Real Reply: In conclusion IBM Spin Doctors

          Apologies - premature send off ->
Oops  this note  got away  before I was  finished - 
The  screen design on  my PC  places the[ send] and
[spell-check] Icons next to each other. .
Bad Flash backs of the early S/38 days !!! 

Al & All -
This  certainly has  proved an interesting thread to follow. 
 I  do  not wish to start this down another round but only to
 make a few comments and say thanks. 

Summary Observation:
If you tie Al's quest together  with John Carr's "The Graying COMMON"
there is  a message of future interest and perhaps a pointer towards
survival of this wonderful product.

A message that people are important today and to the future.  As important
as growing the machine install base and selling new systems[accounts] they
are a part of. Important in implementing the  newest  technology advances.
The Graying of the 400 staffs points to the need for new additions to help
the increasing number of 400s and the future features.

To the  Execs  that are  leaving<?>
        We the 400 community will miss your positive support and efforts
toward making this the  finest product there is.  Surely, the hope is that
there are not specific departments or locations that  at eliminated or hit
heavily.   Support, Education and  enhancements to the  technology are
needed now and in the future. Good  Luck and  Best Wishes - Perhaps we will
 meet in the field.

Glenn
         with a cranky  PC for  a few days now
====================================
At 03:58 PM 12/3/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>This is really an open letter to IBM Rochester/Somers, with a   cc: to
>midrange-l.  I have reversed the addresses for reasons that will become
>obvious below. 
>
>Well, it's been over two months since I made my comments at Soundoff about
>the lack of AS/400 marketing communications and AS/400 Education.  (These
>comments are available electronically, but I have NO intention of
>broadcasting them publically.)  It's fair to say that some at IBM were
>unhappy with my Soundoff comments, yet others were happy with my comments.
>
>Many unhappy IBM execs responded by indicating that the only people who
>held this opinion were consultants.  Whereas, it is plausible that this
>might be true, however I AM OF THE OPINION that anyone who holds that
>belief has an IQ so low that when you square it, you get a lower number.
>On the otherhand, maybe I am a cretin (I know of an IBM VP who thought so,
>but he's gone now!), and that everyone else is all correct.  After all, it
>was the same group of people who told me I was 'all wrong about V3R1'.  (It
>would be fair to note that I understand more about the IBM marketing and
>education processes now, that I did at Soundoff, but I want this work to be
>reflective of the perception in the marketplace today.  I may be commenting
>on these things in the future.)
>
>Never the less, my note to Midrange-L spawned about 115 responses.  As many
>of you have asked, I have retained all of these responses. (I eliminated
>irrelevant responses and redundant at-a-boys.... )  
>
>I am looking for an IBM volunteer to compile a summary of the responses.  I
>ask for an IBM volunteer, because there are many IBM execs with a lot of
>time on their hands now, given the fact that they have already been
>(informally) told that they will be pink slipped on Dec 9.  These execs are
>looking for other jobs within the corporation, and a good analytical piece
>of work might help their job hunting.  (Although many to-be-pink-slipped
>IBMers are working very hard at wrapping up projects [*WARPSPEED], there
>are many others who are expending less than a full effort [*IMPULSEPOWER]
>and have time on their hands.  I am looking for a volunteer, with the
>backing of the AS/400 Division (or whatever it's called today).  Don't get
>me wrong, there could also be an remaining IBMer who could champion this
>cause, and delegate the work; never-the-less this a busy time at IBM.  (
>(SOAPBOX(*ON) It's fourth quarter, and systems are FINALLY selling.
>However the timing of our announcements is the subject of a different note.
> SOAPBOX(*OFF) ).
>
>So, I'm calling IBMers to respond this week, with AS/400 Division backing.
>If no one comes forward, I will be looking for non-IBMers.  This raw data
>is volatile (both good and bad), and I only intend to release it to someone
>whom I considered responsible and qualified.  (The decision of the judges
>are final.)
>
>Lacking an IBM volunteer (who I consider would be a relatively impartial
>individual, possibly biased to IBM), I will then be looking for a non-IBM
>volunteer (who plausibly would be less favorably inclined to IBM).  (SO
>IBM, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE, DON'T BLOW IT.)
>
>Regardless of who does the work, I plan to audit the results.  If I find
>the results to be innacurate, I don't know what I'll do, however I would be
>willing to share those results with anyone IBMer/non-IBMer with a need to
>know basis.  (The decisions of the judges is final.)
>
>I have blind-copied this letter to a list of IBMers.  My intent was not to
>single out any specific IBMers, because this is a Divisional problem as
>opposed to an individual problem.  Trust me my bcc: is long enough that
>someone at IBM should care and pick up the work (assuming that there's
>someone left who cares).  If there's no IBM response, I will seek a
>non-IBMer and portions my bcc: list will make it to next week's a cc: list.
>
>Thank you for your attention and support.
>
>Al
>
>
>
>
>Al Barsa, Jr.
>Barsa Consulting, LLC
>400 > 390
>
>Phone: 914-251-9400
>Fax:   914-251-9406
>
>+---
>| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
>| To submit a new message, send your mail to "MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com".
>| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
>| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
>+---
>
+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to "MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com".
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---