Conference 7.286::digital

    Excellent piece of writing.   
    
    Some of it hit home;  some didn't;  some I didn't understand.
    
    Either way, I'm sure the "MP's" will be setting it hidden or deleting
    it very soon, since there was neither explicit permission nor an
    author's name -- thereby proving one of the points made in the "essay".
    
    -Monty-

>    Either way, I'm sure the "MP's" will be setting it hidden or deleting
>    it very soon, since there was neither explicit permission nor an
>    author's name -- thereby proving one of the points made in the "essay".
    
    By writing the above paragraph, you might have succeeded in "trick the
    MP's" game.
    
    - Vikas

	Someone has to find the source for this so we can send them a big
"thank-you" card.  I am for sure going to extract it ASAP!

	As for you poor souls who were never in the uniformed services, the
situation described is of a US Navy vessel, and the "MPs" are, depending on your
mood at the time, "Miltary Police", or "Marine P---ks", since Marines do that
bit of dirty work for the Navy.  I have some trouble relating that particular
element to DEC, but the rest is right-on!

	Best entry in here in a while!

    I think the captain(s) of our little ship (life raft?) must be
    fighting on the bridge.  Our course keeps changing and we are thrown
    violently about the ship with sparks flying on a regular basis.  Also, 
    very little information comes through to the ships workers, almost
    like we're underwater.
    
    Wait, I think I got it!  We are starring in a remake of "Voyage to the 
    Bottom of the Sea".
           
    -psk

    CAPTAIN(S)?? never heard of a ship run by a committee...

    I wonder if the ship would be more likely to change course if one
    of the better known MPs happened to fall overboard ( or got pushed
    maybe ) in particularly heavy seas.
    
    Steve

    Perhaps MP is referring to Member of Parliament?  (Or perhaps not...)
    
    		Steve

:
:>    Either way, I'm sure the "MP's" will be setting it hidden or deleting
:>    it very soon, since there was neither explicit permission nor an
:>    author's name -- thereby proving one of the points made in the "essay".
:    
:    By writing the above paragraph, you might have succeeded in "trick the
:    MP's" game.
:    
:    - Vikas
    
    
    	I don't want to play "trick the MP's".
    
    I was merely inferring the metaphor of "MP" [Military Police] to represent 
    any party who might control or enforce.  This may include
    Personnel people who write, interpret, and enforce policy; or security
    guards; or moderators who must also interpret and enforce policy.
    In this case, it seemed clear to me that the note would certainly be
    removed due to its lack of author ID, and lack of explicit permission for
    posting here.    In no way did I mean to imply anything negative about
    our moderators.  My short, broad statement was only intended to provoke
    thought about the role of "MP's" on our "ship" -- particularly in light
    of the recent update to the policy on Notes and Electronic
    Communication.  MP's are necessary.  No doubt about it.  Digital's
    "MP's" [Personnel, management, Notes moderators, security guards,
    etc.] do an _excellent_ job of keeping this company one of the finest
    places to work.  [Top 10 in a recent "Industry Week" poll]
    If the moderators of this conference agree that .0 is appropriate and
    doesn't violate the new policy, I'm glad to see it remain.  And if the
    policy-writers don't think it's a violation, that's even bette  The new
    policy may not be as difficult as many people originally interpreted it
    to be.  
    
    At any rate, please don't take my comments of .1 as being a slam
    against our moderators.  Their job is difficult enough, and they do a
    good job walking a thin line.
    
    -Monty-

    Re: .8
    
    Naw, we decided to trick you instead and let it stay.  Hahahahaha!
    
    			Steve

    speaking as a reader of this conference: I found this note to be
    funny, incisive, and darn close to a lot of things Ive felt for
    a while now. I love it!!
    
    speaking as a moderator: ditto!
    
    Rick L

    RE: .6(i think)
    
    	Maybe if WE turned the ship sharply enough some of the officers,
    ensigns, and MPs would fall overboard!!!!
    
    

    On the ship I know, the captain  used to have a couple of sub-captains.
    These days the captain is convinced that a wooden hull made out of a 
    material called "xinu"  is much better than the hull he has which is
    made out of "smv". For a long time the captain was convinced that 
    ships needed only one hull. Now he has changed his mind about the
    number of hulls. Now he wants two hulls. How would he make both them
    fit?...Meanwhile he discovered that the ship wasn't moving forward
    as fast as it used to be. So one of his sub-captains had to walk the
    plank....:-) :-)
    
    Nari
    

       
       
       	And then all the sailors started wondering why there were so
       many Senior-Sub-Captains and Sub-Captains and then started
       wondering "Hmmmm, maybe I can be a Sub-Captain too"
       
       							mike

As a former soldier who was a menace with hand grenades I should
point out that the Squids and Queen Corps have SPs (Shore Patrol)
while the military (i.e. the Army) has MPs.

John

    re .13    Further update on the ship
    
    The Captain has now fashioned the ship into a Catamaran. Many of the
    Sub-Captains, and Officers approve of this because they hold to a
    belief that catamarans are actually the fastest ships afloat. The MP's
    are very enthusiastic. They keep shouting at us that after the next
    change in direction we'll not only re-gain all our old speed, we'll be
    sailing faster than ever.
    
    It has caused a bit of a culture shock below decks though. Many of the
    sailors are clinging to the hull made out of "smv". Some of the really
    old salts are actually refusing to serve aboard the hull made of
    "xinu".  They don't like all the new sea skills required to keep her
    steady afloat. 
    
