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INKYTEXT 350 Part III: THE END
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Issue No 350b THE END (Part III) Wednesday 10 May 2000
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Editorial correspondence should be sent to InkyText@lancaster.ac.uk
Subscription requests to Inkytext-distribution-request@lists.lancs.ac.uk
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PART III
Further late news
6. Further Letters: Bob Bliss, Tom Barney, David Martin, Steve Pumfrey, Dave
Boyle, Martje Graham, Lindsay Newman, Nick Bardsley, Kev Buckley, John
Halstead, Mike Jackson, Anon, Angela Cunningham, John Crookes.
7. Memoirs of an E-zine Editor: (Concluded)
MINUTES, AMENDMENTS MATTERS ARISING
-----------------------------------
David Martin is Deputy Pro-Chancellor. Sorry - brain slipped.
FURTHER LATE NEWS
-----------------
BEST WISHES TO JANET CURRIE (Mathematics + French 1992-1995,
Statistics PhD 1995-1998, Statistics RA 1998 - current) who will marry
David Heffernan (Mathematics PhD 1992-1995) this Saturday 13th May at
the Ashton Memorial, Lancaster.
BEST WISHES TO SANDI GALBRAITH, the human face of Finance. The
Humanities faculty will be very sorry indeed to lose her and her
services. This feeling is widely echoed elsewhere.
A WELCOME TO NEW ESTATES DIRECTOR Steve Lunn, who has been formally
introducing himself to various sections of the university and is set on
making some necessary changes.
UMAG MET THIS MORNING. Also another budget-review meeting with the
Deans.
THE ENTIRE ARCHIVE OF UMAG MINUTES and agendas has disappeared from
the Planning Office website. Inkytext was happy to bring this news to
the attention of the Planning Officer who was unaware of it. Some
speculation that this may be linked to the ILOVEYOU virus. UMAG meets
today, having last week failed to complete its unknown agenda.
"THE COURT SHALL APPOINT EACH DEPUTY PRO-CHANCELLOR", or so says
Statute 3.3. Court is however an unwieldy body. What's more it is hard
enough for us to find even ONE suitable and willing candidate for a
deputy pro-chancellorship let alone enough for an election. The fact
remains that the Charter does not say "the Court shall rubber-stamp the
appointment of a Deputy Pro-Chancellor proposed by the people running
the show". Surely Court should at least be nominally consulted
beforehand if the usual procedures are to be altered... as seems to be
happening. See Deputy Pro-Chancellor Martin's letter.
Little strength of feeling in ruling circles about the decision to
allow an appointing committee to put forward a single name. It is very
important that the new person should strengthen our Cumbrian
connections, and preferably our Westminster/Whitehall ones too.
Personally I'd have liked to beg Admiral Kerr to forgive us and return,
but alas Manchester has scooped him up. (So has the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission).
TODAY IS AN OFFICIAL VISIT DAY - at least 1000 sixth-formers and
others are expected. Watch out for overflowing car parks. If the
weather holds up there should be good trade in ice-creams.
PLANT SALE IN THE BIOLOGY FIELD STATION today and tomorrow from 12 to
2. Don't forget to bring your own bags and boxes. Think Green.
COUNTY PRINCIPALSHIP: the hunt is on but the field is small. Some
difficulties are being experienced in identifying an academic
candidate, which is what the college seems to prefer. Present favourite
is the current college Dean. Any other nominations should be sent to
Pro-VC Whitaker.
PENDLE COLLEGE SCR
Wine tasting evening
'Three Colours: Red'
on
Thursday 18th May
at 7.00 p.m.
in Pendle New SCR
(above Pendle Bar)
Tickets £5 available from
Anne Stubbins
Social Secretary for Senior Members
CONTINUING STUDENT COMPLAINTS about the time lag in getting routine
appointments at the Health Centre. Earlier this week appointments were
being made for dates from May 28th. Even an appointment with a nurse is
reported hard to come by. No news of progress on the Health Centre
front and the nurse-led unit premises in the security building still
lie idle. The Secretary had a meeting with the practice last week. No
news of building plans.
THE FAMILY OF THE LATE RALPH GIBSON, in particular his sister, Mrs
Helen Huckle, are anxious to purchase a copy of his book, A Social
History of French Catholicism, which they do not possess and have been
unable to obtain through second-hand dealers. Any info to the Editor
please.
