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Monday, October 20, 2014

IBM i VUG in hiatus, not dead

ibm i virtual user group not dead

There have been no updates to the IBM i Virtual User Group since May of this year, and I have been concern that the group had "died".

After several unsuccessful attempts to make contact with the VUG via their web page, I decided to email Steve Will, Chief Architect of the IBM i operating system, and ask him the status of the group. Below is his reply.

Simon, I got the chance to ask this question to Alison Butterill. She tells me the person who was responsible was an IBMer who is no longer with IBM. She's in the process of looking for a leader -- it could be someone outside IBM, too, since this is really intended to be a User Group.

It’s good news for all of us, and I hope the VUG will be active again soon once a new leader is found.

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7 comments:

  1. Damery WorldOctober 20, 2014 at 5:18 PM

    chant "SIMON, SIMON SIMON"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob CancillaOctober 21, 2014 at 4:28 PM

    Did you actually read Steve's reply? First of all he asked Allison Butterill who is all that is left of IBM i marketing... and trust me that is not much... The IBM'r who was heading up the group left IBM (probably outsourced or downsized) and no one has stepped up to replace him (i.e. translate that to no one wants to be associated with IBM i aka the kiss of death in IBM). Not too promising!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Simon HutchinsonOctober 21, 2014 at 4:31 PM

      I am a member of the "glass is half full" brigade, rather than the "glass is half empty", as I see the reply as encouraging. He could have easily said that the group has been ended.

      Delete
  3. Pete MassielloOctober 21, 2014 at 6:29 PM

    Bob, I have worked with Alison many times over the 20 years, and she has ALWAYS been responsive, helpful, and attentive. I can always count on Alison for anything in the IBM i community, so I don't know what you are talking about. We can all find fault with marketing, but there is no reason to attack Alison. We have been seeing tremendous growth in IBM i over the last 5 years in our business, and all we do is IBM i. So, it's what you make of it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 21, 2014 at 10:16 PM

    Bob can't be happy unless he's pounding the Doomsday Drum.....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gabriel AberasturiOctober 24, 2014 at 11:35 AM

    Simon, I'm in your brigade :-) reading Steve Will message I'm understanding that Alison Butterill is looking for a leader and could be someone outside IBM. Between us (now nobody is listening) I going to propose Bob Canilla as new IBM i VUG his enthusiasm and drive of AS400, iSeries, Power i, have no compariso ;-) It's a joke. Simon, you'd be a great leader

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Simon HutchinsonOctober 24, 2014 at 11:38 AM

      Gabriel, I am glad that you see his email the same way I do.

      Delete

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