To MPE and Image/SQL users everywhere:

The 2002 Interex MPE System Improvement Ballot
(SIB) is now up and waiting for your visit, at:

http://www.interex.org/advocacy/survey/sib2002.html

You have only until SUNDAY 24 MARCH 2002 to get
to the polls !!!  This abbreviated SIB "polls are
open" window is necessary to allow HP to start
work on the winning items ASAP.  Remember that
"end of HP sales" (which is essentially equal to
"end of active HP enhancement") is now (<gulp>)
only 20 months away;  i.e.:  Time really is of
the essence in this matter.

If you want to study the ballot or ask questions
prior to voting, note that you can view a read-
only version of the ballot prior to casting your
vote (the read-only version also has the benefit
of by-passing all the "demographics" questions
that you have to answer before voting (don't blame
me:  I didn't do the demographics.  :-)  ) ).

Note that Interex has now added "bulletin board"
links for all items (click "Details" at the end
of "Description").  Since there are only 17 days
to vote there obviously won't be a lot of time
for extended discussions, but speaking just for
SIGImage/SQL I will try and monitor the "Details"
links for the Image/SQL items until 24 March; to
see if any questions pop up.  Also, the extended
descriptions I have for most SIGImage/SQL items
did not make it to the "bulletin boards" from
the last SIB;  I will try and get those posted
before I leave tonight (or tomorrow).


One important difference from prior SIBs;  that
is not covered in the instructions:  The first
item on the SIB is effectively in a separate
section of the ballot:  While you have a total
of 20 votes to spend in the usual any way you
like, Item # 1 has a filter that limits the
number of votes you can put on this item to a
maximum of plus or minus 10.  Rationale:  This
is the item you want to put maximum votes on;
if you support and would like to see some kind
of life for MPE after end of HP support at the
end of 2006.  Since we don't know yet what CSY
might or might not agree to let happen, this
item was left deliberately vague for the SIB.
But it was intended to cover most variations
that are currently being discussed in various
forums:  OpenMPE, Inc. (full disclosure:  I am
on the OpenMPE, Inc. Board of Directors), open
source MPE (in the classic sense), MPE software
emulators, MPE hardware emulators, etc.  If
voters were allowed to put all 20 votes on item
number 1, a lot of people would probably have
done that (I sure would have);  and that would
have precluded CSY getting some very useful
guidance on LOW & MEDIUM effort items that they
very likely can still deliver before end of HP
sales in October 2003.

SUMMARY:  <major_plug> for 10 votes on SIB Item
number ONE...  But don't forget to spend your
remaining 10 votes on some other items that will
be useful to your site...   :-)

Ken Sletten
SIGImage/SQL Chair
Member, OpenMPE Inc. BoD
http://www.openmpe.org

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