Re: Welcome to SLUG mailing list

[Bruce Israel <israel@BRILLIG.UMD.EDU>]

I was going to make this a private letter to Paul, but I'd rather send it
publically, where the original comment was.

   From: pan@Athena.Pangaro.Dialnet.Symbolics.Com (Paul Pangaro)

   [ Discussion of SUN using the name "slug" for the SUN Local Users 
     Group. ]

   I would like to respond in a friendly way to this friendly query,

Really?

   ...
					      We have also tried not
   to conclude this is merely another attempt to obscure better
   technology with what is merely better marketing.

Paul, I find this last comment extremely objectionable.  It's one of the
most backhanded slaps I've ever seen on the net.  Ignoring the implicit
assumption that "Symbolics is the better technology while all Sun has going
for them is better marketing", an assumption I consider debatable, there is
also the assumption that the name was chosen by Sun in a deliberate attempt
to override the Symbolics user group usage with the Sun group usage.  If
you have some proof that the name was chosen by a Sun employee and not just
someone starting up a Sun local users group, and that that Sun employee was
knowledgable about the existence of the Symbolics group, then I'd be glad
to listen.  But if not, please don't make unfounded accusations like the
above under the guise of being fair minded.

For the record I am not and have never been affiliated with either Sun
Microsystems inc. or Symbolics inc., though I've been a fairly heavy user
of both types systems, as well as being an attendee of both types of SLUGs
meetings. 

Bruce Israel