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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

4322.0. "Unix Service- Boston Globe Cartoon" by LEXS01::GINGER (Ron Ginger) Tue Dec 12 1995 17:17

    Todays BOSTON GLOBE has an editorial cartoon in the business section.
    
    The image is a cowboy riding a bucking bull. The Coboy has DEC on his
    shirt. The bull has UNIX SERVICE on its behind.
    
    What is this about? Have we announced something to trigger the GLOBE
    into this? Or have they just tried to get some Unix service and found
    out how little we have?
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4322.1CuriousFUNYET::ANDERSONWhere's the nearest White Castle?Tue Dec 12 1995 20:0910
Actually, it says "UNIX SERVICING" on the back of the bull, and the rider's
shirt has "DEC" written on the back.

I don't know what the cartoon means, either.  I know the Boston Globe uses lots
of OpenVMS systems and clusters and Digital printers, but don't know how much
Unix they have.

But at least the cartoon is about Dee Eee Cee and not Digital.  ;�)

Paul
4322.2KLUSTR::GARDNERThe secret word is Mudshark.Wed Dec 13 1995 06:2017
	I believe the existence of this cartoon in the business section
	supplies all that is necessary to complete its interpretation:

	man riding bull
	bull has "UNIX Servicing" written on errr hind region
	man has "DEC" written on shirt
	man is shouting "YAHOO" and generally appears to be having fun

	bull = bull market = reference to DEC stock doing well
	"UNIX Servicing" = weird phrasiology referencing our UNIX Servers
			   which happen to be getting good press lately
	"YAHOO" = we're lovin' it...

	yep, you heard right; this is actually a positive spin from the
	Globe...

	_kelley
4322.3hope it's .2's way, not this wayR2ME2::DEVRIESAll simple things were done by 1950!Wed Dec 13 1995 09:009
    Out in farm country we used to speak of bulls "servicing" cows.  This
    was considered an impersonal, clumsy, kinda rough activity with no
    concern for the receiver of the service before, during, or after.
    The bulls seemed to enjoy it, though.
    
    I hope they're not implying that Digital conducts its customer support
    with the same attitude.
    
    -Mark
4322.4An alternative interpretationJOKUR::MACDONALDWed Dec 13 1995 09:254
    DEC= a company you and I left last year to go to work for Digital
    UNIX servicing=being serviced by a bull named UNIX or any other name
                   would nasty, brutish and short, if you ask me.
    YAHOO=but maybe some people think it would be fun.
4322.5ICS::BEANAttila the Hun was a LIBERAL!Wed Dec 13 1995 09:473
    re: .2
    
    takes a little outta it with such a convoluted explanation
4322.6KLUSTR::GARDNERThe secret word is Mudshark.Wed Dec 13 1995 10:3010
	re: last few

	unless you a) read the Globe regularly and b) saw the cartoon
	in question, you might want to think about reserving comment...
	the section of the paper that it appeared in is used for
	business/fiscal commentary and immediately preceeds the stock
	listings...cartoons making light of DEC errrr Digital's fiscal
	woes have appeared in the exact same place in the past...

	_kelley
4322.7NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Wed Dec 13 1995 16:272
OK, I read the Globe regularly and saw the cartoon in question.  I've read all
the replies here.  I'm still clueless as to what it meant.
4322.8If anyone should get it, we should...BOOKIE::OTTEWed Dec 13 1995 16:414
    And if *we* as Digital employees don't get the cartoon--what are the
    chances the general populace has a clue about what it was about?
    
    -randy
4322.9STAR::MKIMMELWed Dec 13 1995 18:422
    Hey - maybe their chances are much better.
    
4322.10.2 has it rightI4GET::HENNINGThu Dec 14 1995 04:0311
    We do not hold the world record for TPC-C performance.  But we DO hold
    the record for TPC-C performance on UNIX.  (In fact Digital broke it
    twice in the last two months.)  Thus every one of our recent industry
    and press briefings and full page advertisements on the TPC-C records
    has been careful to state that it's the record for UNIX servers.
    
    The cartoonist was being nice to us for a change - kind of like when
    Herblock shaved Nixon after he won the election - but mangled "UNIX
    Servers" into "Unix servicing".
    
    	/john
4322.11Hold on tight -- it's a rodeo!FPTWS1::ABRAMSCurl up with a good CD-ROMThu Dec 14 1995 14:149
Perhaps that cartoon was referring to the UNIX market as requiring
cowboy-like skills at a rodeo...of course you are destined to be
tossed off that bull.

Hmmm, could have shown th AT&T and Novell cowboys dusting themselves off, 
with the HP cowboy ready to try a turn!

bill a.