Scheme standard balloting

[Chris Haynes <chaynes@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>]

This note is for those who are interested in balloting on the IEEE
draft standard for Scheme.  

As noted in the recently posted minutes, there was consensus at the
4th Scheme standardization meeting that the draft (with minor
revision) is ready for public comment and balloting.  If things
proceed on schedule, the IEEE Microprocessor Standards Committee (MSC)
will approve the draft for balloting at their March 12th meeting and
ballots will be mailed about April 1st.  At least 75% of the ballots
must be returned within 30 days for the ballot to be valid, and at
least 75% of the non-abstention ballots must be affirmative for the
draft to become a standard.  (If all goes smoothly, the draft could
then be approved as an IEEE standard on September 28th.)

Membership in the balloting group may be requested by emailing the
form at the end of this note to camp@csc.ti.com.  That's Clyde Camp,
the MSC chair.  If necessary, his mail address is: Texas Instruments,
Inc., 2313 Merrimac Dr., Plano, TX 75075.  Comments on draft
standards are welcome from anyone, whether they participate in
balloting or not.

On the request form for balloting group membership, if you are
significantly involved in developing or maintaining a Scheme
implementation, interest category P1178-p is appropriate.  If you do a
great deal of programming in Scheme, P1178-u is appropriate.
Otherwise, P1178-gi is appropriate---this should include most
academics (such as myself) who use Scheme for teaching and research.
If more than one category is appropriate, you may pick any one that
is.  However, in choosing a category, you may wish to keep in mind the
following IEEE (and ANSI) rule: for balloting to be valid, not more
than 50% of the ballots may be from individuals in the same interest
category, except for the general interest category, on which there is
no limit.  Thus, when in doubt, it may be best to choose P1178-gi.

With few exceptions, balloting body members must be IEEE or IEEE
Computer Society (CS) members.  You do not have to be a member at the
time you request membership on the balloting body, but you have to be
a member before your ballot is returned, and it takes 3 to 6 weeks for
membership applications to be processed.  Thus if you want to be in
the balloting body and you are not already an IEEE or CS member, 
YOU MUST APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP SOON.

Membership information and applications may be obtained by calling
800-678-IEEE or 201-562-5528.  IEEE membership is $77, but ACM members
can join the CS for only $13.  If you can locate an officer of a local
chapter of the IEEE or CS, they should have applications.  You may
also email Clyde Camp (camp@csc.ti.com) a request and he will FAX you
a CS application.  CS membership applications may be FAXed (both
sides, with credit card information) to David Barber at 714-821-4010.
Alternatively, CS applications with check/cash/money order/plastic
number can be mailed, for rapid processing, in to:

	IEEE Computer Society
  	10662 Los Vaqueros Circle
	Los Alamitos, CA 90720-2578
	Attn: David Barber

Applications must be signed by an existing IEEE or CS member (as a
"recommender").  If you can't find such a person locally, you may send
your application to me and I will provide the signature.

	Christopher Haynes, Scheme Working Group Chair
	Computer Science Department
	Indiana University
	Bloomington, IN 47405

	Phone: 812-855-33767
	Fax: 812-855-4829
	Internet: chaynes@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu


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Instructions/notes:

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	4) Under interest, put P1178-gi for general interest/academic
                               P1178-u  for user
                               P1178-p  for producer
                               P1178-0  for other (and specify other)


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YES___ NO___ I am interested in other microprocessor related standards.