Wayne Brown wrote:

> At last count there were a little over 1000 subscribers to HP3000-L.  If each of
> us contributed $37, that would provide the $37,000 Denys said would be needed
> for a full page black and white ad.  If someone will coordinate this campaign,
> I'll be glad to send in my $37.
>

  I truly am not being negative:

  If there are over 1000 subscribers (and gosh knows how many
like me that are on
comp.sys.hp.mpe) why aren't there any more people contributing to
these idea(s)
than the 'usual suspects'?

  Is it because we have an overinflated idea of what MPE is, both
to us and to
HP?

  I guess I need to do a bit of background, its only fair.   I
don't work in
the HP world (well except in the PC sense) but I was in the MPE
world from
1988 (Started on a 950, one of the 1st ones off the line I
believe) until
1997 (ended on a 980/200).   I agree with all that is being said
that it
is an unbelievably stable system, will keep your business
running, and requires
less upkeep than most systems.   I continue to subscribe to
c.s.h.m. because
I still get a wealth of information, and I truly enjoy reading an
awful lot
of posts that start with OT:

  HOWEVER!  Again, we go back to my question regarding the number
of people
on the list, and the unknown (I NEVER have subscribed to the
list, always read
it through USENET) number who are out there...doing their day to
day.....
who are being silent.   I *assume* that a large number will be at
HPWorld,
I *assume* they are there to make business contacts, and learn.
I *assume*
they have an interest in keeping their jobs.

  I hope I've shamed SOMEBODY into thinking about where they are
now, and
perhaps how much worse it could be.

  Me?  Nope.  Won't give any money to any cause.   But, I STILL
talk about
what a great system it was/is.  And I don't even work on them.
My office
still has Wirts great posters on them, my 'casual' conversations
about "what was
the easiest management job you ever had?" talks invariably bring
it up, my
discussions with Oracle people get all bogged down, my
discussions with
networking types get all crosswired, discussions with people
trying to
do large amount of OLTP go offline after a short while.

  I just wish that it could keep going, so that I don't sound
like an
idiot talking about a "long gone by" processing system.

  Someday, I might even want to get back into the game, and I'll
be
disappointed if the quarterback has retired.