Rob

Note that I am keeping to the principle of trying to apply an appropriate 
Subject since we are now one hopes - moving away from the "etiquette" issue.

First I'd like to apologise for a "word" error. I used "principle" rather 
than "principal" as a kind gentleman pointed out privately. Never let it be 
said I 
doo not apologise when an apology is due!

> I would only recommend to the others on the list that non-engagement is 
probably the only successful strategy.

I would imagine each and every person subscribing to the list can speak for 
himself or herself needing no assistance whatsoever in any sort of strategy for 
whatever aim he or she may happen to have.

> And to leave you to your opinion of USS.

You are having a hard time separating two topics here:

1. I don't have an opinion regarding "USS", I merely state facts.

2. By misunderstanding my initial contribution in this thread, you have 
manoeuvred me into categorising the circumstances in which the misuse 
of "USS" could be considered acceptable. That's where my opinion backed by 
cogent - I would hope - argument comes in.

> I would additionally ask that when you experience any outrage about USS 
uses, that you would channel the outrage into a new post.

You are still suffering the "red mist". I don't want to have to provide a 
commentary on that initial contribution that leaves no room for the 
misunderstandings that you particularly have heaped upon it. Please just read 
it again with your initial instinct that it was designed to be humorous and 
principally to correct the miniscule error of "session" having been substituted 
for "system" with an afterthought that it wasn't all that necessary since the 
misuse aspect was already tacitly covered earlier in the thread.

If I am prompted for whatever reason to contribute a response and that even 
marginally involves the misuse of "USS" according to the facts I have repeated 
a number of times now which you seem incapable of checking out, I will do so 
even if, as in this case, it reduces to a single adjective and a single noun 
upon 
which you have constructed opprobrium.

The same applies to another "pet-peeve" which is the pernicious use 
of "issue", typically "issues", when those responsible for maintaining 
euphemistically neutral language would more accurately use the 
word "problem" - but that would be yet another tangent!

It occurs to me that you mentally transferred the words "travesty" 
and "malapropism" to a supposed reference to the *use* of "USS" and not to 
its incorrect *expansion* in the correct VTAM context to include the 
word "session" rather than "system". If you had taken the trouble properly to 
digest my response to Mary Anne Matyaz you would have realised that the 
latter applied rather than the former - not quite 100% in the case 
of "malapropism" which is a very mild word for criticism. And, by the way, the 
tongue was undecided over whether it was in the left or the right cheek when 
the words "travesty" and "malapropism" popped out.

So the only "outrage" was the outrage you imagined.

> I do appreciate you finally starting your own thread.

Actually I took needing to reply to Ted MacNeil's rudeness as an opportunity 
to take a dig at your relentless use of "USS" and "nonsense" in reference to 
the tangent the thread had taken regarding the existence of the MVS-OE list. 
I guess you haven't put your irony antennae back up yet!

> I can only say that you have not dissuaded me one bit from my current use 
of USS.

If you use it according to the considerations I mentioned before, you should 
be safe but, if you have any respect for your fellow contributors - especially 
those from China and India we are seeing more and more in these discussion 
groups, you will strive to remove all possibility of ambiguity and that means 
using a term such as z/OS UNIX.

> I have the following "take aways":
> ...
> 2) ...

So a campaign to have the "official" use changed!

What did they do with "claim-jumpers" in the "Old West"? I seem to remember 
the good citizens upholding the law found some rope and looked for the one 
remaining tree - or something like that!

And what about a Mary X when she refers to an "USS screen" in a story about 
some security exposure and an Howard Y jumps in and asks what it has to do 
with UNIX System Services and the Mary is obliged to point out that the story 
dates from before Rob Schramm's successful campaign to have the initials 
formally changed from the VTAM use to the UNIX use so that any reference to 
USS which isn't current needs a date to be affixed to be sure to which era it 
belongs? All a bit ridiculous don't you think? - when compared to the lack of 
complexities and ambiguities of z/OS UNIX or, let's be adventurous, zUNIX, 
that we can use today without needing to bother the IBM "immortals" to hold 
a conference.

Chris Mason

[1] I should take this to the protest I am organising with Ed!

On Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:26:55 -0500, Rob Schramm 
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Chris,
>
>I would only recommend to the others on the list that non-engagement is
>probably the only successful strategy.  And to leave you to your opinion of
>USS.  I would additionally ask that when you experience any outrage about
>USS uses, that you would channel the outrage into a new post.
>
>I do appreciate you finally starting your own thread.  I have gone out to
>read some of your posts regarding a variety of subjects.  While being a bit
>brittle at times, your posts did seem to indicate that you do possess a good
>handle on Communication Server issues. I can only say that you have not
>dissuaded me one bit from my current use of USS.
>
>I have the following "take aways":
>
>1) Information regarding a "dirty look" from a person deeply ensconced in
>VTAM-speak when I use USS for Unix System Services.
>
>2) You have inspired me to act rather than just disagree with you ad 
nauseum
>and to take a page from Dilbert.  I encourage everyone that considers USS to
>be Unix System Services to write [email protected] requesting the
>modification of the USS acronym definition.  I have sent my first e-mail
>requesting the change, and I plan to encourage all System Programmers that
>USS should be changed in the official IBM Terminology page.
>
>Cheers,
>Rob Schramm

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