In message <[log in to unmask]>, "VANCE,JEFF
(HP-Cupertino,ex1)" <[log in to unmask]> writes
>Hi Ken,
>
>I am not picking on you because many have shared similar thoughts
>as yours directed towards Interex (not their merger stance, but
>their lack of "fighting" HP on the 3000 decision).
>
>How would anything be better if Interex waged an all out "war"
>against HP over CSY's decision?

Can HP not see reasoned, and reasonable, disagreement with a decision as
anything less than 'all out war'?

> Interex did conduct a survey very soon after our announcement and saw
>that most people who responded were very upset.  They do know the
>reaction of some percentage of their MPE members.

> I have no idea what membership percentage this represents,
>nor if the feelings are shared by non-MPE Interex members.

Are you saying that the feelings of the non-MPE members
should negate any action on behalf of the MPE members?

>  But my point really is what good would it do for Interex to be very
>vocal, angry, demanding, etc?

Again, is that the only way you can see reasoned dissent? I am sure that
Interex would conduct themselves most correctly and professionally in
representing the interests of its members.

>  I can guarantee CSY would not have changed our decision.

Better, perhaps, to light one candle than to stand cursing the darkness?
I'm sure it would not have altered the decision, but it might have
focussed the post-decision migration assistance program better....

> A poor HP-Interex relationship helps no one: not the folks that must
>migrate, nor the folks that choose to homestead. Interex is sponsoring
>migration papers, tutorials, etc, which helps those migrating.

Are you saying that professional and courteous expression by Interex of
its members' interests would lead to the deterioration of the
relationship with HP?  That HP is totally unable to tolerate dissent of
any kind, and would react very badly to it? I'm sure that would not be
the case....

>  Interex has expressed a desire to escrow the MPE
>source and other interests that help the homesteaders.  I don't
>know how this will all turn out yet, but I think they have taken
>a reasonable stance that aides forward progress.
>
>I also know that the new OpenMPE, Inc. non-profit company has
>similar interests as Interex in terms of advocacy, source
>escrow, etc., with a singular and intense focus on MPE.

> There certainly may be room for both groups and I see no advantage to
>the MPE partners and customers to have Interex fail.

One recent example of the mismatch between the expectations of HP and of
its erstwhile MPE customers was HP's original plan to charge for web
seminars on migration from the HP3000.

These plans, thankfully, were withdrawn when adequate partner and
customer feedback was provided to HP on how this was regarded within the
community. (Without, I sincerely hope, causing HP to reconsider its
relationship with those partners and customers as now being 'poor').

But one presumption that emerged was that HP really was not fully au
fait with how its MPE users were feeling, nor with how it could best
help them go forward. Which has always been one of HP's stated aims in
this matter.

Interex, had it so chosen, could I believe have acted as a conduit for
this feedback, so that HP could have reconsidered its original decision
on charging for the webinars *before* any public announcement to this
end was made, thus saving itself a certain amount of embarrassment,
preserving better customer relations, and allowing Interex to obtain a
positive result on behalf of its membership.

HP might seriously want to consider that an Interex which had acted as a
focus for, and voiced, its member's feelings, even to the point of
dissent, might have been *more* useful to HP than the current perceived
complaisance.

An Interex so keen to align with HP, it now seems, that it made a big
public show of the Board of Interex voting a small handful of HP shares
as if the body of members had agreed to vote a significant number. But
omitting the small courtesy of asking those members first....

Of course no-one wants to see Interex fail. But before betting one's
future on an MPE that is no longer in HP's hands, one wants to be
reasonably certain that the interests of whoever is holding it align
with the interests of whoever is using it, and that adequate democratic
consultation mechanisms exist for ensuring that this alignment is
maintained.

--
Roy Brown        'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be
Kelmscott Ltd     useful, or believe to be beautiful'  William Morris

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