Conference 7.286::digital

    My question was answered via electronic mail.    
    
    	Mike

    Mike,
    
    Yes, contact Barbara Davis at SOCIAL::DAVIS.  I've been in touch with
    her about a rule that requires employees attending DECworld Employee
    day to ride a bus down to the World Trade Center.  It doesn't make much
    sense for people who live in and near Boston to have to drive 25-40
    miles west to their site, get on a bus, and travel up to 40 miles back
    into Boston. Apparently, this is a rule that "cannot be changed".  I
    asked for an explanation of the rule, but haven't heard anything  yet.
    
    Are there alternatives, what do others feel?
    
    Diana
    

    re: .2  Diana
    
    The bus "requirement" is a big hassle for me, too.  I live in Brookline
    and have a 50-minute commute west to Hudson.  It will be a HUGE pain to
    drive out to Marlboro, get on the bus, drive back to Boston; then at
    the end of the day, have to bus back to Marlboro so I can drive my car
    home!  Four hours WASTED commuting!  Not to mention gas...
    
    I called Barbara also -- the answer I got was "we can't cater to
    everyone's problem."  But if this is a shared problem, maybe we can
    propose a shared solution to them.
    
    For instance, I'd be happy to meet the bus at the WTC to pick up my
    sticker.  They could even have a big table at the bus dropoff -- the
    bus drivers hand in the unclaimed stickers and people can get them from
    the table.  I'd volunteer to help staff the table for a 1/2 hour or so,
    and I'm sure other of us Bostonians would, too!  
    
    Pam

re:               <<< Note 1138.2 by CADSYS::GIL_PASSOLAS "Diana" >>>

>    Are there alternatives, what do others feel?

   Others feel it sounds like yet another dumb rule which might make some
more sense if it were expressed along with some rationale.

-Jack

    My hunch on the insistence in utilizing arranged transportation (bus)
    is that it's due to parking availability. 
    
    We have a friend that works at WTC and she tells us that parking can
    be a problem there. During DECworld, she has to show her company 
    identification badge just to get into the parking lot.
    
    FWIW, Burlington will be sending a bus or two down to DECworld. We
    were told that if we are going to be in the Boston area (as I will be),
    that we could get our tickets ahead of time. The stipulation is that
    you do NOT use your own vehicle to get in there. 
    
    Although I haven't received my ticket yet, I plan on taking the T in.
    
    Driving back from Boston to Burlington just to go down by bus in a
    group doesn't make sense.
    
    Kevin
    

    there's a bus leaving BUO at 7:45 AM to the WTC, and returning from the
    Lower Level/NOrthern Ave WTC TO BUO at 3:30 P.M.
    
    

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I failed to see the connection to
potential parking problems. But that isn't necessarily an issue with
employees who can get there quicker from a more local spot with mass
transportation. Likewise, if people can make arrangements to get passes
ahead of time when planning such a mode of travel, what's to prevent
anyone from doing that and then driving their car anyway? I suppose that
the Boston Police _may_ have requested that DEC try to do something to
alleviate parking hassles, but is that really DEC's problem to solve?
"Suggesting" the use of buses from remote facilities (if for no other
reason than convenience sake) is one thing, "requiring" it is quite
different.

-Jack

    The rationale I got was twofold:
    
      1) There's no parking at WTC.
      2) It's too complicated to do anything else with this number of 
         people attending.
    
    My answer to 1) is:  I plan to take the T, so parking is irrelevant.
    
    My answer to 2) is:  Planning ahead makes the most complicated problem
    solvable.  They could have given us flat choices "worksite or WTC?" on
    the original form.  They could have set up the arrangement I suggested
    in .3.  Etc.  It seems to me that they need to make similar
    arrangements for customers during DECworld itself; they could have
    tested those arrangements out on us.  Why are we less important?
    
    So, who would be willing to volunteer to man a booth in the bus depot
    area?  I'd like to pitch the idea to them.
    
    Pam

    Re: .5    Do you know who told you you could get your tickets
    beforehand if you wanted to arrange your own transport?  If that is
    true for your facility, perhaps it is true for every facility.  The
    parking problem is a non-issue, since I would certainly take the T, as
    I am sure would most who live near the city. 
    
