Conference 7.286::digital

    Also, a contact for SALES UPDATE would be appreciated.
    
    
    
    				Jamie.

    Requests for the DSTAR Journal should be directed to:
    
    		Bob Marotta
    	 	Managing Editor, DSTAR Journal
    		DIS Communications
    		DTN 273-5420
    		DISCOM::MAROTTA or @VRO

    This is lifted from the inside cover of SALE UPDATE:
    
    "Distribution: Employees with a sales or sales support job code are
    eligible to receive Sales Update.
    
    Other employees who believe they may be eligible must submit an
    electronic justification along with their name, badge number, job
    code, job title, cost center and mail stop to Sales Update @OGO"
    
    Sales Update is also available electronically via the ACCESS
    VTX infobase.
    
    Walter

    If a person is in Software Services, they may subscribe to things
    like Soft Stuff, Sales Update, Competitive Update, etc. through
    an entry in the SBS (Silly Business System :-}) system.  It is normally
    your unit secretary that has the ability to make this entry for
    you.
    
    Bob

    Thanks for the replies. I'm now on the Dstar list and shall
    investigate the possibility of me receiving Sales Update.
    
    The Software Stuff Journal, however, is still a bit of a problem.
    I don't know what SBS is (a guess would be Software Bus. Systems)
    or where it is located/who I can contact. I've already tried the
    unit secretary route initially but she didn't know where to start
    so I decided to hunt them out myself.
    
    So does anyone know WHO I could contact ???
    
    
    
    				Jamie.

    I don't know what SBS is, but I get Soft Stuff and a few other
    publications through the Automated Distribution System (ADS). ADS
    distributes "SDC" software kits internally as well as a bunch of
    internal publications.
    
    $ VTX ADS should give you some more information.
    
    -Glenn-

    re: .5
    
    It depends upon where you are.  There appears to be much tighter
    control over who gets what here in the field.  Some people have
    been requested to provide written justification for receiving things
    such as Sales Update, etc.
    
    SBS is fortuately, something that only Software Services suffers
    with.  I've forgotten what it is supposed to stand for.
    
    Bob

    Back issues of DSTAR journal (abstracts) which also have some good
    stuff, are available through vtx DISINFO - which in itself is
    a good source of information, searchable.
    _bill

    re: .8
    
    How does one do all these wonderful VTX xxxxx things if one is an
    ALL-IN-1 prisoner?  I seem to be limited to what I seen on the VTX
    menu in ALL-IN-1.
    
    Bob

    Bob, it sounds like you can get in to VTX through A1. Once at a VTX
    screen try typing <PF1> <KP7> which will make it prompt for a keyword.
    Then type ADS<Return> and you should get to the ADS screen.
    
    -Glenn-

    Through ADS you can get automatic distribution of documentation, as
    well as certain publications such as software dispatches for different
    operating systems, ALL-IN-1 Information Update, Insight and Soft Stuff.
    Jane Brown (COGVAX::BROWN) at MRO3-1/E15 is one contact for ADS.  
    
    However, I will echo the previous caution: Software Services personnel
    are normally registered by their secretary via the SBS system.  It
    strikes me as odd that a SWS Secretary wouldn't know how to do that. 
    If your secretary doesn't know how, then your manager probably takes
    care of it and you should check with him/her.
    
    Note that each subscription that you apply for will result in an
    internal transfer cost against your cost center, which is probably one
    of the reasons that control is normally centralized through the
    secretary.
    
    Re: .9, Most SWS DIST machines have VTX as an option from either the
    main menu or the ALL-IN-1 menu.  See your DIST system manager about
    it having it added, if its not there.
    
    Jim
    

    re: .9, .10
    
    Yes, I can get to VTX from ALL-IN-1, but I wasn't aware that once in,
    <GOLD> <KP7> followed by a name was the same as VTX name.  Too many
    #@$%^& keypads to learn :-).  I've found that many of the VTX keypad
    names seem to convey a different meaning to me than is the actual
    intent.  For example, <GOLD> <KP7> results in something about a keyword
    and then a double height prompt of "CHOICE".  To me, CHOICE means pick
    an item from the menu.  Guess I need to learn more about VTX.
    
