Lando : Actually TBH I don't give a damn if I'm considered an Amiga user or not any more. Truth is my Pegasos and MorphOS is better, faster and more stable than any of my Amigas ever were.
Lando, I don't feel sometimes that I'm particularly an "amigan" anymore either - partly because I see what that has come to mean in forums - partly because I've got a Pegasos that allows me to use better, cheaper, and easier-to-replace hardware from a larger marketplace. When I
do feel like an "Amigan" it is because I am ignoring the baggage the moniker has taken on, and I am just playing with some time-honored Amiga software, running incidentally by grace of MorphOS, and this comfortably familiar software still puts me into a mode that I still enjoy immensely...
You don't want Genesi suppporting Amiga shows? Fine, but don't be surprised if there aren't any shows at all.
On a related note, the lead people / show organizers of SACC were
very glad to have Genesi at AmiWest and spoke earnestly of this several times. They liked the fact that Genesi (1) bought an awful lot of booth space - which financially is greatly needed for these shows to continue, (2)
helped the show climb out of its increasingly sad "flea market" ambiance by having new things to show on new machines, (3) made it possible to have more activity and energy and forward momentum at the show, sparking some friendly competition and also sharing with other merchants and displayers a reborne sense of hope.
In my opinion Genesi are better off attending large mainstream shows like CES, ECTS than these little amateur get-togethers. They're worth more than this.
In the grand scheme of things, indeed they are, and this has been discussed by Genesi and in Phoenix. But given the seemingly cooperative vibe at the show between supposedly opposing forces, the remarks from many attendees and participants indicated that there
is a benefit to participating in some of these shows, and both "camps" may indeed feel it.
Only
after the show did I begin to slip back toward doubt about shows that were once my heritage, as I saw forums heat up with anti invectives and fightin' and fuddin' ... I had to remind myself that at the show the vibe was generally positive and enjoyably friendly, and that it was worth all the hassles to participate in what has been a common past for both people of Genesi, and people not of Genesi.
In fact there were a lot of nice people there, and lots of fun "looking back" things to talk about that made the common background althogether obvious. That this is not always reflected on forums doesn't negate the value of meeting the people at shows and sharing experiences and fun. That software for either platform may benefit from sales on the other platform doesn't really cost developers much at all in terms of marketing or porting strategies, and a little development competition could actually drive updates and improvements users might otherwise not see (well, I am trying to be optimistic here).
Mr Webb evidently just
didn't get it;
doesn't get it. His loss, nobody else's... Again, the president and other officers from SACC were incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about the presence of Genesi and Phoenix. They very much want us back for future shows! So. Any punditeer floundering in malaise will not likely taint future endeavors such as Amiwest in the least. That, I think, is how to swim forward.