THE ESTATES COMMITTEE MEETS TOMORROW and the VC has another lunchless
lunch for HoDs next Tuesday.
6. FURTHER READERS' LETTERS
---------------------------
I too was sorry to hear that for you "The seat is cold, O Greece! I've
flushed away the books"* but I can understand your reasons, and can
understand why you are ignoring all entreaties: I think you are wise
too.
Just a thought: probably no one person fulfils all the criteria you
set out for a would-be successor, but between them the members of a
consortium might. This would be an ideal opportunity for
inter-departmental co-operation.
Otherwise I shall certainly miss my weekly(ish) fix; you are an
irreverent walking rebuke to the authoritarians of the Woodhead variety
who think they are the only guardians of our culture.
*This is the first line of a winning entry in a New Statesman
competition of (I think) the early 70's, which called for translations
of Mallarme's Brise Marine. The judges commented that this version gave
a new meaning to the term "literal translation". I'd have liked to have
quoted it in full, but - O Greece! - a trawl of New Statesman back
numbers this afternoon failed to produce it. You need to be clever to
do this sort of thing deliberately, although I knew quite a few people
at school who could do it by accident. For example: il jeta un coup
d'oeil a l'horloge - he threw a cup of oil at the clock.
Tom Barney
------------------------
It was with great sadness and regret that I read of the decision to
end your editorship of Inkytext. You have provided a unique and
immensely valuable service to the University. I am sorry that its worth
is not better recognised by our management.
As an active and interested lay member of Council I first learnt of
nearly all new developments and problems through Inkytext rather than
any official source. It seemed to me a great pity that very few of my
fellow "Honary Officers" subscribed or indeed even knew of its
existence. The University desperately needs an alternative independent
forum for debate, news and comment. I hope that you will be persuaded
to consider a shorter and perhaps less frequent successor to the
journal.
I was flattered to see my name in such eminent company in the last
issue - thank you.
Your concerns about my successor being appointed by a nominations
committee rather than by Court election are I'm afraid well founded. My
protests are apparently the only ones to have been voiced. It is
however open to fifty members of the Court to demand a special meeting
to debate the matter ... I would be happy to be one of them.
David Martin
----------------------------
Inkytext lives. OK, so you're quitting. It's been a good run, and the
enconiums I have read seem just. I particularly liked Cockburn's. That
the journal was a reality check we took as read. But the reality check
was deeper and wider than the university's prudentials, improvident as
they were.
I think of all the reports of weddings, births, accidents, illnesses,
deaths, funerals. Most recently for me, Davina Chaplin's too-soon
passing. Longer ago, a fine and appropriately gastronomic remembrance
of a last supper chez Gibson. Ralph couldn't eat, but he could still
read. Then Francesca. Those dead folks made us all run, once, and your
reports remined us that honest friends are the best taskmasters and
taskmistresses, and that losing them is a serious matter. For that,
Inkytext was a text of real record, bottom lines, end games, and a
mirror godhelpusall. A palimpsest (I borrow the word from the monthly
publication of the Iowa State Historical Society).
You wrote well, worked hard, thought clearly, and disturbed the sleep
of many. That was fine stuff, made better when --always as nearly as I
could tell-- you stood your ground. On the other hand, and as for the
institution you discomfited, I have some small praise. Or if not for
the institution, for the people who work there. Your matter was eagerly
awaited, read, discussed, had influence. You must hate like hell to
give that up. But you had an audience. If the audience you had is still
there, waiting for someone else to talk to them, then you really done
good.
Thanks, very much, for your hard labor and sharp thinking. Go home and
go go bed.
Bob Bliss
--------------------------------
I cannot let your final issue pass without my own valediction. Thanks
for everything: the real news, the sensible analysis of strategy,
seminar announcements, food and drink reviews, erudition, intellectual
vignettes, even your public rebuke that one of my complaints was "too
narrow-minded for a scholar".
My nomination for "Best of Inkytext" concerns your competition about
uses for a liftshaft. You discoursed with characteristic academic wit
on the difference between the essentialism of "liftshaftness" and the
constructivism of "liftshafticity".
For me, Inkytext - and official tolerance of it - has been one of the
most important factors in maintaining my loyalty to this university.
For heaven's sake I hope that the establishment will allow an organ
like Inkytext to, er, rise again.
Steve Pumfrey.