    Bob 

    re: .12
    
    Ooops.  If I do a <GOLD><KP7>, I get prompted for a page number
    or a key.  If I do a ^U at that point I get the "CHOICE" prompt.
    Bizarre.

Forgive the rathole here...

After the <PF1><KP7> in VTX you can enter '*' and get a complete keyword list.

You should look through some of the menus and see if you can find an online
tutorial on VTX... or you can always muddle through using the <PF2> to get
help... eventually in the help you should come to a keypad layout.

Lee

        Gee, you learn something new every day.  I had never tried
        the trick of "*" after <gold><kp7>, and it works just fine!
        
        Of course, the list of keywords you see is not strictly a function
        of VTX -- it comes from the server.  If your server doesn't
        know about the corporate VTX library entries, you'll still
        not be able to get to them.
        
        Tom

    
    	Here's the poop on Software Stuff (lifted from the inside
    	cover of the first edition):
    
    	    U.S. Field Service personnel subscribe through their
    	local FS/BMS contact.  If you don't know your contact, 
    	search for it in the ADS Newsletter in VTX).
    
    	    European SWS and non-SWS personnel go through IDS.
    
    	    All others contact Jane Brown (ADS Administration) at
    	DTN 223-9643  (which translates to 508-493-9643).
    
    	   In my humble opinion, it is not worth the effort.  But if
    	you feel compelled, you now have the means to subscribe.
    
    	- Greg
    

 >   	   In my humble opinion, it is not worth the effort.  But if
 >   	you feel compelled, you now have the means to subscribe.
  
    Yeah, like the number of issues I've got that have between 1 and
    3 pages in them ...
    
    Scooter

    
    Re: .7
    
        Justification is no longer required to get on distribution
       for Sales Update. All that's needed is a request via mail to
       Sales Update @ OGO, including your name, badge, CC, and mail
       stop.
    
    
    George

    RE: .11
    
    >However, I will echo the previous caution: Software Services personnel
    >are normally registered by their secretary via the SBS system.  It
    >strikes me as odd that a SWS Secretary wouldn't know how to do that. 
    
    I don't think that all of SWS uses SBS; I know that we are blessed with
    something called BMS, which was what we went to when we stopped useing
    CLAS.
    
    Deb
    

	RE: SBS

	SBS (Software Business System) is targeted at the US geographic Areas'
manpower, not SWS as a whole.  It involves prospect tracking, revenue forecast
and tracking, productivity yields, etc.  All things a field DSWM needs to
know!

	I remember BMS, too.  I think SBS has an interface to BMS, but it's 
invisible to us.

        There are also the "Digital Technical Journals", but as far
        as I can tell, there's no way to get on automatic distribution
        for them; you just have to notice when they get published.
        
        Amazingly, there is a conference for "Digital Periodicals", but I
        suspect it's very business related, since it's "restricted" to
        those who have obtained membership.  It's announced in topic 1648
        in TURRIS::EASYNET_CONFERENCES, and you are supposed to contact
        NUTMEG::LYMAN for membership.  I'm not a member, so I have no idea
        what's in the conference. 
        
        Tom

    Most of the 'stuff' in DIGTAL_PERIODICALS are stories that aren't
    yet published (thus the restriction) that will be appearing in a
    DECrag coming soon to a mailbox near you.
    
    Alot of it is just customer testamonials about our products and
    services.  Nothing too exciting.
    
    Jp

Tom:

  (A tangent?)

  I'm not sure I understood your reply re: The Digital Technical
  Journal and automatic distribution thereof:  Every time one is
  published, it turns up automatically by the cartload in my fa-
  cility.  Perhaps all "engineers" get it automatically?  A call
  to the publisher might confirm or deny this rumour.

                                   Atlant

    THe DTJ is mailed to all employees with Jxx codes (software engineers).
    It is also mailed to other specific job codes as well, no doubt
    Exx (hardware engineers) are also included.
    
    Dave