>Or yet...  why should the user group support the HP3000 when the
HP3000 users don't
>want to even get involved??   I have been the conference coordinator
>for 2 years for
>NOWRUG (Washington State) and it is almost impossible to get HP3000 speakers.
>We always end up getting speakers from HP, almost never from a user.
Before everyone
>starts beating up Interex and HPWorld....  is there something YOU
could of done to
>make the conference show the strengths of the HP3000?
 
>- Chris Rice
 
I have to agree with Chris.  I was Vice Chair of the Orange LUG, and we
had the support of
HP, had good speakers, and we started off every other month with a
great turnout.  Just before
we disbanded, we were down to twice a year, with about 5 people showing
up.  The same
thing happened with SCRUG, I remember being a wide eyed youth and going
to my first
SCRUG conference and being overwhelmed, and then as the years went on
the turnouts
just started getting pathetic.  If the users aren't going to support
the community, then why
should the community bother.
 
I love the user group conferences, I always learn something and meet
fascinating people,
I have been doing everything I can for years to get people to come out.
 Now that HP World
is going to be about 3 miles from my house, I really plan on attending.
 In my 12 years on the
HP, I have never had a company willing to pick up my tab for going to
Interex, so there is that
fundamental problem, but when you are having free, local talks and
seminars, everyone
should really make a point of supporting it.
 
Shawn Gordon