    Re: .8  Pam, I'd certainly be willing to help out at a table. However,
    another possibility is picking up your ticket at corporate employee
    rec. and services.
    
    The whole business of the bus "requirement" is ludicrous.  I'd like
    some corporate input pretty soon since employee day at DECworld is a
    week from Friday.
    
    Diana

    I live in Acton.  I work at MKO.  In order to pick up my DECworld
    tickets I have to board a bus in Merrimack at 07:00?  
    
    It would make a lot more sense if they had distributed the bus loads
    according to where people are coming from.  Is that too much to ask?
    

    re: .10 
    
    Yes.  Exactly.  You are assigned to a bus based on worksite.  Stickers
    for admission are handed out ON THE BUS.  The letter says "All
    employees will be bused into Boston. ... For the trip into the WTC,
    employees have been scheduled by work location."
    
    The feedback we've gotten from the organizers is that it *is* too much
    to ask...  Basically, that stinks as far as I'm concerned.
    
    I would be *delighted* if I could pick up my tickets ahead of time, but
    I've been told it is "not possible" to make special exceptions.  I
    would be *delighted* to pick up my tickets at the WTC, even if it had
    to be by a certain time (ie, they close down the window at 9:00 am, no
    exceptions).  Again, they've said "no exceptions."
    
    Can we come up with a way to organize ourselves?
    
    Pam

    are the people making these decisions riding the buses?
    
    I doubt it.
    
    digital has it now but digital doesn't care.

    re:.12, et al.
    
    Let me see if I've got this right: You people all get to go to
    DECworld. You get to take your families along. You get free return
    transportation into the Metro-Boston traffic-zoo, right? 
    
    And all you can do is whine about it?

    Re: .9
    
    I just read the memo (again) on Employee day. This was sent by the
    person coordinating the "stickers" here.
    
    The memo basically says......"the current plan will be to hand out the
    stickers as everyone gets on the buses. Anyone who needs to plan a
    different means of transportation to Boston should see me beforehand
    to get their badge sticker."
    
    Kevin
    

    Re: .13
    
    Au contraire!
    
    This is Employee Day, not Family Day. Each employee (that gets to go)
    gets 1 ticket per employee. There was a form that had to be approved by
    your manager and submitted.
    
    I'm not whining, just trying to clarify.
    
    Kevin

    Is employee day open to us people in the field like from  New York if
    we can get off
    

    I don't see what all the excitement is about.  Without any customers
    there to talk to we aren't going to learn much.  All this aggravation
    to look at a bunch of our own products???   Yawn.

We can talk about what DEC is not doing to make it easy/convenient for
EVERYONE or we can talk about what DEC is doing:

What DEC is doing:

	- Let you decide if you like to attend
	- Let you attend
	- Let you take that day off from your regular work
	- Bring other employees/consultants to demo and answer your questions
	- Provide you with bus transportation
	- Provide you lunch
    

    Let's also talk about what a simple thing it is we are asking:
    
      Let us pick up our stickers in advance.
    or
      Let us pick up our stickers at the WTC -- we'll staff the tables
      ourselves.
    
    Pam

    re .13, .18
    
    	There is more than just whining here.  I have seen several
    	legitimate problems recounted in various notesfiles.  In each 
    	case it is absolutely senseless for the person to travel to
    	any of the bus points.  Best examples are those who already
    	live in Boston.
    
    	What bothers me the most is that those in charge simply refuse
    	to consider the issues.  Yes, DEC is doing alot for you folks
    	local to DECworld.  But some are being hurt by it and should
    	be handled on an exception basis.
    
    	Joe Oppelt

    Re .all
    
    What's the big fuss. Just turn up, bet they won't send you home. You
    can guarantee that if stickers are needed there will be some there.
    You may not get a free lunch but I'm sure that's not why most people
    are going.
    
    Dave

    .21> What's the big fuss. Just turn up, bet they won't send you home.
    
    Can I assume you haven't been to any previous DECworlden?  You would
    have lost that bet.
    

