On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:52:20 -0600, Ed Gould
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>...
>I concur with your opinion. HOWEVER since IBM (last time I tried)
>does not make the requirements data base public ...
As far asI know, that is still true. I don't IBM's official stand on this,
but in the past SHARE's requirements coordinators were told to treat
submitted requirements as IBM trade secrets - things that could be
used by IBM's competitors. We are still treat requirements that
way, but it's a bit more open since any SHARE member that has
registered to a SHARE program's requirements process can see all
the recently (i.e., since the process has been online) submitted
requirements.
> ... it's difficult to
>figure out if something was proposed and how it fared voting wise at
>SHARE. I don't think SHARE does this either. ...
Once IBM has responded to a SHARE Requirement, that Req
(and the voting results) is available to all SHARE members registered
to that program's Requirements process.
Caveat: That statement is based on what I can see. I think I am
just a plain vanilla user for all Reqs processes other than for
SHARE's Networking program. I don't think being coordinator in
one area gives me any special access in other areas, but I guess I
don't know for sure.
>... There is (or at one time
>was) a database within IBM that contained all the requirements. It is
>for internal use only and then only to select group within IBM. It
>might be worth asking SHARE to create such a database and give out
>access to interested parties. ...
IBM has such a database and it is definitely for internal use only.
SHARE has such a database. The requirements coordinators have
access to past requirements subitted for their project (or program
in a couple cases). Access is limited due to the propietary nature
of the information. (Yes, there is some logical inconsistancy here.
I can't help it. I don't make the rules.)
> ... This would cut down on duplicates a
>whole lot, IMO. It would (should) make IBM more responsive to
>requirements.
>...
Well, the coordinators are supposed to weed out the duplicates if
they catch them. And other members, as part of SHARE's institutional
memory, should comment that "We've seen this before" in the
Requirement's "discussion" area.
Of course, that happens after you've gone through the hassle of
writing and submitting the Req. So circling back to the original
comment, it would be better to have a public discussion up front
in a public forum like IBM-Main. And if a SHARE Requirement is in
the offing, maybe ask if the appropriate SHARE requirements
coordinator would care to comment on the request.
I'm not about to blow the cover of those lurking coordinators wishing
to keep secret , but I'll come clean. I'm the requirements coordinator
for SHARE's Networking program: mostly VTAM, TCP/IP and the
related agents and daemons that come with TCP/IP , NetView for
z/OS, etc. But I'm pretty lazy so don't expect to much out of me.
Pat O'Keefe
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