree that it is probably worth it at some abstract level, but if this represents AT&TIS's marketting sensitivity, then they are in Deep Sneakers. Who did they think would be interested in reading that stuff? Not J. Random Spreadsheeter, but people really interested in, and very likely dedicated to the sucess of Unix. Is this the thanks they get for arguing with managers who truly believe "Noone was ever fired for buying IBM"?????? In spite of their showings in every publication publishing 4-color adverts, at many places, Unix still comes in via the back door, often at the insistance of the R&D or Product Development Group, who management tolerates simply because they don't want them all to quit. I understand AT&T knows they cannot continue to survive with only this consituency, but without it, Unix wouldn't be alive in the commercial marketplace to survive. The least they can do is be reasonable about publishing stuff which has at least partially already appeared at other conferences and in some cases, other journals. I hope someone who sees this is in a position to lobby someone to reconsider their position. Trying not to be cynical, but AT&T is making it VERY hard, -Mike O'Dell