  I agree with .17 that Employee Day at DECworld is a non-event in some re-
spects. In 1987, the Employee Day posters showed the QEII but the QEII didn't
arrive until later. Also, I heard that some of the exhibits were not fully
operational on Employee Day. 
  I suppose if someone who has an Employee Day ticket decides not to to attend
because of the bus hassle, the ticket is not transferable.
  Were employees attending Employee Day in 1897 allowed to take public trans-
port there? I don't recall a controversy about buses.
  E.D. is only 4 work days away and it looks like it's too late to work out a
solution. What a bummer!

    is it ok to bring a camera???
    
    tony

    Does anyone know what times the bus will leave from Marlboro?  Is the
    bus limited to MRO employees only, or can any employee with a ticket
    for DECWorld get a ride?
    
    Also, how much is the T from Franklin to Boston?  Where do you get off?
    
    Thanks very much for any info...you can also reply to me at
    ENOVAX::WATSON
    
    Robin

	A quick, I do mean quick, perusal of my DECworld Staffers' Guide sent via ALL-IN-1
mail recently had no "camera" or "photograph"  in the index, nor did the Security section
specifically prohibit them.

	If I get time, I'll do a more thorough job of reading and reply if I find a prohi-
bition.

    re .25
    
    The buses leave MRO4 at 07:30.  The letter I received also indicates
    that transportation has been arranged by work location:
    
    "For the trip into the WTC, employees have been scheduled by work location. 
    Upon arrival at the bus location, you'll need to tell one of the bus
    captains your work location.  They will confirm your attendance adn
    will direct you to board one of the buses."
    
    Sounds like if your not listed to be boarding at MRO you might be
    denied...

	Has anyone seen a soft copy map of the event? it would be helpful
	for people to plan in advance how they are going to go though the
	exibits. Typically you wind up with a lot of people bunched up at
	the doors going through maps that they are seeing for the first time.

	It would also help people plan meeting spots if they are riding
	seperate buses or coming from seperate locations. 

	Perhaps someone working the event has a hard copy they could run
	through a scanner? (And post a pointer to.)

			Alfred

    I called up someone to ask about getting the entrance materials 
    separately and/or ahead of time because I live in Boston and didn't
    want to drive to Bedford just to be driven back to Boston.  I was told
    that none of the material would be ready until we were at the buses.
    
    B.

I received the following regarding cameras at DECworld.
I have removed the forwarding chain.

- tom]
================================================================================

                 *************************************************

		  THIS MEMO IS FROM PETER HUNT AND IRENE ROZANSKY
		
		 *************************************************



	Many employees have asked about the use of personal cameras
	during DECWORLD'90.  Given the nature of the event, it would
	not be unusual for individual employees to want to take photos.

	We ask that you follow these guidelines:

		DECWORLD'90 Set Up (June 23 - July 5):  
		------------------
		Obtain approval from DECWORLD Security.  Security can
		be contacted on site at the World Trade Center.
		Business telephone: 617-439-5798.


		Employee Day (July 6): No restrictions.
		------------


		DECWORLD'90 Event (July 7 - August 1): No restrictions.	 
		-----------------


	Thank you for your cooperation.

    Well... after calling Personnel I hit a brick wall.  If you want
    to go you *MUST* take the bus.  The reasons given (in no particular
    order of ridiculousness)
    
    1) The U.S.S. Kennedy is in town "adding crowds".
    
    2) Parking problems
    
    3) People might go in for a couple of hours and skip out (kind of
       like skipping school I guess)
    
    4) Security Reasons (Good umbrella)
    
         All in all this is one major hassle.  Judging by the parking
    lots that I've seen I would think that most people are on vacation...
    alleviating some of the parking problems.
    
         I do like the idea of busing for those people who it is a
    convenience.  Parking is a hassle, costs money, etc... but to put
    a blanket policy on this "without exception" is ridiculous.  
       
    
    Don

Re -.1: None of these objections from HQ explains why an amployee can't take
a bus from a site other than his/her own. Yes, it's a little more complicated
for the organizers and would have to be arranged months in advance, but it's
doable. Let's work on this issue as soon as the next Boston DECWorld is an-
nounced.
  Actually, each bus origin point serves a cluster of facilities. For example,
attendees from FXO (Franklin) take the bus from Marlboro, 25 miles away. For-
tunately, most employees at FXO live closer to MRO than to FXO.

