SIGADT? (longish)
georgia miller
georgia_miller@gfps.k12.mt.us
21 Jun 2000 09:42:23 -0600
Tim,
I used to go to the Cognos Conferences but after going to Atlanta in 1998 - it seemed like there was not enough Powerhouse info to make it worth the money. I can't justify it to my employer any longer. Still can't this year. Its a lot of fun. There are lots of freebees - but value added to my work or job is not there. If there were an all-Powerhouse conference, I'm sure I'd be there. I'd rather go to California that to Ottawa. Ottawa is a long way - even flying, but I enjoyed going there. Next time, I'll remember my driver's liscense so I won't have trouble getting though customs. I figured I wouldn't need it since I wouldn't be driving.
After checking the list of ADT sessions for this year's conference there are only a few that interest me. We are not interested in Axiant and I couldn't convince my boss to use Powerhouse Web - instead he went with another web product because of Cognos history of being so expensive. They have really dinged us financially when we have upgraded machines. Also annual maintenance is very expensive for what we get. I must say that the Y2K upgrade when very well - although it took me a year to do because of the way Cognos chose to handle dates in their Y2K version of Powerhouse. I also got a late start on the Y2k Upgrade because I got the Powerhouse upgrade several months after it was promised. I finished the upgrade in November of 1999 which was cutting it a little close.
Our entire HP3000 shop is mostly Powerhouse - we have a lot of time and $ into our Powerhouse systems and plan to continue using them and even developing in Powerhouse long into the future. Since Cognos BI products only run on the IBM PC's and we only have Mac's we could never consider any of their newer products. Plus they are so expensive and we have found other solutions for a lot less $. $ is always an issue when the tax payers are picking up the bill.
Georgia Miller
Systems Analyst
Great Falls Public Schools
1100 4th Street South
Great Falls, MT 59405
(406)268-6074
georgia_miller@gfps.k12.mt.us
____________________________________________________________________
>To: PowerHouse-L
>Cc: Larry Ward; Rod Spring; Art Bahrs
>From: Tim Ericson on Tue, Jun 20, 2000 4:56 PM
>Subject: SIGADT? (longish)
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>From: "Tim Ericson" <tericson@denkor.com>
>To: "PowerHouse-L" <powerh-l@sphere.swau.edu>
>Cc: "Larry Ward" <lward@sphere.swau.edu>,
> "Rod Spring" <rspring@sphere.swau.edu>,
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>Subject: SIGADT? (longish)
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>
>Last week I whined about Image B-Tree support in PowerHouse:
>>
>> Another example of our copious support dollars producing
>> *nothing* for existing customers that are *heavily* invested
>> in PowerHouse?
>
>
>To which Bob Deskin was kind enough to reply:
>>
>> While I grant you that we're overdue for b-tree support, the
>> 8.39 project (currently in development) does include b-tree
>> support.
>
>(thanks Bob!)
>
>Then that thread evolved into "Cognos user conference and
>ADT" (Application Development Tools aka PowerHouse), and there
>was a little discussion about that:
>
>Byron Welch hatched an idea:
>>
>> To some extent this is the chicken and the egg problem. Over
>> the last few years attendance at the ADT sessions has steadily
>> declined. We in the ADT community need to make a stronger
>> showing. One way we can so this is to spread the word about
>> the powerhouse listserv. If we can show a strong user community
>> then it is easier to get Cognos's attention.
>
>And John Pickering continued:
>>
>> If Cognos feels there is a need or a desire for an ADT conference
>> then hold an ADT-only conference, obviously on a smaller scale.
>> We're techies -- we don't need glitzy destinations and loud
>> expensive parties -- most of us would be happier sitting in a
>> cheap bar discussing PH and the system from hell (read that as
>> shooting the bull). Personally I'd vote for Ottawa so we'd be
>> close to "the lab" but I'd travel further if such a conference
>> existed. But the content has to be there.
>
>---------------------------------------------
>This sounds promising!
>(except for the not needing the party part!)
>---------------------------------------------
>
>And Brian Schalme voted:
>>
>> I would go for something like that! (An ADT-specific conference
>> in Ottawa or anywhere that would justify the content.)
>
>And so did Oran Shapitka:
>>
>> Two conferences would be great, one for application designers/
>> developers, and one for people who like building reports all
>> day, (BI). Not everyone is adding reporting to a large ERP
>> implementation.
>>
>> I'd come to Ottawa for a ADT conference.
>
>Then Bill Michael:
>>
>> If there was an "all PowerHouse" conference, even if my employer
>> wouldn't pay for me to attend, if they'd give me the time off I'd
>> pay my own way! (Um. Assuming the cost was reasonable, and not
>> the utterly ridiculous $950. Maybe $250. Which should be plenty
>> for a much smaller conference, needing less space...)
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> A $250 ADT-only conference at a Holiday Inn in Chicago or Ottawa
>> will get a _lot_ more attendance than a $950 mostly-irrelevant
>> conference at a fancy hotel in L.A.! A little publicity other
>> than on the listserv would help, too - I haven't seen anything
>> about this year _except_ what I've read here.
>
>And Bob Deskin, too!
>>
>> Actually, the bar idea sounds good to me ;-)
>>
>> What do other people think? And don't get excited about this
>> because I doubt there's much chance, but I'm curious. How much
>> content would justify attendance? As I write this there's
>> already a message from Brian Schalme expressing interest.
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------
>
>WOW!
>
>This sounds a *lot* like the SIG3000 meetings that happen near
>HP's Cupertino office (the MotherShip for the HPe3000). These
>are held every year (originally called Iprof) and the 2 to 3
>days are divided into meetings for each of the Special Interest
>Groups (SIGs), and a couple combined meetings. Various 'ballots'
>are developed by each SIG, and the top vote-getters from these
>ballots are combined into one 'System Improvement Ballot', which
>is submitted to HP for further study, and usually implementation!
>(I *am* simplifying here).
>
>Low Cost. Focused. People of like interest. No glitzy parties.
>(well, there *is* a bar in the hotel!)
>
>I can imagine a 'PowerHouse Improvement Ballot'. What the *users*
>think should be done to Quiz, Qtp, Quick, etc. Maybe for each
>platform/OS as well - like the B-Trees in MPE/iX.
>
>I see this as an opportunity for Cognos *as well as* the users
>to do something that just might make us all feel a little better!
>Open up the lines of communication, etc.
>
>Maybe those that *do* go to this year's conference can get
>together informally (I'm thinking of going - hell, I'd even be
>the chairperson for a SIG like this!) If so, maybe we can talk
>about another get-together the following spring - providing
>there's enough interest, and Cognos supports the idea!
>
>Okay, I've stuck my neck out - So what's the consensus?
>
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> My mind is my own, as are my ideas and opinions.
> My heart, body, and soul, however, all belong to others. Tim.
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> Tim Ericson tericson DenKor Dental Management Corp.
> Sr. Systems Analyst at denkor 503-526-4440 (my direct number)
> (& Systems Manager) dot com http://www.denkor.com
> Programming HP3000s since 1983! Quality dental care since 1970!
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> UDCs and Command Files: http://www.denkor.com/hp3000/command_files
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
>
>
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