G L O B A L   A C C E S S


Volume 1, No. 5                                       March, 1988

                             MUMPS means you never have to say you're sorting.



$VIEW(Chair)

     Some interesting developments have happened recently in the
MUMPS Special Interest Group.  Our former Chairman has gone to
work with Digital and everyone else has been moved or has addi-
tional titles.  The change in the roster is as follows;

  Chris Richardson, Rich Cmp Rsch - SIG Chair
  Mark J. Hyde, Adv Comp Svcs     - Vice Chair
                                    Communications Committee Rep.
                                    Newsletter Editor 
  Dave Smith, DEC                 - DEC Counterpart
  Denise Simon, DEC               - Alternate DEC Counterpart
  Brad Hanson, Group Health       - Symposium Scheduler
  Michael McIntyre, PRX, Inc.     - Library Representative
                                    PDP-11 Working Group Rep.
  Edward Woodward, SAIC           - Seminars Representative
  Jerry Hsu, Rubicon              - Campground Coordinator
                                    Asst. Symposium Scheduler
  Bob van Keuren, UserWare        - Session Note Editor
  Mark Berryman                   - Past Chair
                                    MUMPS Development Comm. Rep.

     As you can see, our steering committee has grown.  However,
we still have much to do and we seek your involvement.  How can
you become more active?  Submit an article to our News Letter
Editor.  Got a nifty utility or game you wish to submit to the
Software Library?  Contact our Library respresentative.  Got an
interesting application written in MUMPS?  Submit an abstract to
our Symposium Scheduler.  Got a Question about MUMPS?  Write the
Newsletter Editor or myself and we will be more than happy to
answer your questions.  Do you have a number of people in your
area that need to be trained in MUMPS?  Please contact our Semi-
nars representative.  Training can be arranged in a regional
seminar format.

     Our emphasis in the MUMPS SIG is to bring more awareness of
MUMPS to the general computing community.  There has been a great
deal of misunderstanding of this powerful, yet simple little
language.  The applications being done in MUMPS include medical
data management, Artificial Intelligence, applications bread-
boarding, software development tools, banking, order entry, of-
fice automation, and fourth generation user interfaces.  Our goal
is to highlight the variety and simplicity of the language and
how it can help you, the user, accomplish your tasks in a rapid
and productive manner.  

     I look forward to meeting you all at DECUS in Cincinnati.
C U there.


$VIEW(Editor)

     As I have previously related, I have been a member of DECUS
for a long time (17 years as of mid-February).  During that time,
I have watched with extreme frustration the demise of several
SIGs (18-Bit, TECO, 12-Bit) that were important to me.  The
motivations behind these losses were usually obscure, and occa-
sionally downright spurious.  Further, the frustration was inten-
sified by the reality of being on the outside looking in, since
the structure of "the Old DECUS" made it more difficult to attain
a leadership position.  Thus, when the opportunity to join the
MUMPS Steering Committee befell me in New Orleans, I accepted
eagerly in the belief that I might be able to work from such a
base to forestall such catastrophes in the future.  Little did I
realize (the crystal ball must have caught a line hit) that the
next set of photon torpedoes was aimed foursquare in that direc-
tion.  However, this time I was on the inside, and that made all
the difference.  Rather than just looking on in despair, I could
set my back and my mind (humble entity that it is) to the task of
damage control.  And, wadda ya know, it even looks like it
worked.


$DATA

     In the continuing story of the MUMPS and IAS Special Inter-
est Committee status, a motion was presented during the SIG
Council meeting on Saturday before the Symposium to rescind the
previous vote to demote the two SIGs.  That motion was defeated. 
On Wednesday, the vote was appealed to the Management Council;
that appeal was denied.  On Thursday, the appeal was brought
before the Board of Directors; that appeal remains pending.  On
Monday, January 25, SIG Council voted to re-instate both MUMPS
and IAS as SIGs.  The Board appeal will continue.

     [Your Editor apologizes for the lack of Anaheim Symposium
coverage.  The politics surrounding the SIC process constituted a
major distraction.--Ed.]


$HOROLOG

March 22            Submission deadline for May newsletter
May 16-20           Spring '88 Symposium; Cincinnati, OH
June 13-17          MUG '88 Conference; New Orleans
October 17-21       Fall '88 Symposium; Anaheim, CA$ORDER("Comprise")

     Misuse of comprise ("New York City is comprised of five bor-
oughs") has become not just common but virtually total among
North American speakers of English.  This has obviously come
about because of the word's strong resemblance in both meaning
and spelling to compose.  However, the correct meaning and usage
of the two words differ significantly.  To compose means "to form
the substance of" or "to constitute," while to comprise means "to
embrace" or "to include."  Thus, proper usage matches that of
embrace  ("The U. S. comprises 50 states"). 


$NEXT

     This seems hard to believe, but the next issue is May and
that means the Cincinnati Symposium session preview, so don't
touch that dial.

     $NEXT($ORDER)="Podium"


$RANDOM

     "I was so naive as a kid that I used to sneak behind the
barn and do nothing."  --Johnny Carson