------------------
Many thanks for keeping me informed as a student and member of staff.
I've appreciated it even more since leaving the University. Will
refrain from any personal tributes as they'd look sycophantic coming
after all those sent so far.
I remember George Hayhurst excitedly showing me a copy of one of the
first issues in Pendle College Services Office. Tried to get it myself,
but couldn't, so in a small way, the desire to get Inkytext was a key
factor in becoming computer-literate. So in addition to all the
tributes made so far, you should add helping a significant proportion
of the University want to join the techno-revolution significantly
earlier than they otherwise might.
So long and thanks for all the fish(y stories)
Dave Boyle
-----------------------
Don't go, Inkytext, how else will we know all the gossip at the uni?
Do we have to get the rack out of the cellars and torture the truth out
of the Uni House residents ourselves now?
Well, if Inkytext _has_ to go, can we at least have a "Bye bye
Inkytext" party? Any excuse ...
Martje, Craig & the little geek Finian (who no longer is a little geek
but a strapping blue eyed, blond little boy, girls queue here for when
he's 18 please) Graham.
------------------------
Just a line to thank you very much for the puff in Inkytext, which has
only just come to my attention and must surely account for the number
of acceptances!
I hope you will not be disappointed in what is practically a 'virtual'
exhibition! It is worth bearing in mind that the Library provides
neither budget nor staff for displays.
Also, and most particularly, wanted to say what everyone else is
repeating how immensely in your debt all members of the University are.
You have given an astonishing number of hours and commitment to
Inkytext and there is no doubt that the campus will be much poorer
without it.
Lindsay Newman.
--------------------------
I do not say that democracy is a magic bullet. I do say that we have
not improved upon it as a system for the organisation of governing
structures.
It is foolish, therefore, to degrade it at every opportunity. In the
UK, democracy is under the most terrible attack by the very people who
made out that Thatcher was the Tyrant of Tyrants. The one thing that
can be said for Mrs T is that while she didn't like it, she actually
accepted that you can't have a democracy (even one as etiolated as
ours) without a free press. It is not clear that the present government
accepts this, even while it is led by a Romulus who seems to have
suckled long at the teat of the She-Wolf.
Democracy is about more than voting, it is about freedom of
information, the accountability of one's representatives, the right to
hold dissenting views and express them, and many, many other aspects of
life we have hitherto taken for granted and which are threatened by the
very people in which we have placed our trust.
Given this, the state of university governance throughout the UK is
tragic beyond words. I may be a fool, but I own to the view that
universities should be proactive rather than reactive institutions.
That is, universities should be among those places in a nation's
intellectual landscape where new ideas are born and where they are
acted out. Woe, then, that this is simply not so. It is not so in many
fields, but it especially bitter that it is not so in the field of
governance.
Universities are failing to set the agenda for their own political
life, let alone making any contribution to the political life of the
nation. This is a scandal and is a direct result of the deliberate
suppression of open and free debate throughout the university system.
Lancaster, it pains me to opine, is in the forefront of this movement
or, better to say, stasis.
It is an unconscious thing, I grant. Few actually want to suppress
debate (or am I too generous?). However, for short-term reasons debate
is stifled here, information is restricted there, news services are
censored thither, white lies are told hither...and a culture of
suppression is born and persists. This kind pf thing is made all the
easier without any meaningful system of democratic accountability.
Questions can be framed with regard to 'representatives' who are
presently appointed by the executive rather than elected or, at the
very least, appointed by Parliament.
Similar such questions, and others related, should also be asked and
resolved at an institution like Lancaster University. That the
questions, by and large, are not even asked, let alone addressed, only
underlines the intellectual and ethical bankruptcy of the place; a fact
that truly gives me no pleasure whatever.
Nick Bardsley
--------------------------
I'm sure it's purely a matter of short-staffing in your editorial
department that has caused some anomalies to enter into your list of
places at the top of Inky Text, but in the interests of truth I feel I
must point out that Derby, Brasilia, Rastatt and Malvern each has a
double entry in the list. And by the way, Jyvaskyla has two 'y's. Can
it really be that you have no readers in Morecambe? Did you say
something to offend them?
