Ron Seybold asked me a very pointed question off line - and one that I
think is appropriate to answer to the group.  Ron asked:

> What kinds of consulting engagements (relative to the e3000) would
> you like to accept?

That's a good question and one to which I given considerable thought.  I
originally didn't post my thoughts to the HP3000-L because I thought it
might limit my opportunities.  In retrospect, it may actually help if
people are aware of my intentions.  With that caveat dealt with, here
are my musings on the question...

* Web-enabling existing HP 3000 applications.  With so few applications
on the 3000 that effectively make use of the web capabilities of the
platform, it is hard to convince people that it truly is a 21st century
platform.  It's one thing to make the platform web aware (and many
thanks to a number of individuals - especially Mark Bixby - for making
this a reality).  It's quite another to develop applications to make use
of the technology.

* GUI-izing existing applications.  The biggest hindrance to the general
acceptance of the 3000 is the "look and feel" of so many of the
applications don't evoke user friendliness or "new technology".  If it
doesn't look and feel like a Unix or Windows application many people
automatically assume that it must be a dinosaur.  Of course, that
precludes them from experiencing the stability of the platform or the
robustness of the new technology present in the current HP e3000
platform.

* Migration of non-MPE applications to the MPE/iX platform.  This is one
area that is very important to me and that I feel would be in the best
interests of the HP e3000 platform.  However, contacts for this type of
endeavor are difficult to find.  However, I have a varied background in
cross-development on several platforms.  I think that makes me a good
candidate for this type of work.

* Freelance writing for non MPE specific journals and documents.  I
would like to try and get the word out regarding the viability of the
platform and the strength of the MPE/iX community.  [This doesn't mean
that I would turn down suggestions for articles to appear in the 3000
NewsWire - the premier 3000 information source!]

* Self-proclaimed 3000 Chief Advocate.  This is more a dream than a
reality because of the unwillingness on the part of HP to embrace an
independent advocate for the 3000 arena.

* Development of new applications for the HP e3000 arena.  I have
personally mulled over several possibilities for new products, but I
don't have the financial independence to make any of these a reality.

* Maintenance of existing applications.  I know this sounds like the
most mundane of options, but it can actually be quite rewarding.  There
are many applications that are running fine under MPE, but they are not
running as efficiently as they should either because they still rely on
switch-stubs, classic KSAM, non-supported languages (like SPL), or
compatibility mode code.  By working on bringing these applications to
true native mode, I can help companies squeeze a little more out of
their current boxes while preparing them to move to the next generation
of hardware.

That said, I would accept any suggestions and or leads in any of the
aforementioned areas.  The 3000 is my platform of choice and I intend to
do everything that I can to keep it a viable, growing option.

Glenn Koster

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