    I was just thinking...
    
    It'd cost me about $1.25 for the T from my house in Allston to get to
    some place from which I could walk over to the WTC.  It might actually
    cost less in gas to drive 20 minutes to Bedford just so they could
    bus me back into Boston for the show.
    
    Of course, if I got there by myself and I got bored, I could leave
    early and continue working at home for the rest of the day...
    
    ...just thinking.

    re: .34
    
    About the extra day... it's also an extra day to shake down the smooth
    running of the show _before_ customers show up.
    
    About chauffering... wasn't the original point of this note the
    following?  For some number of people who live where there's decent
    public transportation, it makes more sense not to drive at all.  The
    reasons given against this (and there are several plausible good ones)
    so far don't pass the test of common sense.
    
    As an ex-reverse commuter, I sympathise with those who must deal with
    people who cannot imagine being without a car for a day.
    
    Wes Plouff

    RE: .34
    
>    This is one of the most depressing notes I've ever read in this
>    conference. If not for the few scattered voices of reason amid
>    all these grousing replies, I've have shot my terminal a long time ago.
    
    When I first started to read your note I said, Amen Brother!  And then
    I realized you were taking everybody to task for being lazy, spoiled
    do-nothings rather than agreeing that there could have been a more
    sensible way of arranging this.
    
    Considering that the original DECworld was put on to give the employees
    a look at their own company, and that customers were only invited as an
    afterthought, it shows how things have changed that you suggest the
    employees are something of a nuisance to be coped with by the people
    putting on the show.  
    
    Having an employee day is like having internal field test.  Consider it
    a dress rehearsal with our own people standing in for the "paying"
    customers.  I'd much rather have the glitches and bugs show up in front
    of friends and coworkers than to have those annoying surprises pop up
    in front of a customer when you thought everything had been thoroughly
    debugged.  From what I saw in there today, we've got some work to do.
    
>    And all you can do is moan bitterly that you have to drive to, or
>    somewhere near, your regular place of business, perhaps a little
>    earlier than usual??
    
    Try an hour earlier in the case of MKO, but it's not just the time
    involved.  Some people are in vanpools and carpools or have other
    complications.   We've got people who live IN Boston, who have to come
    to New Hampshire just to get their badges when they could practically
    walk to the World Trade Center.  What's the big deal?  Don't they have
    "computers" that can do this sort of thing?  For that matter, why
    couldn't the badges simply be MAILed to your account?
    

Re: .37
    
>>    This is one of the most depressing notes I've ever read in this
>>    conference. If not for the few scattered voices of reason amid
>>    all these grousing replies, I've have shot my terminal a long time ago.
>    
>    When I first started to read your note I said, Amen Brother!  And then
>    I realized you were taking everybody to task for being lazy, spoiled
>    do-nothings rather than agreeing that there could have been a more
>    sensible way of arranging this.

Amen Brother!  What I find depressing about this note is the arrogance and
bureaucratic obtuseness of the people responsible for the "no exceptions" badge
policy.  The Digital I want to work for is a flexible company that tries to
accommodate the needs of its employees.

				-- Bob

re Note 1138.34 by ESCROW::KILGORE:

>     And all you can do is moan bitterly that you have to drive to, or
>     somewhere near, your regular place of business, perhaps a little
>     earlier than usual??
  
        In a time when people are becoming more aware of the
        possible effects on the global climate, human health, and
        limited resources of unnecessary automobile trips, it would
        seem quite reasonable for Digital to take advantage of any
        easy opportunity to cut down on vehicle use.

        Bob

    I did not want to miss DECworld and since I was told that under *no*
    conditions could I get my sticker early, I drove 25 miles west to MRO4,
    boarded a bus, was handed a sticker, got off the bus, got in my car
    (defying the rule), and drove 38 miles east to the WTC.  I shamefully
    didn't conserve energy doing that, but couldn't stand that thought of
    having to backtrack another 25 miles before getting home.  By the way,
    parking was no problem.  Lots were deserted.
    
