🚀 go-pugleaf

	I would like to announce the purpose of this newsgroup, and give a 
little background for those in the net community who are not familiar with
DECUS, DECUServe, or the DECUServe Journal.

	DECUS stands for Digital Equipment Computer Users Society, and is a 
large volunteer-based organization.  It was formed in 1961 and is a 
technical support group that is sponsored by Digital, but is mostly operated 
by its volunteer membership.  It provides an extensive public domain software
library, technical training seminars and symposia, as well as local user 
groups and special interest groups.

	DECUServe is a computer bulletin board system that is run by the U.S. 
chapter and a 1 year subscription for U.S. chapter members is currently $75.00.
Foreign chapter members pay a subscription fee that is decided by their 
chapter office.
	The motto for DECUServe is "Where DECUS meets daily" since it gives
the member the feeling of having 24 hour (almost) access to local user group
meetings, seminars, symposia, and just fun networking with DECUS friends.  
The board currently offers about 34 technical conferences including VMS, 
PATHWORKS, 3RD_PARTY_SOFTWARE, INTERNETWORKING, BUSINESS_PRACTICES, HARDWARE, 
and WORKSTATIONS.  The "social" conferences include SHOP_TALK, 
HOBBIES_AND_INTERESTS, and WHO_AM_I.
	DECUServe is moderated by a volunteer group of DECUServe members, to
enforce the DECUS and DECUServe Canons of Conduct.  This means that socially
controversial or offensive comments and subjects (like politics) are avoided, 
while a friendly and helpful atmosphere is encouraged.

	The DECUServe Journal is a collection of DECUServe conference extracts
that was printed as a part of the DECUS Newsletter until it ceased production
this year.  We felt that the Journal was too important and valuable to let 
die, and there have been people who've requested that DECUServe extracts be 
posted to the net, so this is a perfect solution!
	Articles in the Journal are only slightly formatted to remove the
VAXNotes headers and "look", and to remove repetitious or unnecessary quotes.
The contents of the articles are not summarized or manipulated in any way 
(although this might make it easier to read) because we don't want to take a 
chance of altering an author's meaning.  Also, we don't want to remove an 
author's jokes, sarcasm, or other indications of personality.  The Journal 
gives the reader a good feel for what the DECUServe "atmosphere" is like.  
Friendly and helpful!
	An average issue contains an extract or two (which means a conversation
that contains a problem statement and a resolution (usually!)) of various 
conferences on DECUServe.  We try to include a good variety of topics ranging 
from hardware to software to business issues.  Articles are selected for 
publication by several DECUServe moderators for good technical content or as 
being something that might help a lot of people.

	So this newsgroup will be the distribution method of the DECUServe 
Journal.  It will be published (posted here) monthly beginning January 1st.
This newsgroup will not accept postings by the net community, however, if you
do try to post, your posting will be sent to me.  Questions will be handled
by return email.  Problems will be handled (by DECUServe Executive Committee
and myself) by return email as well.  If there is something you must actually 
_post_, I will include it in the form of a letter to the editor of the next 
pending issue.

Stay tuned for the first exciting issue....

Sharon Frey, DECUServe Journal Editor, vmsnet.decus.journal moderator
Email:  frey@eisner.decus.org, or dsjournal-qrys@eisner.decus.org