President's Message

The lesson of history is that even the mightiest of empires can crumble to dust in the face of new ideas and new conditions. The fall of Rome to Christianity and the heathen sword and the break-up of the Soviet Union by democracy and the fax machine show how fleeting political power can be, even when buttressed by powerful armies.

As a technology empire, the International Business Machines Corporation knows what it’s like to be humbled by change from below (some would say by coup d.état). So, after a failed effort to launch OS/2 as its own alternative to Microsoft Windows, I.B.M. is seeking to jump-start the next revolution in operating systems by teaming up with populist upstart Linux. At our next General Meeting on January 8th, I.B.M.’s Dan Powers will give a hand’s-on demonstration of the OS whose open architecture has become the standard for a growing number of independent programmers and corporate and Internet servers, and is now poised to invade the consumer market.

They say that Linux is so stable, it stays open for months at a time. So, if nothing but blue screens are all you see, come to the DACS Resource Center Tuesday January 22nd at 7:30 p.m. for a follow-up look at some of the many useful applications resident on the Linux platform, presented by alternative OS SIG leader Don Pearson.

New on the board

A hearty welcome to our newest member of the board, Jim Scheef. A long-time DACS member, Jim was responsible for getting our Web site underway, and has been instrumental in bringing wide band access to the Resource Center and moving our site to an independent server. In recent years, he has been especially active in the Visual Basic and Back Office SIGs. Jim has all the ingredients necessary for an indispensability: a profound understanding of computer technology, a tendency to form strong opinions and hold onto them, and a willingness to back up his initiatives with personal effort.

Presidential candidates wanted

Next April, the board of directors will choose a new president for the coming year. In a short time, we will be selecting a nominating committee, and will be seeking candidates. The current president has served for four years, and has announced he is not seeking another term. There are no requirements that the president be a member of the board.

To be considered for nomination, a candidate should:

• be a DACS member in good standing
• have a record of involvement in DACS activities, or show a willingness to get involved.
• have a vision of where DACS is headed and where it needs to go. If you don’t have a vision, you will need to get one.
• be willing to outline your vision in monthly column in dacs.doc and defend it before a board that takes nothing at face value.
• have an ability to delegate tasks.

A successful candidate need not:

• be an expert on computers. We have plenty of those to go around.
• be prepared to do it all, we have an energetic board.

Many member volunteers have all the answers. We’ve got plenty of those, too.

DACS has had a succession of outstanding presidents, and I am proud to have been able to serve.

–Allan Ostergren
dacsprez@aol.com