RE: About the situation with http://www.yourvote.com/pci/

["O'Shea, David J" <david.j.oshea@intel.com>]

Well, not that I have any great influence on the actions of
the PCI-SIG, but I do work for one of the member companies.

Frankly, I've told them their idiots and morons, and I'd like
to hear a response about what their possible motivations were
for sending in the lawyers instead of just asking Jim to stop
using the "Logo".  The "Logo" is copyrighted, and a registered trademark.
[And something the SIG tries to enforce those rights on in order
to force membership in the SIG.  Membership provides for use of
the Logo, its one of the "benefits".]

The lawyers and the SIG's assertion to ownership over
the letters "PCI" is absurd.  They have no more right over that than
any other three letters.  Pissbrained Completely Imbecililic.

This is such a blunder on the public relations front that I really
have half a mind to ask the board of directors to fire the executive
director.  Either the board itself, or the executive director must have
approved legal action on behalf of the PCI-SIG.  I've left messages
with Intel's SIG representative.  I don't really understand the approach 
that was taken.  I honestly think loss of this service is actually a 
pretty big deal.

Either the board collectively, or Mr. Richard Baek acting as executive
director had to approve this action, at least in part, and I expect them
to answer for their decisions.

The fact that they failed to communicate more informally, (to at least
figure out that the PCI-SIG itself was the weak end of the stick here),
and instead sent in the cease and desist guns (without having an equivalent
service of their own anyway) is really inexcusable.

Frankly, I'm quite angry.  (Not likely as angry as Mr. Boemler is, but
they weren't my testicles they were pulling on.)

I've sent a nasty gram letter to the Board of Directors via the PCI-SIG
membership page.

I expect to get an answer.  Frankly, this is so bad, if I don't get one,
I will travel to the next SIG meeting and bring it up on the floor.

-David O'Shea
Intel Corp., PCI-SIG member.
david.j.oshea@intel.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Deikman [mailto:Alan.Deikman@znyx.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 1:20 PM
To: pci-sig@znyx.com
Cc: boemler@vnet.ibm.com
Subject: About the situation with http://www.yourvote.com/pci/


To pci-sig list members and other individuals in the blind-cc to this
message.

I am receiving quite a few e-mails about the situation with Jim Boemler's
web site, which he has felt compelled to take down. I wasn't aware of this
situation until the first of these e-mails arrived, and having looked into
it I think the situation is as outrageous as obviously many of you do.

However, you should all be aware that neither I personally, or my company
ZNYX Networks has anything to do with this situation.  ZNYX Networks is not
currently a member of the PCI SIG. We allowed our membership to lapse a
number of years ago since it was obvious we were not going to be active in
any standards setting efforts.  As for me or any employee of ZNYX Networks,
we are not now or ever have been an official of the SIG.  If you read Mr.
Boemler's web page more carefully, you will note that he does not list me
as anything other than a possible contact, since he mentions he is not
clear who should be contacted, other than the "shark" that is doing the
legal work.

We have e-mailed Mr. Boemler (and cc'ed this message) to clarify our
position, and I will offer any aid I can.

To clarify our position, we run the pci-sig mailing list as a general
service to the community as a whole the same way Jim Boemler does (did) his
web site.  Back in 1992-3 when we first started, there were much fewer
people around who could set up a mailing list so we did it.  As with Mr.
Boemler, we don't get paid for it, and we have offered to turn the work
over to the SIG since we felt that it is more properly a SIG service, but
so far there has been no positive reply. Now I am wondering if I am going
to get a present in the mail like Jim did!   (I really don't think that
will be the case, since we don't do a web page, but the parallel is
evident.)

To any REAL PCI-SIG officials: would you care to post a comment?

Alan Deikman
ZNYX Networks, Inc.