SLUG Liaison appointed by Symbolics

[Paul Pangaro <pan@athena.pangaro.dialnet.symbolics.com>]

Greetings:

After discussions with Symbolics and as result of recent efforts in the
matter of SLUG/Symbolics liaison, Reza Seddigh, of Symbolics Western
Support Center, has been appointed SLUG liaison.

When this was proposed I was very pleased (personally and on SLUG's
behalf) because Reza has a rare mixture of user's perspective,
Symbolics' goals, and a refined personal style that is well suited for
SLUG's needs. He will be the contact for all new business, technical
issues and international relations, and he will mediate legal issues
with Symbolics' legal department. Other individuals will be in charge of
specific sub-areas, but Reza is the first (when things begin) and last
(when something fails) to contact.  He is more than willing to hear from
individual users on matters relating to user/Symbolics relations.

He is slug-liaison@riverside.scrc.symbolics.com. 


Reza is now looking to the following areas:

- reconstituting the DIALnet machine for SLUG, for the benefit of all
	 DIALnet users
- working on SLUG's request for getting known bugs reported to users in
	 a timely manner
- seeing that marketing information (press releases, product info, etc.)
	can be made available to users in a timely way
- other minor matters of liaison

For completeness and your potential interest as part of the user
community, the entire framework of SLUG liaison with Symbolics as
discussed with Mr Jay Wurts in August, which led to Reza's appointment,
is appended below. (This meeting was extremely cordial and Mr Wurts
showed a deep understanding of the user's perspective from his own
personal experience. He was very helpful and is clearly interested in
doing whatever is possible for the user community.) I will report
further on this and related matters in the future.

As always I am interested in hearing from users especially on matters
concerning SLUG and its present and potential benefits to the community.

Respectfully submitted,

Paul Pangaro, President 
National Symbolics LISP Users' Group

pan%athena.pangaro.dialnet.symbolics.com@riverside.scrc.symbolics.com
Voice: 202-547-7775
FAX  : 202-547-6910


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                             Liaison Issues

                        Symbolics LISP Users' Group 
                                  and
                            Symbolics, Inc.


This is a short outline indicating the areas of liaison that the Users'
Group considers important, and requiring close association. These are
respectfully submitted for discussion between SLUG and Symbolics.

Each grouping implies a separate area that may best be handled by an
individual from Symbolics knowledgeable in that area, who would be
responsible for direct contact with an individual at SLUG. However,
various areas may involve the same individual at Symbolics and/or at
SLUG as appropriate. It is strongly felt that without such explicit
appointings the liaison will fail, as they have consistently in the
past.

General  - First point of contact on new items
        - Specific requests for assistance (e.g. mailing initial
          Newsletter issues, computing resources at SCRC for SLUG
          e-mail, obtaining software to support SLUG activities)
        - Latest information on new products, policies, plans; it is
          useful (in relations with our management) to be "clued in"
          especially in advance or at least simultaneously with the press
        - Requests associated with local and US-wide users' meetings
          (e.g. getting speakers, printed materials, arranging SLUG-89)
        - Escalation policy, as an alternative path for handling
          sensitive issues or those not adequately handled to date
        - Specific team of users ("Reporting Team") who meet periodically
          to track progress and discuss detailed proposals and
          statements of needs with Symbolics personnel

Technical       - Maintenance of DIALnet machines & associated software
                  configurations set up for SLUG
                - Communication channels for consensus bug reporting,
                  long-standing customer service problems
                - Access/approval for useful software utilities to be
                  released to the Users' Group Library

Legal   - Information about valid PLA holders in the US
        - Advice on the By-Laws of our SLUG corporation
        - Help in preparing minutes of board meetings, minor changes to
          the By-Laws, re-incorporation in Massachusetts

International   - Information about valid PLA holders other than US
                - Communication with International user groups 

Reporting Team concept: (something like) bi-monthly meeting at SCRC (or
SCH if appropriate) to insure that progress is being made, that
communication is clear. The channel would be open in both directions,
and Symbolics would be encouraged to use it to track trends in user
needs, test new products or policies, etc. Issues are: who participates
and from what cross-section(s) of users (education, government,
industry, consulting); who pays (can afford) expenses for travel.

Submitted on behalf of the SLUG Board to Jay Wurts, CEO, Symbolics
18 July 88