Steve Fligelstone
--------------------------
You may not know that the activities of Mardis contributed to a
considerable extent to the University's award in 1994 of one of the
first Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education for
'pioneering and excellent provision for students with special needs,
and for the extension of this work into the community' - an award
presented at a special ceremony by the Queen at 'The Palace' followed
by a posh Guildhall dinner where several of us (including Ken) first
met, among others, David Blunkett.
I too greatly regret the closure of Mardis as I do the end of your
editorship. Best wishes.
John Halstead
[NOTE: Quite. Our notepaper still reminds us and so did the photo of
you and Harry Hanham with the Queen. (Ed)]
--------------------------
Nice to see a passing reference to ISCOL in the last issue - probably
the second or third university company. First Board meeting was at St
Leonardgate with Gwilym Jenkins as Chairman, John Halstead as Company
Secretary Sir Charles Carter on the Board and myself as Financial
Director. All Systems Engineering Staff had one share.
This was too simple a concept for our auditors, and it was eventually
UHised. In its time it paid for scholarships to help out many self
financing MA students.
ISCOL = International Systems Corporation Of Lancaster
Michael Jackson (mike-de-hest@talk21.com)
-----------------------------
InkyText has been a beacon, standing up for values of truth, learning
and independence. Any ideas how many hours you've put in? I really
think you've done a great deal for the University's good reputation.
THANK YOU!
Angela Cunningham
----------------------
Farewell Inkytext, whatever may be your eternal destiny on this sad
day....sighingly,
Anon
Religious Studies Marburg
--------------------------------
In her PS (issue350 pt. II) Stella Birchall missed out "Inkytext Rides
Again" which is the one we all really are looking forward to. Decades
ago I saw a cartoon where an American film company brainstorming
session was seen considering derivative sequels to their success with
Macbeth, including of course "Macbeth Rides Again"
John Crookes
-------------------
6. MEMOIRS OF AN E-ZINE EDITOR (II)
-----------------------------------
If Ads were the meteoric growth area they also became bit of a pain.
Especially when despatched in coding or attachments unreadable by UNIX,
or when advertisers asked for them to be repeated. And if I misfiled
any of yours, or didn't print them in time, sorry.
Professor Shepherd asked for them to be relegated to the end so that
he could read Readers' Letters without having to plough through them.
Good idea but some folk clearly found them of interest and complained
when incoming message buffers of limited size stopped them reading
beyond the first 600 lines.
It was also more than exasperating to have whole issues sent back with
an ad or a brief reader's letter. Even with the advent of Outlook this
extraordinary wasteful practice hasn't ceased, and seems to affect very
senior but inexperienced users the most.
With the introduction of our majordomo list-serving system despatches
were simplified. Previously I'd used a routine written by the
Postmaster to prevent the mailer being flooded. This had required
sending issues out in batches of 16. Now the problem was issues being
returned.
Returns presented no problem when subscribers could be identified from
their address on the list. The problems arose when readers
automatically forwarded copies to people who were not themselves
directly subscribed....
What has been called our 'monosodium glutamate' quality (i.e.
compulsive moreishness) is harder to explain. In part it's the thrill
of forbidden fruit, although to be honest there was never much news
that an assiduous individual couldn't have dug up for themself.
Cliche-avoidance also helps. People may skip the bits that don't
interest them but at least no one has said we've been boring.
The ecletic and evolving mix of topics meant that there was always
something unexpected to look forward to. But it was the worrying state
of university finances in the early years made us compulsive reading.
Silence in official circles always causes unease. Thinking one is in
the know seems to help.
Of course being outrageous and unpredictable also helped. This has
always been a journal with opinions. even when (as often) these are
unorthodox or unconventional ones that readers disagree with, it at
least gives them something to debate or ridicule over coffee and at
dinner parties. As happened. Setting agendas was not an intended part
of our mission but an accidental side-effect. The editor has a lot of
strong opinions, some even plausible. With luck more of these
unorthodox views may surface in another place at another time.
Humour also helped. It didn't take much effort - so much of our
behaviour was a parody of ourselves. But treating humorously, or
scathingly but picturesquely, topics that are normally dealt with in
leaden Planning Office prose was something some found refreshing.
Introducing people to computing was an early topic that took a back
seat in recent years when people have ceased to be amused or astonished
by what one can do. French recipes from Lorraine Stuart also figured a
while and passed on. So too our Introduction to Management Course
(rather good I thought) and the 'What is Lancaster University' series
which should have gone on longer.