    The kicker though was to arrive at the WTC and find out that *anyone*
    with a Digital badge (sticker or not) was being admitted to DECworld
    employee day (weren't some employees told they couldn't attend because
    there was "no more room?".)   I can't think of how many people from the
    Boston area must have travelled four times their normal commute.  There
    was a lot of energy was wasted today.  An F for transportation
    planning.
    
    

    
    Re .-1
    
    Just as I thought. I thought sanity would prevail, I knew if you turned
    up you wouldn't get turned away. I feel sorry for all those people that
    actually believed the ridiculous rules would be enforced.
    
    Dave
    
          <<< HUMAN::DISK$HUMAN_WRKD:[NOTES$LIBRARY]DIGITAL.NOTE;2 >>>
                          -< The DEC way of working >-
================================================================================
Note 1138.21    Contacting DECworld '90 Employee Day coordinators       21 of 40
SMAUG::GARROD "An Englishman's mind works best when " 8 lines  27-JUN-1990 18:07
                         -< Just ignore stupid rules >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Re .all
    
    What's the big fuss. Just turn up, bet they won't send you home. You
    can guarantee that if stickers are needed there will be some there.
    You may not get a free lunch but I'm sure that's not why most people
    are going.
    
    Dave

    That's it?  I had my wife get up at 6 and drive me all the way to Cow
    Hampsha for a 2-bit sticker to put on my badge?  They coulda mailed
    that sucker with the letter saying we were "winners" in the DECworld
    lottery game.  For that matter, they could've put a line of boxes on
    the application form listing the pickup points and asking which
    facility you would be coming from.  As it was, there must have been a
    lot of people that decided it wasn't worth the hassle and just didn't
    show.  I overheard one bus driver say they sent 9 buses to Nashua and
    only 5 came back full.  What a tremendous waste.
    

    Judging by the crowd (or lack there of) both at the event itself and 
    the bus pickup in MKO a lot of people decided it was too much trouble.
    
    I got up to MKO about an hour or so before I normally get out of bed
    so as not to be late. It was worth it not to have to drive in to 
    Boston. It was even more worth it to sleep in the bus after walking
    around for 6 hours. I was impressed with the show. I expect our
    customers to be impressed as well.
    
    		Alfred

Just one parting thought about "stupid rules" . . . 

    Keep in mind that "DIGITAL" didn't make this rule - neither did Ken Olsen
or Jack Smith or Win Hindle or (insert your favorite Vice-president's name
here).

    Just maybe, quite possibly, the rule wasn't even made, or approved by,
one of their direct reports. It _MAY_ have been made, or approved by, one of
_THEIR_ direct reports.

Maybe next year the word will have gotten around with respect to the stupid
rules that were set up. Maybe next year they won't get to make the rules
again. Maybe . . . 

-Jack

    The bus rule was made by a Committee.  Apparently they were working in
    conjunction with the WTC to make arrangements.  The committee knew of
    the controversy for those people who were seriously inconvenienced by
    the policy, but decided that they were providing so much to us that we
    should be grateful for the chance to go for a day, get free food, etc.
    
    I am grateful.  I enjoy seeing new parts of the company's business that
    ordinarily I never see.  (However, they should also be grateful for us
    acting as the audience for the dress rehearsal!  I attended DECworld
    '87 with a customer and there is a HUGE difference between an employee
    day and a customer day!)
    
    I didn't know DECworld was originally for employees -- how ironic.
    
    On Friday, I decided not to take the bus, but to "just show up." I
    didn't think I would get in, but it was a gesture.  I took the T there
    and then the WTC shuttle from South Station.  At the WTC, I was given a
    blue booklet and told to get a sticker from inside the WTC.  Inside the
    WTC, I was told that stickers were not required today "because of The
    Problem."  After all this, I just walked in.
    
    It's funny.  You just can't make me happy.  I felt bad getting in so
    easily, because I thought about all the people I know personally who
    made a big effort to follow the Draconian rules, all for nothing.
    
    Pam

    The bus/sticker problem, I assume...

    Is there any way I see DECWORLD yet ? Or employees aren't allowed
    any more ?

    Also is DECWORLD open on weekends ?

    Probably not and no.  DECworld "for real" has started, and it gets
    crowded enough.
    
    				Steve (who worked DECworld '87)