HELP PLUG                                         Steve Knight, Jan 1989
                                         updated by Ian Rogers, Jun 1995
                                        Updated by Aaron Sloman Jul 1999

THIS FILE IS OUT OF DATE

PLUG HAS BEEN OUT OF ACTION FOR SOME TIME

INSTEAD PLEASE SEE:
    http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/poplog/freepoplog.html
    http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/poplog/poplog.info.html
    http://www.poplog.org


The remainder of the file  is preserved for historical interest, in case
users decide to revive  PLUG following the release  of free versions  of
Poplog.

                 The Poplog and Pop Languages User Group

 -- What is PLUG?
 -- Activities and Benefits
 -- How to Join
 -- Individual Membership
 -- Corporate Membership
 -- ISL Maintained Customer Membership
 -- Contact Addresses

-- What is PLUG? ------------------------------------------------------

The full name is "The BCS Poplog and Pop Languages User Group"

In brief, PLUG is a society which  aims to further the interests of  the
Pop (Poplog and other Pop languages) community.

Like most user  groups, our members  are people who  use or develop  Pop
systems or  languages  who  wish  to get  together  to  swap  ideas  and
experiences. Its committee is formed  from enthusiasts who work for  the
society on a voluntary basis.

Membership  is  inexpensive  (we  are  not  profit-making).  Joining  is
worthwhile for anyone  who is  likely to  use Pop  for more  than a  few
months and  definitely for  anyone using  Pop for  serious work.  Simply
seeing the  demonstrations at  the  user-group meetings  can be  a  real
eye-opener, for example.

The group's  aim is  to  promote the  interests  of everyone  using  Pop
systems, including  Poplog, AlphaPop,  and Pop-2,  for example.  At  the
moment we offer most to Poplog users, although as AlphaPop becomes  more
widely used, a corresponding shift in emphasis may occur.

We are also independent of commercial interests and willing to argue  on
members behalf for changes to  Pop. For example, membership opinion  has
significantly influenced aspects of both Poplog and AlphaPop, and we are
currently coordinating the effort to standardise Pop-11.


-- Activities and Benefits --------------------------------------------

So what does PLUG  do and what do  members get out of  it? Here are  the
main things.

*   Annual Conference
        We organise a two-day conference every year. We keep costs  to a
        minimum and  hold  it in  University  surroundings in  order  to
        encourage academic attendance. There is a programme of talks and
        question sessions, a parallel  demonstrations programme, and  an
        evening dinner.

*   Newsletter
        We produce the PLUG newsletter.  This contains updates  on Pop,
        reviews of  Pop products  and  books, keeps you up to date  on
        the society's activities, and  provides another way to make your
        opinion heard by the Pop community.

*   Helps to Standardise Pop-11
        Acting as a commercially independent  group, we are driving  the
        Pop-11 standardisation  effort.  This  has to  be  handled  with
        sensitivity but we aim to promote the interests of users  rather
        implementers. Obviously, we need users to tell us their views on
        this issue and your views are welcome.

*   Suggests developments and changes to Pop systems
        Our members have made many suggestions and contributions to  the
        development  of  Poplog.  This  function  is  supported  by  the
        communication role of PLUG -- with conferences, newsletter,  and
        pop-forum. You are welcome to contribute too & PLUG is  prepared
        to champion your views, when it is appropriate.

*   Software Library
        We have a library of useful software made up from  contributions
        from members. We support and develop this library. Currently  we
        are working on making it available over electronic-networks.
        See HELP * POPARCHIVE

*   Popforum: Mailing List
        We run a international electronic mailing list, based on the  UK
        academic network  JANET.  This  allows many  people  to  rapidly
        exchange news and views. Also available is the usenet news group
        comp.lang.pop. See HELP *POPFORUM.
        Enquiries about joining the mailing list can be sent to
        A.Sloman@cs.bham.ac.uk
        See also
            ftp://ftp.cs.bham.ac.uk/pub/dist/poplog/poplog.info.html

*   Reviewing Products and Books
        We review Pop products and books and publish the results in  the
        newsletter. We  are  also prepared  to  consult and  referee  in
        confidence.

*   Tutorials
        We are in the process  of organising tutorial sessions, some  of
        which have already been incorporated into the yearly conference.
        Your input on  this will help  us decide the  kind of  material,
        teachers, and environment that are appropriate.

Most of these activities are available to non-members (except they don't
get to hear about them). However, members are always given  preferential
rates.


THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE NO LONGER VALID
-- How to Join --------------------------------------------------------

-- Individual Membership ----------------------------------------------

Write, telephone, or e-mail to the PLUG treasurer (the address is  given
at the end of  this file.) Individual membership  is 10 pounds per  year
and Corporate  membership is  50 pounds  per year.  A year  runs for  12
calendar months from  the month  following receipt  of membership  fees.
(NB: prices  are correct  for 1995,  but not  guaranteed for  subsequent
years - check with the PLUG treasurer for the current membership fee).

SSAISB members are entitled to a 20% discount from the full price.

You can pay by any normal means -- cheques are currently easiest for  us
to deal with.

Please enclose:
    *   something saying you want to join PLUG
    *   your name
    *   contact address & phone number
    *   whether you want corporate or individual membership (if it's  an
        individual membership, state whether or not you are a member  of
        SSAISB)
    *   cheque OR ask for an invoice OR ask for details of direct  debit
        payment

And if you want to get on our electronic mailing list, add:
    *   your e-mail address
    *   current interests
    *   details of the system you are using


-- Corporate Membership -----------------------------------------------

The idea  behind Corporate  membership is  this: many  universities  and
institutions have students  and employees  whose work  brings them  into
contact with Pop intermittently. So although the individuals might  only
use Pop for a few months in a year, the institution is doing so all  the
time. In this case, a someone in the department will want people to join
but it isn't really worthwhile for any individual.

In these circumstances,  corporate membership allows  the department  to
join and, in fact, counts as  five individual memberships. It is a  good
choice for other reasons, too, and currently we have more corporate than
individual members!

Sometimes, an institution  wants its  corporate membership  to count  as
more than five  individual members (for  example, it wants  to get  more
copies of  the  newsletter, send  more  than  five people  to  the  PLUG
conference and get discount  on all of them,  etc.). To allow for  this,
you can apply for 'extended' corporate membership, simply add 10  pounds
per extra  individual  member.  Thus  for 70  pounds,  for  example,  an
institution can have  the benefit of  seven individual members,  without
having to specify seven particular individuals.


-- ISL Maintained Customer Membership ---------------------------------

ISL used  to  provide subscriptions  to  PLUG on  behalf  of  maintained
customers. This is no longer the case.


-- Contact Addresses --------------------------------------------------

PLEASE NOTE: These addresses are no longer valid.

For contributions to the PLUG Newsletter, you should send to the Editor.
E-mail contributions  are especially  appreciated  as this  reduces  the
effort needed in preparing the  text. However, if you cannot  contribute
in this  way  please  don't  be put  off;  your  contributions  are  the
lifeblood of the society.

All reviews and clippings on Pop  should alse be sent to the  Newsletter
Editor.

Contact:
    Ian Rogers
Address:
    PLUG Newsletter
    Ian Rogers
    No longer at:
    School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
    University of Sussex
    Brighton
    BN1 9QH


Contact:
    James S. Goodlet
    Previously PLUG Chair,

Contact:
    Anthony D. Worrall
    Previously PLUG Treasurer

As a  Specialist Group  of the  BCS, Plug  is a  registered charity  no.
292,786.


--- C.all/help/plug
--- Copyright University of Sussex 1989. All rights reserved. ----------
