[lopsa-discuss] Re: [SAGE] Statement from the USENIX Board

[Leon Towns-von Stauber]

On Nov 20, 2005, at 3:33 PM, Kirk McKusick wrote:

> The undersigned members of the USENIX board of directors make
> the following statement to its USENIX and SAGE members:
>
>   - Despite a lengthy negotiation that consumed hundreds of volunteer
> and staff hours from representatives of both USENIX and the SAGE Inc
> organization, now called The League of Professional System
> Administrators (LOPSA), about possible terms for having them become
> SAGE, no workable agreement emerged.  Therefore, we now believe
> that it is in the best interests of USENIX and LOPSA to focus our
> respective efforts on building our own organizations for the good
> of our members.  We do not believe that any continued negotiations
> on funding of LOPSA by USENIX under the present framework would be
> worthwhile, and any new proposal must ensure it addresses the issues
> regarding asset transfer and funding previously raised by the board.
> It is generally felt that any new proposal would have to be
> substantially different in order to satisfactorily address these
> issues.
>
>   - The USENIX board welcomes proposals for cooperation between LOPSA
> and USENIX where it makes sense to both organizations.
>
>   - USENIX continues to be committed to serving its SAGE members
> and the system administration community both now and in the future.
> The USENIX board will be actively looking at ways to refine our
> services for all our members and your input to us is an important
> part of this process.
>
>   - Members wanting to give us guidance about shaping future programs
> for system administrators should send their suggestions to
> suggestions at sage.org.

First, I want to add my thanks to that of others for the official
statement from the USENIX board.

Now, here are my suggestions:

To the LOPSA board:

Please work with USENIX one more time to form an agreement to
transfer SAGE assets to LOPSA, addressing what seem like
reasonable concerns on the part of USENIX about the earlier
proposal. Arguments about rushed timelines and the like are
irrelevant now; let bygones be bygones. Assets should include the
Code of Ethics, Salary Survey, Short Topics, any useful material
on the aborted cSAGE effort, and possibly the SAGE name. If it
doesn't work out after one more good faith effort, then so be it.

To the USENIX board:

Please work with LOPSA on an agreement to transfer assets useful
to a professional society of sysadmins from the former SAGE.
Assets should include the Code of Ethics, Salary Survey, Short
Topics, any useful material on the aborted cSAGE effort, and
possibly the SAGE name.

Whether or not that works out, USENIX should let SAGE drop.
Either the name should go to LOPSA, or it should be respectfully
retired. I'd kinda like to keep the SAGE name, but it seems that
LOPSA has already accumulated a considerable store of goodwill in
its very short existence, so this isn't as big a deal as it used
to be for me.

I don't see why USENIX would have any more interest in continuing
with SAGE. If SAGE were to go on as a USENIX SIG or special
membership class, then without the intangible benefit of being
the representative professional society of sysadmins (a mantle
which has clearly passed to LOPSA, in my view), what benefits are
left? The sage-members mailing list? lopsa-discuss and friends
have already usurped most of its role. The Salary Survey, or
Short Topics booklets? Not worth US$40 per year. In years I can
make it to LISA, I'll pay what feels like an artificially
inflated price to get SAGE membership "for free". But from now
on, if I can't make it to LISA, I won't be keeping up with SAGE
dues, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

USENIX should focus on its strengths: promoting research, and
organizing conferences. Continue to do that, and I will gladly
pay to attend as many USENIX conferences as I can justify.
Keeping SAGE alive as a shadow of its former self will only serve
to distract USENIX as it has in the past, IMHO, and keeps
valuable assets out of the hands of an organization that could
use them. And if USENIX attempts to extend the legacy of SAGE as
the professional society of sysadmins, in direct competition with
LOPSA, that would be a recipe for confusion, ill will, and
financial folly for both organizations.

In summary: Let's get this done. If possible, let LOPSA become
the new SAGE, as most interested SAGE members were probably
expecting. Let USENIX focus on its core competencies, and drop
SAGE one way or the other. Anything else will only keep making a
mess of things, and no one wants that.

See you at LISA,
_____________________________________________________________
Leon Towns-von Stauber          http://www.occam.com/leonvs/
"We have not come to save you, but you will not die in vain!"