Ok folks, now you have totally lost touch with reality.  There is no deep
dark conspiracy at Interex to push people off MPE  thus doing HP's bidding.
Heck, next you will be reporting black helicopters flying around newsgroups
and this list.

Let me answer Cortlandt's original message.  I am forwarding a message that
was sent to me by Jim Keller of Interex.  Jim is a good man and really has
the well being of the users at heart, just like virtually everyone else at
Interex and on the board of directors.  If I didn't care about the members,
I would have never run for the board and even if I had, I would have
resigned a long time ago.  They ain't paying me near enough for this
volunteer director job.  As it is, I have another job and I am already
overworked as it is.

At any rate, let my reprint what Jim sent me.  He hits the nail right on the
head.

As you would expect, I will have a few more comments at the end.

So Cortlandt writes:
> All,
>
> I wonder how many others interpret the Migration Survey as I do.   Am I
off
> base on this?
> http://www.interex.org/advocacy/survey/migrationresults01.html
>
> What I find inexplicable is the failure of the survey to take a serious
> measure of the level of interest in 'homesteading' on the HP e3000 rather
> than migrating and interest in the OpenMPE or similar proposal.   I submit
> that to draw more than a passing conclusion about these issues from the
> results of the 'Migration Survey'
> violates basic principles of opinion research and analysis.   Regarding
> OpenMPE INTEREX would be ill-advised to regard the results of that survey
as
> anything more than a very crude and inadequate indication of interest.

1000 responses in a short time does not seem "inadequate interest" to me.
There were only 635 members voting for board members while over 700 members
responded to the survey.

Undecided 29%
HP-UX 25%
Windows NT/2000 23%
Linux 12%
Stay with MPE 9%

29% are undecided possibly waiting to see what becomes of the OpenMPE/3rd
party possibilities. A considerable number listed some of their main needs
as:

Keeping MPE Alive:

Reconsider and don't discontinue MPE Platforms
Continue MPE through a 3rd party
Develop an "MPE shell" on HP-UX
Provide for an actual port of Image, VPLUS to HP-UX (or to
similar/equivalent product on HP-UX)
Port MPE to IA/64

This we brought to HP's attention. Sounds to me like a considerable number
would like to homestead.

> In contrast I would call attention to the System Improvement Ballot (SIB)
> item that the MPE Forum has written for the next SIB ballot.
> << CSY facilitate transfer and / or licensing of MPE, MPE sub-systems,
> and associated supporting documentation, software, and firmware to
> other entities;  on a timeline that allows those entities an opportunity
> to continue uninterrupted enhancement of MPE after October 2003
> "end of HP sales";  and to continue to provide maintenance support
> after 2006 "end of HP support". >>

We also presented this to HP:

Hardware/Software Cost Considerations:

Keep maintenance charges flat for the next 5 years
Develop strong incentives to stay with HP hardware (discounts)
Credit for MPE products towards HP-UX products
Increase end-of-support from 2003 to 2006 (or later) on all MPE products
Provide HP-UX hardware to use during conversion
Allow for 7.0 and 7.5 to run on 9X7 platforms

This appears similar to your SIB proposal.

> The reasons why I characterize the Migration Survey as crude and
inadequate
> for the purposes stated one would hope are common sense but to be clear I
> list them below.
> 1.  The title selects out 'homesteaders'.  "Migration Survey" implies that
> the survey is only of interest to those planning on migrating off of the
> '3000.
> 2.  The title creates a bias.   The title clearly tends to prefer the
> migration option.

See item above.  It looks like homesteaders had no problem in filling out
the survey.

> 3.  The 'stay with the HP e3000' option was buried near the end of the
> survey among a long list of alternatives.   I quickly reviewed the entire
> survey and completely missed the option the first time through.   I only
> caught it when I reread the survey before emailing a pointed note about
the
> oversight.

A considerable number of respondents did not seem to miss the "stay with
mpe"

> 4.  The survey never mentions the OpenMPE proposal or CSY's statements
> regarding turning MPE over to a 3rd party.  The survey does not attempt to
> determine how CSY's response might influence the decision to migrate or
> stay.

These proposals were in their infancy at that time, OpenMPE had just started
up and there were no concrete proposals (still) to a 3rd party turnover.
These will be included in further surveys.

> 5.  The survey does not directly ask about staying with MPE as a separate
> question.
> 6.  Instead of a direct question the survey only includes a "Stay on MPE"
as
> a inappropriate option to the question "What Operating
System(s)/Platform(s)
> will your organization most likely migrate to (multiples allowed)?"

See above...It did not seem to bother respondents to express their needs to
"Stay with MPE" as we presented to HP.

<snip some personal stuff>

Jim

Denys again.  I can guarantee you there are no conspiracy and Interex IS
working for the benefit of the users, not HP.  We have started receiving
several good, thoughtful emails and suggestions at the [log in to unmask]
conduit.  Interex had already compiled a list of items that we are
advocating to HP, based on the results of the survey and some of my own
independent thoughts as a very long time MPE user, stuff that was not
covered in the survey.  We are now expanding this list to take into account
the incoming information.  We will continue to compile this information and
will present it for all to see.  We will also continue to do surveys and
either expand it or refine it as needed.

We also talked with HP's Winston Prather about OpenMPE, Open Source or
license or whatever form.  Winston stated that CSY was open to anything.
Right now the OpenMPE movement is in disarray and looking at all sorts of
things.  That is good, let the brainstorming continue.  At some point in the
near future, something will start emerging and we can then advocate it to
HP.

Finally people, let's be reasonable.  In two days, it will be just a month,
about 4 weeks, since HP made the announcement.  Even if you factor in a few
more weeks of advance knowledge for some individuals; it is still not a long
time.  Tension and spirits run high, as they should, but please don't expect
Interex to come up with a total ready-made solution in that time frame.  You
need to participate.  You need to do this.  I am not here as an HP apologist
((c) Alfredo :),) for their decision.  I didn't make it.  I didn't have
input in it.  I was just presented with the decision and as a member of the
board of directors of Interex, elected by the members, I could either step
up to the plate or walk away.

On the journey to the future, we have come to a fork in the road:  migration
from MPE to something else or some form of continuity for MPE.

We will go down both paths.

Kind regards,

Denys. . .

Denys Beauchemin

Interex Board Member

-----Original Message-----
From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Frank Alden Smith
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 9:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Interex Survey Results - Request for feedback

Cortlandt asks:

> I wonder how many others interpret the Migration Survey as I do.   Am I
> off base on this?

I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write your analysis of the
INTEREX survey ... I too was disturbed by the bias implicit in this survey.
I too missed the hidden "stay with MPE" choice, and I too suspect that the
bias is intentional.  No Cortland you are not off base!

Take care,
frank
======================================================
Frank Alden Smith           HP MPE/iX Certified Professional
Alden Research, Inc.            Instructor -- Consultant
3617 Ligon Road
Ellicott City MD  21042

Phone: (410) 750-2101
Fax:   (410) 750-2104

"All knowing is doing" -- Humberto Maturana (biologist and teacher)
======================================================

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