Re: Alpha central to 64-bit plans -- MIDRANGE-L

David,

In a message dated 98-06-19 15:06:26 EDT, you write:

I do not have a copy of Pete's original missive to you, although it was
described as "congenial in tone" and "not inflammatory in any way".  I did not
know that you had received so many letters from our listserve's membership,
but I would like to try and explain our position.

First, Midrange-L is a listserve dedicated to the free and uninhibited
exchange of ideas and techniques surrounding the use of IBM's AS/400 system.
It is run (without financial remuneration) by Mr. David Gibbs
(David@midrange.com) and kept completely free of advertising or other
commercial influence.  I have no personal interest in MIDRANGE.COM (the
sponsering body) other than seeing that David's invaluable work continues.  We
have had a thread running recently on how the AS/400 runs the business of 90+%
of the Fortune 1000, yet the system receives little press coverage outside of
"AS/400-specific" publications.  We've all been encouraged to contact the
"mainstream" IS press when we see an article touting the benefits of new
systems that offer features that have been provided on the AS/400 for _YEARS_
when the AS/400 is not mentioned, and rightly so.  Realizing that I do not
have the original copy of Pete Hall's note to you, I would like to answer your
response nonetheless, as follows:

> >From: "David Pendery" <David_Pendery@infoworld.com>
>  >To: Pete Hall <peteh@inwave.com>
>  >Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 15:06:26 -0400
>  >Subject: Re: Alpha central to 64-bit plans
>  >
>  >Pete,
>  >You all are members of some IBM AS400 newsgroup or users group, right?

Yes we are, as explained above.

>  >You all completely missed the point, and seem to have no idea what
>  >reporting news is about. I am NOT a public relations professional. I have
>  >no responsibility to report about products that were not in the news on my
>  >beat last week. Compaq and DEC, in case you didn't realize, were in the
>  >news.

Yes, but _THIS_ is our point exactly.  When IBM announced 64-bit computing on
the AS/400 ages ago, it received little more than a footnote (if anything at
all) in the "mainstream" press.  As a reporter, you should _not_ have to
provide PR for _any_ company.  However, 64-bit offerings from other vendors
_should_ be included as part of a balanced offering on the subject.  While you
may not have been around when IBM announced 64-bit processing on the AS/400,
your colleagues all but ignored the announcement -- hence _our_ paranoia over
the lack of coverage.  The AS/400 tends to remain "the most ubiquitous system
you never heard of".

>  >If, as you all righteously and fervently believe, I am obligated toreport
>  >on IBM's godlike 64-bit capabilities,even though they were not in the news
>  >last week, then should I not also include in my story SGI's, Sun's, HP's,
>  >and every other Tom, Dick and Harry who has a 64-bit server, OS or PCI
>  >card?  And yet, I did not deluged with indignant email from any of these
others.
>  >Hmmm. Sorry guys, you tipped your hand and blew your credibility.

Again, these platforms have already received plenty of coverage.  I understand
that IBM was not "in the news" this week, but it _was_ in February and
InfoWorld's coverage was noticibly absent.  Is it any wonder that we're
defensive?  Feel free to contact me directly if there are any
questions/arguments that you'd like to present...

Warmest Regards!

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"The saints are the sinners who keep on trying." -- Robert Louis Stevenson
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