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Greetings,
Some explanations from the peon:
1) I should explain that the letter in the last note was a private
correspondence between myself and some friends at DEC Europe. It was not
actually written for public distribution. And it was inserted into the notes
file without my knowledge.
But the note was added to the file because the person who received
it thought its conclusions valid, and decided - with the best of intentions -
that a larger audience would benefit from hearing how peons in the AITC
see DEC Europe.
2) The only change I would make to the letter is to extend the list
of excellent people working in Europe who are redefining European reputations
in the AITC through their intelligence, diligence, and earnest effort. The list
should especially include people such as Andrew Buchanan and Manfred Schlueter,
who have left such favorable impressions here that all who follow them will
benefit.
3) The intention behind the letter was to prod people into questioning
how they treat AITCers. We are not DEC's only legitimate AI group. We are part
of a huge network of people doing AI work. And yet when people come to visit
they often come only to plunder, not to exchange. A lot of folks here would
like to step down from the pedestal. We are just as hungry for information as
DEC Europeans are, and the letter is a plea for more equitable dealings between
our respective groups.
The letter's purpose is not to generate ill-feeling between AITCers
and Europeans. It is to expose ill-feeling which already exists - and shouldn't.
4) The response from people in the AITC who have seen this letter
has been hugely encouraging. I was told that someone "had finally broached the
largest problem that AITCers have with DEC Europe", a problem that has
not improved in the last year, a problem with no resolution in sight until the
AITC and European AI groups begin to think of reciprocity. I was told that
some Europeans would probably wish to push hot needles under my fingernails
in response, but that no one who read it could deny the letter's veracity.
In fact, I was strongly advised to add the letter to a notesfile to draw
attention to a longstanding problem which was not being addressed by either
side.
The response from DEC Europe that I've been privy to has also been
hugely encouraging. Since sending the letter, we've received a list of AI
demos given at DECWorld, a catalog of AI customers doing DEC business in one
European country, job offers, lists of local AI projects in two countries,
offers of Bordeaux rouge et chocolat extra fin, lists of relevant Digits to
contact for particular AI domains and paradigms in two European local offices,
and offers from four European KEs (in four different countries) for assistance
in joint AITC-European AI projects. Evidently, the letter had its intended
effect of encouraging exchange between the AITC and DEC Europe.
Since the letter was written, the group I work in has had visits from
KEs from DEC Deuschland, DEC Italia, and, soon, DEC France. We have done AI
training and E.S. prototyping work with customers from France, Germany, Italy,
Oz, and Japan. We have entertained senior level managers from Italian, and,
next week, French, and German customers. We have distributed AITC newsbriefs to
DEC Europeans, along with lists of customer AI work being done in Fellowship,
AITC organization charts, lists of contact names, synopses of AITC policy
planning meetings, and answers to several dozen specific questions by DEC
Europeans.
We welcome this kind of exchange. And if it took only one letter to
redress such a longstanding imbalance in our relations, then, perhaps, what
we should concentrate on exchanging first is mail.
Comments welcome.
Not actually such a scurrilous rogue as some would claim,
Dikk Kelly
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| Just a quick follow-up from the rouge who had the gall to post a
contraversial note in the file. My only apology is to Dikk for not
checking with him first. I will, however, explain my motivations
for anyone interested:
I knew that I was not the only one who had received the memo but
had no idea how wide a distribution it had (VAXmail source). I
interpreted it in the same manner that Dikk explained his motivation
in 29.1; i.e., it wasn't intended to point blame, but to bring to
light existing ill-feelings, justified or not.
I felt that I had two choices; a) to do nothing while the memo quietly
spread around Europe festering more ill-feelings as people
(mis)interpreted it in their own way or b) get it out in the open by
posting it in this file and, once the dust settles, move forward with
its real intent of promoting a better working relationship amongst our
worldwide AI community.
This is a relatively closed notes file and I know most of you both
professionally and socially. I definitely wouldn't describe ourselves
as timid, given the way we good-naturedly beat each other up in
and out of the classroom during our Forums. At the time I posted
the note I had the intention of defusing a potential problem instead
of starting one. I'm sorry for anyone who may have taken its contents
personnally. I certainly didn't intend it that way by posting it
and I'm confident that Dikk didn't either when he wrote it.
If anyone thinks that the note should be deleted, contact me privately
via VAXmail (HERON::) and I'll remove it.
