Re: Possible Ada Forum on CompuServe (summary)

Re: Possible Ada Forum on CompuServe (summary)

[rharwood]

Regarding a posting I made mid-April: "Possible Ada Forum on CompuServe", I
received several direct replies indicating interest.  This message is a summary
of responses and EMails I have received regarding the subject.

(1) Several of you indicated a willingness to help in the day-to-day operation
of the Forum, and I have established a small mailing-list to keep those
seriously interested up-to-date on a routine (biweekly or so?) basis.  Anyone
still interested in following the development of such a capability, please feel
free to EMail your interest.

(2) There are TWO existing sub-boards on CIS with Ada interest: CLMFORUM, from
the folks at Computer Language magazine; and CODEPORT, a section dealing with
code portability issues (I forget who the actual "host" organization is). 
CLMFORUM has between 20-50 messages a week depending on the "hot topics", but I
checked into the CODEPORT forum this week and found no (new) messages since
April 15.

(3) (Quoting one an EMail from schweige@taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil): The Ada
sections on Bix have a little bit more participation.  Notably active is Randy
Brukhardt of RR Software (makers of Janus Ada compilers).  There are also
customer service forums on Bix for Janus Ada (presently active) and Meridian
(presently inactive).  It's quite possible that a properly run Ada forum might
be a modest success on CompuServe, given the right libraries and message bases. 

(4)  In case you're not aware, most (if not all) SysOps get a "free connect"
userid... that's a good incentive to offer some assistance, IMHO! 

(5)  Before CIS will grant a new Forum, the following things must be
demonstrated (a) an active, or potentially active, user base, (b) reliable
sources of downloadable files and future related information, (c) a willing
network of assistants with interest and expertise, and (d) some way of
marketing the service to the outside world.  I'm reasonably sure that (a) & (b)
are EASILY met.  Responses so far indicate that (c) is probably an easy thing...
and I think that there are enough places that a CIS Ada Forum can be "hyped" as
a resource (as opposed to commercially advertised!) to make it fairly workable
for (d).  (AdaIC, Ada Letters, here, and perhaps some sneaky mentions at trade
fairs, seminars, etc.)

(6)  Several folks indicated they'd like an alternative to the often-slow Ada
Sofwtare Repository on SIMTEL20 (and other similar DDN/InterNet sites).  My
response: Much of the stuff on Simtel20 is too big to keep "lying around" on
CompuServe, but if the CIS-Ada thing "takes off", I'd consider having a
"mail-out" service where, for a minimal cost, one could request certain
file-sets from my own archives...

(7) Another thought: since the sheer volume of Ada code will grow enormously
(there's already over 80MB on simtel20 alone), I'm evaluating a "cost per
disk/tape" strategy that might let me invest in one of the new-fangled optical
disk systems that will store 500MB+... that way I can archive just about any
public domain code, and ZIP it onto PC disks or whatever... there's a zillion
possibilities (+/- 5%).

(8)  A personal planning goal: I'd like to have a fully operational CIS Ada
Forum by Tri-Ada '91 in October.

My apologies in advance if I've misquoted (mis-summarized?) anyone!  Future
announcements of real importance will be sent to this list, but routine notices
will be sent only to those requesting to be on a mailing list.

Thanks, everyone, for your interest and input!
-----
Ray Harwood           |Data Basix           |Associate Faculty,    
Voice: (602)721-1988  |PO Box 18324         |   Pima Community College
FAX:   (602)721-7240  |Tucson, AZ 85731     |Instructor in Ada and Pascal
CompuServe: 76645,1370|AppleLink: DATA.BASIX|Internet: rharwood@east.pima.edu

Re: Possible Ada Forum on CompuServe (summary)

[RICK CARLE]

In article <1991May4.173121.1@east.pima.edu>, rharwood@east.pima.edu writes:
> Regarding a posting I made mid-April: "Possible Ada Forum on CompuServe"...
> ...  Before CIS will grant a new Forum, the following things must be
> demonstrated (a) an active, or potentially active, user base...

If compuserve had an Ada forum, I'd consider subscribing.  (How much
would that set me back, I wonder?  I'd probably have to disguise
payments...hide them from my wife...pay with laundered money from a
numbered Swiss account.)