    The Captain and the officers are having troubles finding enough shipmates 
    to serve aboard the "xinu" hull. Each time we stop into a port, the 
    Officers try to hire on a few new sailors experienced serving aboard
    "xinu" vessels.
    
    There are problems with this. The Captain and Senior Sub-Captains have
    invoked a hiring freeze, because they recognize that the ship will list
    badly if there are many more sailors and cargo aboard the "smv" hull. Also
    morale aboard the "xinu" hull is at a low ebb. Some of the new chums
    actually feel ostracized and intimidated by many of the old hands from
    the "smv" hull.
    
    The gap between the 2 hulls is a wide one indeed, and apart from the
    bridge itself there is very little infrastructure to join the twin
    hulls together. Many of the sailors are frightened about the sea
    worthiness of the vessel. They are scared the new "xinu" hull is too
    "RISCy".
    
    But the Captain and the Senior Sub-Captains have to keep a weather eye
    out for the markets where take our cargo. They realize that
    fashion has changed in the marketplaces. Some of our infuential
    customers are actually insisting on cargo delivered by "xinu" hulled 
    vessels. This may be short-sighted on the part of these customers, however 
    we must acknowledge that they are subsidising the voyage.
    
    Some of the long serving officers are also grumbling about some of the
    new-fangled cargo. Things used to be easy when the cargo used to be tin
    and wire. Now some of the Sub-Captains are insisting we carry a new sort
    of "integrated" cargo and a whole array of new "soft" goods, much more
    difficult to stow aboard.
    
    The Captain has endorsed a plan by some of the senior officers to solve
    the problems of the instability of the ship. The plan is to built a
    platform between the "xinu" and the "smv" hulls constructed of a highly
    resilient new material they call "AIA". The platform will be called
    "SAN". So far the building of the "SAN" platform is only partially
    complete. Some of the components like the "ASCP" connection just won't
    seem to plug in correctly. The sailors aboard the original "smv" hull
    are loosing heart. At first they got excited about actually having
    windows so that they could have many views. But when they looked out
    the windows they could see the "new wave" coming. Sure they got to use
    their own "toolkit" but they didn't feel comfortable with the inteface
    that was designed aboard another sleek vessel now almost completely
    constructed of "xinu" called the "HP".
    
    However the Sub-Captains who are wanting to carry the soft goods and
    the new-style integrated cargo are sure the "SAN" platform is the
    "right thing". In fact they are already bringing on board passengers to
    carry aboard the cabins that form part of the "SAN" platform. So far
    these first few passengers are non-paying. They come from various
    strange ethnic groups called "consultants".
    
    One day though the Sub-Captains keep assuring the sailors we will all
    have a happy ship. They even look forward to the day when our main form
    of cargo will actually be paying passengers. Our marketplace will be
    amongst "people", they say. We will be able to sail to many exotic and
    romantic ports. 
    
    Some of the old-salts are grumbling about the prospects of having to serve 
    these "people". They used to enjoy serving in the engine room. 
    
    The Captain has unfolded a grand plan to retrain these ships engineers
    to be ships pursars and the like, dealing directly with the "people". 
    For the old-salts, somehow the romance of the sea seems to have faded
    into the sunset. Even though it is unfair, they blame the new sailors
    from aboard the "xinu" hull.
    
    Our wily old Captain still has a job ahead of him to keep the ship's
    morale afloat.

    Anybody notice that it is far harder to change directions with a
    catamaran than with a mono-hull?

    
    <RE -.1>
    
    	Yes, it is more difficult - and one hull usually comes out of
    the water in the process, which may throw those overboard whom
    are not prepared for the change in course!

    Carl

    The last time I was a crew member on a catamaran, the captain made a
    slight mistake, and the catamaran capsized. We all got a chance to
    exercise our swimming skills, but nobody drowned; the group split in two
    afterwards: those who would sail again on a catamaran, and those who
    wouldn't. Our wise captain decided t'was time to retire.

    Denis.

    Of course it's really a trimaran, but never mind....

RE: .20

	Yea, the Captain filed a QAR and had an FCO done to the catamaran
	to bring it up to Trimaran specs..  Of course, this took forever and
	a day to find out HOW to do this due to the fact he was calling the
	xxxMaran Co. asking for the engineer/designer because the salesman he
	bought the boat from didn't have the info on how to upgrade. Matter
	of fact, he didn't know there was an upgrade and tried to sell him
	a new boat..

    Meanwhile, at the end of a rope:-
    
    A bunch of prospective passengers got together to invent this 'xinu'
    hull design. They were a bunch of tinkerers and sold the design
    to other folk who built all kinds of modified hulls in all shapes
    and sizes (the main xinu hull is one of these second generation
    jobs). Not so long ago, the original tinkerers got tired of their
    hull and offered it to my petty officer for a few pennies. He leapt
    at the chance of a boat of his own.
    
    Over the years he has built up a crew for his hull and refurbished
    it a few times. We get supplies via a bosuns chair and the MP's
    seem to be ignoring us. Every so often our petty officer transfers
    to the main hulls for some kind of politicing. He tells us that
    he is trying to get us converted into an outrigger but all he comes
    back with is materials for another refit.
    
    The trouble is, we have a hull without a rudder. I think one of
    the sub-sub-captains has seen us and wants to fit us out with a
    rudder while other officers are divided into the "bring them on deck
    and flog them for desertion" and the "cut them loose and watch them
    drown" schools.