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{\sf\sc\LARGE\bf The Student Information Processing Board (SIPB)}
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\question{What is SIPB?}

The Student Information Processing Board (SIPB, pronounced sip-bee) is
the MIT volunteer student group dedicated to improving computing at
MIT\null. We are a basically a group of MIT students, staff, and
alumni who like working with computers and making useful contributions
to the community.

\question{What does SIPB do to ``improve computing''?}

We interpret improving computing to mean a lot of different things.
SIPB members answer a lot of walk-in and phone questions about
computers. Some SIPB members maintain servers used by the MIT
community, including the original MIT web server
(\texttt{www.mit.edu}), Usenet news service (\texttt{news.mit.edu}),
and an AFS cell (\texttt{/afs/sipb.mit.edu}). SIPB has produced an
installer for Linux-Athena for personal workstations. Some members are
working on a port of Athena to Debian Linux. We document inessential
parts of Athena, such as account customization and zephyr. Many
members work on outside coding projects including the Debian project,
GNOME, OMS (a free player for DVD and other media) in addition to SIPB
projects. SIPB members also teach IAP classes to MIT students on a
variety of topics including networking, Perl, software development and
system administration. You probably received this flyer in one such
class. Most members just hang out in the office, hacking or tooling
and answering walk-in or phone questions.

\question{Can I join SIPB?}

Yes. Anyone in the MIT community can become a SIPB prospective. Just
come by the office and ask. To become a member, first become a
prospective. Then hang around, get to know people, and do useful
stuff. The general idea is to show that you are interested in what
SIPB does, that you will benefit SIPB\null. Once people know you, you
will be put up for membership. Full members are able to allocate
SIPB's money, have keys to the office, and access to some other
restricted resources.

\question{Why should I join SIPB?}

The best reason to join SIPB is that you are interested in learning
about and helping people with computers. Many SIPB members are very
skilled; it is amazing what one can learn just by hanging around in
the office. Members are generally willing to answer questions, talk
about their projects, and help you with yours. SIPB has other
resources, like hardware and money, which you may be able to use to
help with a project. And if you are just bored and looking for
something to hone your skills on, you can find a project that needs
help.

Another good reason to become a SIPB member is to have a place to come
and hack, talk and hang out with other computer geeks. The SIPB office
is one place where people will never tell you that your conversation
is too geeky.

\question{Where do I sign up?}

The SIPB office is W20-557, just outside of the Student Center
cluster. The office is open whenever a member is there, which is most
of the 168 hours in a week. Feel free to drop by, talk to us, and ask
about becoming a prospective. Official meetings are Monday at 7:30 in
the office. They are good for knowing what's going on in the
SIPB\null. Right after a meeting there are usually more members and
prospectives around than at other times, but meetings are still no
substitute for spending time around the office in general.
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