Re: Welcome to SLUG mailing list

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

    Date: Fri, 30 Sep 88 19:13:42 EDT
    From: israel@brillig.umd.edu (Bruce Israel)


    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

Where is your sense of humor, Bruce?