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| 5/17 |
| 2006/3/16-18 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA, Academia/Berkeley/CSUA/Motd] UID:42270 Activity:high |
3/16 Can we seed little CSUAs in other universities? Instead of friendly
Irish bartenders, they will need their own toms.
http://www.slate.com/id/2137893
\_ It's normal enough to have sister clubs at different schools.
The problem with the CSUA is that it's basically an obsolete
organization type. No one needs a club to get access to
computing resources anymore.
\_ ... but everyone needs a world-writable MOTD.
\_ BTW, the charter of the CSUA is not about access to computing
resources (that's what the UCF was and the OCF is for). The
CSUA is a social organization for people who care about CS.
\_ seems like people care more about I.T. than real CS here.
Indeed, the CSUA existed for many years without its own
computer(s).
\_ But the glory days of the CSUA were when computing resources
were scarce and real oses scarcer.
\_ Correlation, but hardly causation. You could just as well
say that the glory days of the CSUA were when CS was an
avocation instead of a vocation. And even that would be
wrong, since the CSUA was irrelevant and on the verge of
complete disappearance in 1986.
\_ No, he's sort of right in that it provided a pretty
nifty place to take a break from the labs. -John
\_ Computing resources were still quite scarce in 1986.
\_ The CSUA did not get its own computer till 1988,
I think. The scarcity of computing resources in
1986 did not mean it was the glory days of the
organization.
It's only in the last five to ten years that every new
UCB student started to bring a new computer, and only
the last five that it's been a laptop. It's not that
the CSUA is obsolete, I think that there are some key
ideals and core values that will never be obsolete. I
think the organization needs to reinvent itself for a
new millenium when hardware is cheap, fast, and
abundant while still maintaining those ideals and core
values. -dans
P.S. The CSUA is the second oldest active ASUC student
group on campus. The only active group that predates
us is CHAOS, the Cal Hiking and Outdoors Society.
\_ Hmm, I'd say closer to 10-15 for computers, though
I'd agree with the last 5 for laptops (probably even
less)...though I suspect I've dated myself with this
post.... -mice
\_ Doesn't ANY post to the motd kinda date the
poster?
\_ heh, very funny.
\_ It's not like anyone else would. -John
\_ Heh, I was wondering if someone would hook
into that. Punk. :P -mice
\_ "Straight line"... :-) -John
\_ Elaine has her own ASUC student group? Wow!
\_ ?
\- there is more to that then you think. --psb
\_ Please cite the relevant portions of the CSUA charter that
state it is a social organization. -dans
\_ What is this charter everyone keeps talking about?
BTW, from the constitution:
to provide a forum for the personal interaction of
persons involved in the computer science
\_ The CSUA constitution was written years after the
organization formed, and written because the ASUC
insisted that we have one. That's why our governing
body is called the politburo, it was a way of thumbing
our noses at the ASUC. Presumably, we had a charter
before then. To quote the complete text from the
constitution:
The purposes of this organization are: to represent the
undergraduate computer science student body in dealings
with the University of California at Berkeley, its
representatives, and any other appropriate organization;
to provide a forum for the personal interaction of
persons involved in the computer sciences; to promote
knowledge of and interest in the computer sciences; and
to raise funds to accomplish these goals.
So, yes, we're a social organization, but this is by no
means our only purpose. Providing access to computing
resources falls under promoting knowledge of and
interest in CS, as well as providing a forum for social
interaction. -dans
\_ You quote a very selective history. For at least
a decade, the mantra at meetings was "The CSUA is
_PRIMARILY_ a social organization. We have some
interesting resources for you to play around with,
but we're not here to hold your hand computer-wise"
\_ Please show me documentation of this. It
conflicts with my recollection, which was that we
have interesting resources to play with, but
we're not here to hold your hand computer-wise
because we're curmudgeonly bastards who think you
should figure shit out for yourself. Socializing
had nothing to do with it. I should also note
that the ``we're not here to hold your hand''
attitude is decidedly anti-social. -dans
\_ It's really not even worth discussing this
with you. You've declared yourself arbiter
of the realm. I'm with the majority here.
You've proven yourself obnoxious.
\_ Majority? I must have missed the vote.
I'm sorry if you find my requests for
actual documentation obnoxious, but I'm
genuinely interested in the historical
record of the CSUA and like collection more
data points. -dans
\_ grep -ir social /csua/www/htdocs/Minutes
\_ How about seeding little sodans in other universities instead?
\_ I volunteer to seed undergraduates!
\_ UCLA and UCD both had CSUA's when I was an ug. I wonder if they
are still around? UCLA had a linux club a few years back that
strongly reminded me of the CSUA, but they had no world writable
motd.
