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dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel) writes:
> I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
> they changing it to, and WHY?!?

The change has been made.  The new name is UNIFORUM.

The reason is that most people have trouble making sense of a name like
"/usr/group".

Even Dan Troxel was unable to render the name correctly, and he's a Unix
user.  Not all of the directors, and certainly none of the advertisers
of /usr/group/cdn know what the name is, let alone what it means.  In fact,
some of the /usr/group/cdn don't even know how to pronounce our name.
I have seen about a dozen different corruptions of /usr/group/cdn in 
official publications, including

	User Group Canada
	/USR/GROUP/CDN
	usr/group/cdn
	Usr/Grp/Cdn
	/user/grp/cdn
	etc.

Now, if only /usr/group (pardon me, UNIFORUM) would follow its charter,
and then, if /usr/group/cdn would follow its charter, then we might
have an association by the users, for the users.

-- 
Peter Renzland @ Ontario Ministry of Health  416/964-9141  peter@ontmoh.UUCP
/usr/group/cdn Director           /* ugc office: 259-8122  usrgroup@utgpu */

In article <199565@hrc.UUCP> dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel) writes:
>I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
>they changing it to, and WHY?!?

/usr/group has changed its name to Uniforum to match it very well
known tradeshow.  Apparently, they felt the name /usr/group was not
as well known and they could capitalize on the industry recognition
of the tradename "Uniforum".

Ry Schwark 
rye@attunix.att.com

Dan Troxel of Handwriting Research Corporation asks:

> I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
> they changing it to, and WHY?!?

As I recall from reading the press release on the subject, Dan,
the /usr/group executive board has approved the change of name from 
"/usr/group" to "UniForum", to 1) avoid the problems the press has 
spelling and formatting such a strange organizational name, and 2) to 
be more closely identified with the very sucessful yearly UniForum trade 
show and conference.

This does not mean that it is a fait acompli, however; the general
membership is still required to vote on, and pass, the proposed change.

Personally, I think that the new name is kinda awkward.  I propose that
we all vote for "UserGroup" (one word, with the funny capitals) as the
name of the group.  Moving from the '/usr/' type notation is a good
move, but UniForum?  Not so good.

	Anyway, perhaps some other members can comment?

						-- Dave Taylor
Intuitive Systems
Los Altos, California			{decwrl,apple} ! limbo!taylor
				         taylor%limbo.uucp@apple.com
taylor@limbo.intuitive.com	or    taylor%limbo.uucp@decwrl.dec.com

In article <199565@hrc.UUCP> dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel) writes:
>I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
>they changing it to, and WHY?!?

As the Summary: states, the proposed new name is "Uniforum" (though the
capitalization may be different; I don't have the letter I received
explaining the proposal handy).

My *interpretation* of my recollection regarding the reason is that
more folks (of the sort that /usr/group wishes to attract) are finding
out about UNIX through /usr/group's Uniforum trade show -- and don't
know enough about UNIX to understand the origin of the name
"/usr/group."  Hence, some of these folks (apparently) aren't especially
comfortable with the thought of paying money to an organization with
such a "funny-looking" name.

Hope that clarifies a thing or two....

david
-- 
David H. Wolfskill
uucp: ...{spsd,zardoz,felix}!dhw68k!david	InterNet: david@dhw68k.cts.com

In article <199565@hrc.UUCP> dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel) writes:
>I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
>they changing it to, and WHY?!?

At UniForum in S.F., I believe it was Ed Palmer who said that the tentative
plan was to change the name to UniForum (I may have the F in the wrong case).
I think there was a subsequent mailing to the membership saying that the
board had decided to do that, giving some of the reasons, but I lost my copy
of that mailing when I moved my office.
-- 
Charlie Sauer  Dell Computer Corp.     !'s:cs.utexas.edu!dell!sauer
               9505 Arboretum Blvd     @'s:sauer@dell.com
               Austin, TX 78759-7299   
               (512) 343-3310

In article <051289103041.0001@limbo.intuitive.com>, taylor@limbo.intuitive.com (Dave Taylor) writes:
> Dan Troxel of Handwriting Research Corporation asks:
> 
> > I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
> > they changing it to, and WHY?!?
> 
> .. deleted ..
> 
> Personally, I think that the new name is kinda awkward.  I propose that
> we all vote for "UserGroup" (one word, with the funny capitals) as the

I concur - Uniforum is too drastic a change.
-- 

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  | Jeff Tate              |     2425 Pandora Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada  |
  | van-bc!softop!jeff     |                                 (604) 254-4583  |
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In article <1180@dell.dell.com> sauer@dell.UUCP (Charlie Sauer) writes:
>In article <199565@hrc.UUCP> dan@hrc.UUCP (Dan Troxel) writes:
>>I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
>>they changing it to, and WHY?!?

>At UniForum in S.F., I believe it was Ed Palmer who said that the tentative
>plan was to change the name to UniForum (I may have the F in the wrong case).

I was at the press conference where Ed Palmer and others announced the change.
As I read it :-), the reasons were:

- Difficulty of the non-Unix computer community to pronounce or spell the
  name /usr/group correctly;

- In this age of the maturing Unix marketplace, '/usr/group' comes across
  as something a bunch of hackers once thought was real clever;

- The board now considers it more of a trade organization than a user group.

I don't really care enough to agree or disagree with the above premises. But
that's what I think they are.

-- 

Evan Leibovitch, SA, Telly Online, located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
   evan@telly.on.ca / {uunet!attcan,utzoo}!telly!evan / (416) 452-0504
Scientists have proven conclusively: Research causes cancer in lab animals

>Dan Troxel of Handwriting Research Corporation asks:
>
> I have heard that usr/group is considering changing their name. What are
> they changing it to, and WHY?!?

Perhaps it's to avoid the /vendor/group jokes :-)

-- 
Norman Soley - The Communications Guy - Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Until the next maps go out:	moegate!soley@ontenv.UUCP 
if you roll your own: 	uunet!{attcan!ncrcan|mnetor!ontmoh}!ontenv!moegate!soley
I'd like to try golf but I just can't bring myself to buy a pair of plaid pants