It's a while since we've had a satirical prayer, or treated the
Council as a sporting fixture. Consumer Corner with its Sainsbury's
points to Airmiles parities seems to have disappeared. A pity - lots to
be said about prices at ASDA, Morrison's and Booths and I have a few
hot recommendations of my own. (Valfrutta beans of various sorts in
Booths - astonishing value.) But restaurant reviews have continued.
Editorial Diaries satisfied the editor's exhibitionist streak. They
also appealed to a not uncommon prurient tendency in some readers who
like to penetrate the privacy of other lives. But then perhaps that is
what all literature is. Not quite a naturist beach but pretty open,
frank and unguarded all the same.
Distinguished outside contributions have been from Noam Chomsky,
Stuart Riley, Albert Schofield, Alan Wood, etc. All gratefully received
since they spared the editor the need to invent. Mostly however there
has been news, the stuff that holds communities together or sets their
members at eash others throats. When as now there's not much news about
- beware! That's usually when things are afoot.
Inkytext also had an individual tone, or tones. This was reflected in
three key constants. Firstly the error messages at the start, an echo
of my late friend Ralph Gibson's view that the great merit of
Confession may not be that it saves the soul but that it partially
disarms in advance those who were going to slag you off. A certain
_desinvolture_ in our typing at times made the editor, a usually
punctilious speller, seem semi-literate. Then Prof Macdonald would
remind him of his gallic spelling of 'succumb' and Prof Stewart would
traditionally remind him that 'arcana' is a plural. Anyway - I liked it
because it was a link with the Grauniad of former days.
The second constant was the editorial. Here a rather pompous tone was
adopted and usually something serious was being said. Mostly editorials
tried to raise our thoughts to values beyond our parochial concerns
and to interest outsiders.
A quite different, chattier tone was adopted for the NOTES appended to
readers' letters. I liked these best of all really since I'm devoted to
the dialogic mode, believing like Montaigne that truth can only be
reached, or at least tended towards, by successive approximations.
Readers' Letters were for many the best read of all, and it is the
quality of you, our readers, that gave the journal any merit it had.
Thank you.
Some of these readers were a trifle improbable. An early subscriber
was Mr Savage the former internal auditor, who said he found it helpful
and asked permission to pass a copy to Admiral Kerr, then chair of the
Audit Committee. I was flattered. But not so much as by the spouse of
an ex-student who had never visited Lancaster but found it as
compulsive as a soap-opera with a stock of colourful characters.
One feature that strikes me is that about a third of the readership is
prolly on first name terms with the editor, and about half he might
pass on the Spine any day of the week. This called for tact, despite
what some may think.
Inkytext was born of the Hanham Years and Professor Hanham would
happily have strangled its infant mewlings. He once summoned a young
administrator to ask him how this could be done. It was pointed out to
him that I could send it from home for 10 pounds a month even if my
university computer account was cut off. Any opprobrium resulting from
impeding my lawful freedom of expression would be unimportant, but the
move would be unavailing unless he impeded everyone else's right to
receive mail as well.
Many people suggested that a copy should be sent to Professor Ritchie
in the year between his appointment and taking up office. I decided
that he would prolly have enough nous to forearm himself privately.
Unfortunately Prof Finch and others seem to have prejudiced him against
this journal and he was subsequently shocked to find himself with the
imminent crisis that readers already knew of. Alas this prejudice was
slow to ware off, and at an early 'lunchless lunch' many HoDs were
slightly perplexed and disappointed by his hostile reaction to a
comment on this journal by Professor Rowe (an assiduous reader).
The Inkytexts that appeared were only the tips of the iceberg really.
Collecting the rumours and news in the first place, sifting through
narcotic minutes, checking and cross-checking, clearing bits with
lawyers, all of that was what took the time. The unpublished mountain
is larger than our 350 issues.
You'll see what things used to be like in the 'Best of Inkytext'
loyalty bonus you will be receiving after we end. As we move into
history you might care to take a dip into the past, misprints and all,
for yourself. You can find the archive at
http://www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/~rowlings/Inkytext/index.html
You won't find many journals that have invited all their readers to
free parties. OK, we weren't raunchy enough for Rabelais, not acerbic
enough for Voltaire, but I like to think the honorary patrons wouldn't
be too disappointed. Alas the views of the tutelary deity (Mlle Beart)
are not known, and probably not printable.
AND SO TO BED