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Conference quark::human_relations-v1

Title:	What's all this fuss about 'sax and violins'?
Notice:	Archived V1 - Current conference is QUARK::HUMAN_RELATIONS
Moderator:	ELESYS::JASNIEWSKI

Created:	Fri May 09 1986
Last Modified:	Wed Jun 26 1996
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1327
Total number of notes:	28298

380.0. "A Public Service Announcement" by QUARK::LIONEL (We all live in a yellow subroutine) Thu Aug 20 1987 16:00

    To me, an important part of how we relate to others is how we
    support the non-commercial arts and cultural activities with
    our donations.  It would be best if such organizations didn't have
    to take the time to explicitly solicit support, but the sad fact
    is that only a small fraction of those who use these services
    actually support them.
    
    Tomorrow night, Friday, August 21, is "Digital Night" at WGBH-TV,
    channel 2, Boston's PBS station.  Digital will be sponsoring
    the night of pledging and DEC employees from many facilities,
    including your humble co-moderator, will be on hand to answer
    the phones and take your pledges.
    
    Please join me and Digital in supporting public television -
    tune in tomorrow night between 7 and 11PM, call 617-492-1111,
    and make a pledge in any amount.  Remember that DEC will match
    your donation if you include a matching gift form with your
    pledge payment.  And if you get me on the phone, say "Hi!".
    
    					Steve

    P.S.  Feel free to forward this to anyone you think may be
    interested.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
380.1	Can we say this in a Notesfile these days?	SCRUFF::CONLIFFE	Better living through software	`Thu Aug 20 1987 17:06`	23
	\|< Note 380.0 by QUARK::LIONEL "We all live in a yellow subroutine" > \| -< A Public Service Announcement >- \| \| Please join me and Digital in supporting public television - \| tune in tomorrow night between 7 and 11PM, call 617-492-1111, \| and make a pledge in any amount. Remember that DEC will match \| your donation if you include a matching gift form with your \| pledge payment. And if you get me on the phone, say "Hi!". Doesn't this violate the corporate policy on solicitation of employees by employees? And/or, the policy on the proper use of the E-net? \| P.S. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think may be \| interested. \| Doesn't this violate the corporate policy on "chain letters"??? But in any case, I'll be there too. I'll be the one answering the phone "XCON/XSEL Suppor... Ooops, I mean, Channel 2..." Nigel
380.2		QUARK::LIONEL	We all live in a yellow subroutine	`Thu Aug 20 1987 17:14`	14
	I don't think so, especially as this is really DEC soliciting, not me personally. But I did stop to think about the issue before I wrote the note. Besides, this event was announced in Digital This Week and New Hampshire View, so I doubt there's a problem. And forwarding the note hardly constitutes a "chain letter" in my opinion. See you there! Steve P.S. Those of you who watch some other PBS station, please give THEM your support. Thanks.
380.3		QUARK::LIONEL	We all live in a yellow subroutine	`Sat Aug 22 1987 02:10`	9
	I had so much fun I'm going back tomorrow night. Those of you who looked for me probably couldn't recognize me. I was wearing the blue "VAX" hat that did a good job of hiding my face from the cameras. Tomorrow I leave the hat off. I was disappointed that I didn't hear from anyone I knew, and I was getting many of the calls (they weren't randomly distributed). Steve
380.4	Operators were standing by....	SCRUFF::CONLIFFE	Better living through software	`Mon Aug 24 1987 09:52`	4
	so, was business any better on Saturday night???? Nigel
380.5		QUARK::LIONEL	We all live in a yellow subroutine	`Mon Aug 24 1987 10:59`	4
	Indeed it was. On Friday night we raised about $36K, on Saturday it was over $86K! My ear still hurts.... Steve
380.6	fyi - more info on the pledging	LEZAH::BOBBITT	face piles of trials with smiles	`Mon Aug 24 1987 11:22`	8
	fyi, at last glance (11 p.m. Sunday EDT) they still had roughly 700,000 dollars to go....by August 31 (the end of their fiscal year). Certain donations qualify you for receiving gifts, books, memberships to Channel 2 (discounts all over Boston). Also, you can pledge to give monthly. -Jody
380.7		QUARK::LIONEL	We all live in a yellow subroutine	`Mon Aug 24 1987 11:50`	29
	One thing I should point out specifically about WGBH. Many people, especially in New Hampshire, say they give only to WENH, the New Hampshire PBS station (that's if they give at all). However, WGBH is the MAJOR producer of PBS programming, over a third of it, and of some of the most popular shows: Masterpiece Theatre, Nova, The French Chef, The Victory Garden, Mystery, This Old House, etc. Viewer contributions help pay for producing these programs - the payments from other PBS stations and grants aren't enough. One thing I discovered while taking pledges was that the people responding the most, those who really appreciated WGBH's programming and the availability of quality television, were those who could least afford to donate. The elderly on fixed incomes, and other low income families were donating a much larger percentage of their income than others. It was those $5 per month donations that really made me understand what public television means to people. Eight out of ten people who watch WGBH never contribute. Just $35 a year makes you a member, with many benefits. Yes, larger donations entitle you to "thank-you gifts", but I think too many people get caught up in the notion that they are "buying" these gifts (some of which, like the "disappearing Tardis mug" are unavailable elsewhere) rather than helping support public television. It strikes me as odd that people who think nothing of spending $150 a year on a single cable channel won't consider offering even half that amount to a channel they probably watch more often. Steve