Birket identifies himself as the "member of the ISAC" who brought up SQL99:
===================================================== 

Ken This is my comment:
 
If someone were homesteading I would be concerned that there will come a day
when Image/SQL will need to know about SQL99 ... that day is not too far out
... so I would want to have people understand that before we give Ken and
Tien-You a leave of absence.
 
I am sure that the database lab has been steadily reducing staffing so I'm
not sure it could actually do anything at this point to earn the support
dollars ... but without thinking too much I recognise that this will be a
burning issue soon ...
 
Sorry to contradict the illustrious cast of characters who have commented
but as Ken will tell you there must be a contrarian in every group;-) As a
user and a vendor I would want SIG-IMAGE to help facilitate the advocacy. It
is too early to stand down ... your vigilance is still needed until the
knowledge base is confirmed as safely escrowed.
 
Birket
==================================================== 

I guess there is no harm in leaving SIGImage/SQL in suspension / cold
storage for now;  i.e.:  There is no need to have Interex formally
"disestablish" the SIG just yet.  But if there is any need for active
supervision and anything more than very minor involvement by a Chairman in
the near term, as per my previous someone else will have to volunteer to
pick up the torch for that to happen.

Also as per my previous, since nobody said they thought there was a need to
have a separate SIGImage/SQL meeting at HPW this year and nobody volunteered
to lead it:  By copy to Interex of this email, be advised that the
SIGImage/SQL meeting scheduled for HPW-2004 is officially CANCELLED. 

Also # 2:  Notwithstanding Birket's above (or actually, as one more reason
to do it):  I still recommend that IMAGE users attending HPW go to the
SIGMPE meeting, and propose to the membership of SIGMPE that what I still
believe will be a limited number of IMAGE issues over the next couple years
be incorporated under the SIGMPE umbrella.  Unless SIGMPE / OpenMPE / etc.
get HP to release their death-grip on MPE licensing and source, IMO
everything else is on the back burner (or, more likely, in the deep freeze).
If SIGMPE agrees at HPW to if effect "merge in" IMAGE issues, then at that
point I would recommend Interex formally close down SIGImage/SQL.  SIGMPE is
the SIG most likely to remain active and engaged 'til the last dog dies, so
it is probably as good a place as any for SQL99 discussions...  Frankly I
would be considerably surprised if the HP database lab would or could
undertake any SQL99 enhancements to Image/SQL at this point.  Sorry, but
that is the reality I see.  Might be more chance if somebody outside of HP
could get licensing and source access rights...  oops:  HP is not planning
on announcing whether or not that will happen until "last half of 2005";
i.e.: potentially 16 months or so from now.  The world will not go into
suspended animation that long.


SIDEBAR:
Thank you to all who sent public and private emails of support after my
announcement yesterday.
The HP 3000 user community as a whole was and is pretty unique in the IT
world....  
Too bad HP senior management never understood what they had in the HP
3000...

Ken Sletten
On the way to being ex-Chair of SIGImage/SQL