Sincerly,
pat
VAXmail
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Thought a sample of the unsolicited responses I've received from Europe
and the AITC as a result of the first note might be of some remote interest to
someone. (The letter has circulated beyond this notesfile.) I'm preserving
anonimity here, but if someone recognizes a quote from her/himself, please
feel free to elaborate. I have not changed a word in any of these fragments,
and feel the quotes represent the tone and central points of each person's
letter or call.
from Europe:
"I have been enjoying your latest missives and, in particular found your note
on "dealing with the AITC"; it's all too easy for us here to fall into the
traps you highlight - sponges & scorpions abound in ANY enterprise."
from the AITC:
"Congratulations to your note. Really good! You are right in terms of your
remarks mentioned in the letter, however, you're rather polarizing differences
by talking or stressing it too much. I'm pretty cautious about making any
judgement about a person upfront, you're dealing with individuals not with
members of group who have per definition the same characteristics. The group
they are coming from might give you certain indications about what you may be
expecting, however, I try to place those expectations very far back in my mind.
Thanks alot for your explanations in your reply and don't get my comments
above wrong. You are dealing more often with AITC outsiders than I do,
therefore, therefore, this is probably a more pragmatic, practical approach
and guideline than my general philosophy or ... ?"
{editor's note: ellipsis inserted by writer, not editor}
from the US:
"Dikk, I really really do appreciate the communications you've started
with your letter, don't excuse yourself for it!!"
from the AITC:
"RAT OWN! RAT OWN! Tell it like it is! But we don't say leaches in my group.
We say brainsuckers. I'm sick of being the trough for those guys to feed in.
I go there and they stiff me. Then they come here and expect a day of my time."
(Amurkin editor's note: "RAT OWN" is slanguage for "Right on", an exclamation
of strong approval formerly in common usage, now employed as humourous code
between people of a certain generation in the US.)
phonecall from the AITC (approximate quote):
"They feel over there that you are making up a problem that doesn't exist,
and that you're picking on people who don't deserve to be picked on.
They don't know anything about anyone being turned down by anybody in the AITC.
And it gives all of us a bad name when you say things like that."
phonecall from the AITC (approximate quote):
"Hey. When I told you to get those people away from me, I didn't expect World
War III. Don't back down. It's tough telling the truth when other people don't
want to hear it. But Truth is mightier than politics!"
from Europe:
"Reciprocity:
I understand your concerns regarding reciprocity. To say nothing of the
fact that a little reciprocity shows polite consideration I think that an
exchange of views, ideas and experiences can only helpful. please let me know
if can help."
from the AITC:
"I have had the same problems with the same people that you mention in
NOTE 29.0. But I don't think it will do any good to tell anyone about it.
I know you. You're always trying to improve everything. But it doesn't do any
good. In order to get people to change they have to admit they have a problem.
and that's not going to happen. They'll say you have the problem or that you
are the problem. Nobody ever blames themselves when they screw up. You have to
do what I do. Just say no. When they ask for something, just say no. Then they
become someone else's problem."
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I thought I would add just one last update to this ancient note.
I just spent some time with the Marketing director I (inadvertently,
I assure you, but very wrongly) maligned in that letter long ago.
(the start of this particular note)
This was someone who, by rights, should have had it in for me; but who
was not only entirely gracious and pleasant, but sincerely interested
in resolving any difficulties, and moving beyond them, and solidifying
the business arrangements between our groups - allowing both our groups
to help each other.
A more charming, intelligent, and capable person I have never met.
And I humbly publicly apologize for any problems that past letter may
have caused for this person or for anyone in her country.
Any apparent nastiness was purely unintentional. And the bile in that
note was the result of past problems with other people that have long
since been resolved.
The letter itself, thinking in retrospect, was probably the result of
several bad days in a row at the office, my nasty habit of expressing
opinions too freely, and more time on my hands than I should have had.
The overly open and opinionated habit is one that I think I'm stuck with.
But the freetime and bad days are gone, so no further crabby notes should
be forthcoming.
I have to say, while I'm in the process of trying to clear to air here,
that over the last year I've had the rare good fortune to associate
with a lot of fine European folks: customers and Digits both. They have
been uniformly talented and affable people, and I regret any inconvenience
or raised blood pressures that original letter generated.
That letter did give me the chance to meet some great people from
Europe though. It has been an ice-breaker for a long time now. European
folks would stroll by here with a US friend showing them around and be
told my name as they walked by. "Oh. So that's you," they'd say, eying me
with a smile, "the one in the notesfile." Then we'd end up in a long
conversation together or over at my house eating supper with my family.
So, it wasn't a complete disaster after all.
But I had to scribble one last response here, and say that after coming
full circle, I'm ready to write a very different note now praising and
thanking European folks for not only not closing this notesile to
cranky foreigners, but for actually befriending and working with the cranky
bugger who wrote what must have seemed a pretty surly and mean-spirited
letter.
And thanks, too, to the Marketing director who impressed me so much
with her forbearance and graciousness that I had to - just out of fairness -
put in this one last reply.
Much Wiser,
Dikk Kelly
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