In article <[log in to unmask]>,
[log in to unmask] says...
 
>so..................come on now....what conclusions do we draw?   :)
 
Ooooooh so tentatively - but I think with some relevance:
 
1.  Interex has been trying for a long time to get Un*ces interested in
either joining or attending the various ITX shows/seminars/etc - with a
fair amount of success, but nothing that has had earth shaking results.
 
2.  John Dunlop remarks elsewhere in this list about the dramatic drop
off in attendance at the UK HP Users Group conference, where the
content was highly Un*x oriented.
 
3.  A wiser person than I has remarked several times over the past few
years "...what is the role of a vendor specific users group in the
era of open systems?".
 
The conclusion?
 
</soapbox>
 
In an age when everyone is chasing the quick fix, the easy return, the
guaranteed *anything*; in such an age, the concept of loyalties (be
they personal, professional or whatever); this concept becomes as
evanescent as a delightful dream. Unfortunately, when we awake we smell
not the delightful aromas of fresh brewed (Java?), but the arid stench
of a coffee-maker left on overnight!
 
The reality?
 
The solution which works for you will still work for you, regardless of
what it is; the relationship which works for you will still work for
you, regardless of who {she|he|they|it} is; your personal
happiness/success is still your own concern - and to a certain extent
ditto for professional happiness.
 
Vance Packard (no relation to David, as far as I know) wrote a book
(incipient senile decay causes me to forget the title - The Dream
merchants?) about this a long time ago.
 
Marketing is a useful tool, but it is only a tool - not a product. Get
on with your life - the perspective will come!
 
</soapbox>