[AUUG-Talk]: Conference Update

[Greg Rose]

David Newall wrote:
> 
> Let's examine that.  Is it fair to say that funding a chair would 
> deplete the funds within a small number of years?  When the money is 
> gone, could it be replaced by a Microsoft Chair?

Speaking as a member of the committee managing the John Lions Chair in 
Operating Systems, no.

(a) the chair is intended to be in perpetuity... it isn't yet fully 
funded for that but it is within reach.

(b) the name on it can't be changed (except one day "operating systems" 
might be the wrong thing...).

We can't stop Microsoft or someone else endowing another, different, 
chair. But no-one gets to take over this one.

Speaking as a founder of the Lions Prize, I don't particularly care 
which of the aforementioned organizations it goes to. LA or IEEE can 
continue the award, the Chair achieves similar goals but one might say 
on a grander scale. But AUUG must ensure that it is used for such a 
purpose, and doesn't just go into a slush fund.

Greg.