\_ My sister is attending Santa Cruz, and was thinking of starting
a CSUA like organization. They have a club for black
engineers, hispaic engineers, women engineers, and IEEE. I
told her she should probably just join the IEEE if she wanted a
club that didn't come with a designation.
club that didn't come with a designation. -jrleek
\_ Who are you? Who is your sister? My girlfriend is attending
Santa Cruz. -dans
\_ It's me, jrleek. My sister is in CS, this is her first
year. -jrleek
\_ Neat. Ask her if she wants to meet my gf, Belen. She's
in her second year, probably majoring in Music, but
flirting with a CS minor. -dans
\_ Are you trying to set up POLYAMORY?
\_ Are you a MORON? -dans
\_ This name and location has been noted. --unstable motd
stalker
\_ What location? I stated the institution she attends
not her location. -tricky dans
\_ School + Music + unusual name... not too hard eh?
Granted, I'm a very lazy stalker. But there may
be less lazy ones. --ums
\_ *probably* majoring in Music. You'd have a
much easier time stalking her through myspace.
-dans |
| 5/17 |
|
| www.slate.com/id/2137893 A pub in Ireland Ireland, as much of the world knows it, was invented in 1991. That year, the Irish Pub Company formed with a mission to populate the world with authentic Irish bars. Whether you are in Kazkhstan or the Canary Islands, you can now hear the lilt of an Irish brogue over the sound of the Pogues as you wait for your Guinness to settle. A Gaelic road sign may hang above the wooden bar and a fiddle may be lying in a corner. In the last 15 years, Dublin-based IPCo and its competitors have fabricated and installed more than 1,800 watering holes in more than 50 countries. Guinness threw its weight (and that of its global parent Diageo) behind the movement, and an industry was built around the reproduction of "Irishness" on every continent--and even in Ireland itself. IPCo has built 40 ersatz pubs on the Emerald Isle, opening them beside the long-standing establishments on which they were based. IPCo's designers claim to have "developed ways of re-creating Irish pubs which would be successful, culturally and commercially, anywhere in the world." To wit, they offer five basic styles: The "Country Cottage," with its timber beams and stone floors, is supposed to resemble a rural house that gradually became a commercial establishment. The "Gaelic" design features rough-hewn doors and murals based on Irish folklore. You might, instead, choose the "Traditional Pub Shop," which includes a fake store (like an apothecary), or the "Brewery" style, which includes empty casks and other brewery detritus, or "Victorian Dublin," an upscale stained-glass joint. Then they'll bring the whole thing to your space and set it up. Architecture is only one element of what Guinness has branded the "Irish Pub Concept." The concept outlines some simple steps to achieve "Irishness": You'll want to add Irish music, traditional grub, and "bric-a-brac" such as reproductions of antique spinning wheels, cast irons, and flagons. "Although it is possible to recreate the feel of a true Irish pub without Irish staff--we don't recommend it. No Irish pub is complete without the friendly warmth, humor and advice of a true Irish bartender." If there aren't any affable Irish in your town, rest assured, Guinness will put you in touch with employment agencies. The concept is not properly served by joke names like McSwiggins or Filthy McNasty's, but it will thrive with a Gaelic phrase (Dun na nor or An Cruiscin Lan) or one of the hundreds of standard family names provided on the concept site. In answer to the question, "Why is authenticity important?" the concept states that "Sales per square foot in current authentic pubs are exceeding the US average by a factor of two." The Irish Pub Company's stance on this issue is even more enigmatic: "The authenticity of the Irish pub concept stands up to scrutiny--the deeper you dig, the more interesting and attractive it becomes." The branding of Irish bars owes more to cultural stereotypes and modern global economics than to Celtic tradition. The rapid expansion of these faux pubs was partly the result of big companies creating demand in emerging markets, but they are also an outgrowth of the end of the "troubles" and of the Irish economic boom. Suddenly, Ireland was teeming with immigrants, retail chains, and money. Insofar as Irish pub culture was ever the authentic heart of an organic community, its tradition was lost to the dustbin of history just in time to be invoked, exported, and imported again. The concept is but one of the ways in which Ireland has been re-imagined for the consumer. A typical Dubliner might attend Mass, eat a big meal with the family, and nod off early. In the '90s, my friends who grew up in Dublin used to go to a hotel on St. Paddy's Day to watch the American tourists sing Irish drinking songs and celebrate excess. Where there is celebrated excess, there is a market to exploit. In 1995, the Irish government saw potential in international "Irish" revelry. They reinvented the holiday at home to kick-start the tourist season. Patrick's Day Season" as Guinness has called this time of year. ") In Dublin, the festival lasts for five days and adds about -L-60 million to the economy. Guinness describes the irrepressible spirit of Irishness with the Gaelic word for communal fun, "Craic" (pronounced crack), and recommends "importing Craic from Ireland." It seems that the Irish had exported Craic, only to get it back again. After all, as IPCo puts it, "Ireland and things Irish are very attractive to consumers." After the parade, they can stop by an authentic pub for a Guinness. Photograph of pub by Keith Levit Photography/Index Stock Imagery. 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