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Note: If you are seeing it in rmail, Note: it means the file has no messages in it.  1,, Summary-line: 28-Jan Larry Koolkin #Food in the Clusters - followup to tnstaafl discussion on 1/18 Received: by E40-PO.MIT.EDU (5.45/4.7) id AA15561; Mon, 28 Jan 91 13:06:01 EST Received: from VASCO.MIT.EDU by ATHENA.MIT.EDU with SMTP id AA28147; Mon, 28 Jan 91 13:04:09 EST Received: by vasco.MIT.EDU (5.61/4.7) id AA04438; Mon, 28 Jan 91 13:04:06 -0500 Message-Id: <9101281804.AA04438@vasco.MIT.EDU> To: ftstaff@ATHENA.MIT.EDU, network-athstaff@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Subject: Food in the Clusters - followup to tnstaafl discussion on 1/18 Date: Mon, 28 Jan 91 13:04:04 EST From: Larry Koolkin *** EOOH *** To: ftstaff@ATHENA.MIT.EDU, network-athstaff@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Subject: Food in the Clusters - followup to tnstaafl discussion on 1/18 Date: Mon, 28 Jan 91 13:04:04 EST From: Larry Koolkin As was discussed at the 1/18 tnstaafl, I contacted Chief Glavin of the CP about having their support before the Athena 'Food in Clusters' poster is deployed to the public clusters (text below). Underneath is excerpted from a memo I sent her last week. Late last week, Chief Glavin called to let me know that this made a lot of sense to her, she had no problem supporting us in this manner, and she'd distribute a copy of the memo to her watch supervisors so they would have this background information as well. I know it may not always be the easiest thing to remind anyone with food the clusters that it must be taken out - but in the long run, its really doing a favor for them, us, and all of the Institute. Thanks for your help and cooperation with this one. Larry =================== Text of 'Eating...' Poster =============================== What's Eating Us... You may have wondered why Athena Rules of Use item #1 is: Do not eat or drink in Athena clusters. Food and drinks can damage equipment, even the cumulative effect of sticky fingers or crumbs can ruin equipment. It's because the #1 reason for equipment damage in our public clusters is food and drink! Furthermore, it's not just spilled soda or coffee damaging a keyboard or monitor. Keyboards alone are being damaged at the rate of one per day from food crumbs! You are often unaware that crumbs are dropping down into your keyboard making the keys stick, or being picked up by the ball as your mouse is moved. When equipment requires repair or replacement due to user damage, it costs Athena (therefore MIT, therefore *you*) real dollars to repair - it is not covered in a maintenance contract. The higher the costs, the longer it may take to get damaged equipment repaired back in the clusters. The result is fewer workstations available for the MIT community at any one time. What You Can Do: Please do not eat, drink, or bring food or liquids into the public clusters. This applies to everyone; whether you are a student, faculty, or staff member. When you need to energize, take a break, stretch, take a walk, chew gum, step out to have a bite or a drink. You will be doing both yourself and the equipment a favor. In the even that spillage/damage takes place, the Athena Hardware Hotline at x1410 should be notified immediately. Just Desserts: If someone was yelling, smoking, or in some other way denying your ability to work productively in a cluster, you would ask them to stop. If someone was physically damaging equipment, hogging workstations, or in some way denying you access to a workstation, you would ask them to stop. Eating and drinking in public clusters is just as disruptive and destructive to the equipment, and is therefore in the same category. If you have food or drinks in a public cluster, Athena staff members will ask you to discard it, or take it outside. If you persist, they do have the right - and the responsibility - to direct you to leave the cluster. We appreciate your cooperation. =========================== Memo to Chief Glavin =========================== >Although we have not met in person, let me introduce myself. I am the Manager >of User Services for Project Athena, and in that capacity am responsible for >such things as training, documentation, and consulting for users of the Athena >system. A part of my activities involve the creation and posting of >appropriate posters in the public workstation clusters. >Last Friday, 1/18, I spoke with Lt. Cappuci about a new poster that I have not >yet released, but would like to soon ( see enclosed). The message of this >poster is why Athena does not permit food or drinks in the public clusters. >This is one of the Athena '{Rules of Use}', but often having an >explanation of {why} a rule exists, in black and white so it can be >pointed to, goes a long way with reasonable people understanding and accepting >such a rule. >In the past, the main enforcers of this policy have been the Athena 'cluster >patrol' - the individuals who walk through each cluster a few times every day >to check for broken equipment, lack of supplies, etc. So much equipment has >been damaged by food and drink that they asked for my help, and my first step >is to create and deploy this poster. The potential problem, though, is with >the last paragraph. >I do feel that it is the responsibility of any/all Athena staff (many >who are constantly in and out of these clusters) to consistently give the >same message to offenders. Obviously, this will be done in a >non-confrontational manner, and the the vast majority of users are reasonable >individuals, who will listen and comply. >In the rare circumstance that someone strongly refuses, I would like Athena >staff members to know that as a last recourse, they can leave the situation, >and report the event to campus police. There is precedence for this in >extreme circumstances, and I would only assume it would be invoked under such >circumstances. I know your staff is extremely busy, however having the >ability to place such a call will avoid placing Athena staff in compromising >situations, while helping to preserve an expensive MIT computing resource. ================================================================================