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                                             E. E. Burr
                                             23 MAR 1988

      A Few Common Questions  About X3T9 and Their Answers

Q:   What is X3T9?
A:   X3T9 is a Technical Committee (TC) of Accredited Standards
     Committee X3.  X3's title is Information Processing. It and
     the IEEE Computer society are the primary organizations
     doing computer related standards in the United States today.
     The title of X3T9 is I/O Interfaces and its entire program
     of work is devoted to developing standards to get bulk data
     in and out of central computers.  It defines standards for
     interfaces between computers and mass storage peripherals or
     other computers.  X3T9 does not do standards for lower
     bandwith terminal oriented telecommunications interfaces or
     networks, but concentrates on the high bandwidth interfaces
     and networks needed for direct computer to computer and
     computer to storage peripheral connections.

Q:   What has X3T9 done?
A:   Although X3T9 has been in existance for about two decades,
     its first standard was not published until 1981, but since
     that time X3T9 has developed about 10 approved ANSI
     interface standards, including the Flexible Disk Interface
     (X3.80-1981), The SMD Interface (X3.91-1987), The SCSI
     (X3.131-1986), several IPI Standards (X3.129-1986,
     X3.130-1986, X3.132-1987, and X3.147-1987) and FDDI
     (X3.147-1987) as well as several others.

Q:   What is X3T9 doing now?
A:   X3T9 has an extensive program of work and is continuing to
     further develop the SCSI and IPI standards.  It is
     completing the FDDI effort (only one of 4 planned FDDI
     standards are yet published) and has begun a further
     development of FDDI, FDDI-II, which will intgrate both
     packet and corcuit switched services in one network.  X3T9
     has also begun  a single mode Physical Layer for FDDI.  It
     is also working on the ESDI standard, and  is considering a
     proposed High Speed Channel project.

Q:   What are the elements of X3T9?
A:   X3T9 has four subordinate Task groups (TGs).  X3T9.2 has the
     title Lower Level Interfaces and is responsible for the
     SCSI, ESDI and Flexible Disk Interfaces.  X3T9.3 has the
     title Device Level Interfaces and is responsible for the
     IPI, SMD and High Speed Channel Interfaces.  X3T9.5 has the
     title Future Interfaces and is responsible for the FDDI and
     LDDI standards.  X3T9.6 has the title Tape Devcie Level
     Interfaces and is responsible for the Streaming Cartridge
     Tape Device standard.  X3T9.6 is currently in caretaker
     status and meets only once per year.

Q:   Who may attend meetings of X3T9 or its Task Groups?
A:   Anyone may attend. All meetings are open and prior
     permission is not required.  Foreign nationals may also
     attend.

Q:   What are the categories of membership in X3T9?
A:   There are four categories of membership in X3T9 and its TGs:
     Principal (P), Alternate (A), Observer (O), and Liaison(L).
     Only Principals (or, in the absence of the Principal, his
     Alternate) ordinarily may vote or make or second motions.
     Some Task Groups may permit Observers to act as Alternates
     in the absence of the P and A members from the same
     organization.  Observers may purchase mailings.  Liaison
     members are generally officers of other standards committees
     who get mailings for liaison purposes. P, A and O members
     all must purchase mailings separately, if they desire them.

Q:   Who may obtain membership?
A:   Membership rules are detailed in the SD-2, a document
     published by X3, which contains the rules and organization
     of X3 and its subgroups.  In general, any individual with
     expertise and interest in the subject of I/O Interfaces may
     be a member.  Membership is, in a sense, both individual and
     corporate.  Members may be classified as either individual
     or organizational as they request.  However they are
     classified, only one Principal member is allowed who is
     employed by one organization, whether that member is
     categorized as individual or organizational.  Each
     organization is allowed one Principal and as many Alternate
     members as it wishes on X3T9 or any of its TGs (some chairs
     discourage multiple Alternate members or make mailings to
     only one of the Alternates).  Only one of these, however,
     may vote on any issue.  Employees of organizations not
     domiciled in the US may be members and may vote on all
     issues except those affecting the US position on
     international issues.  X3T9 Task Groups currently have
     several overseas members.

Q:   What is the difference between individual and organizational
     members?
A:   As a practical matter there is not much difference, except
     how the member sees his participation.  If he purports to
     represent his best technical judgement rather than his
     company position, then he is an individual member.  An
     organization may have only one Principal member, be  he
     individual or organizational.  In some cases members feel
     that they would be required to expend great effort
     determining the company position on every issue if they were
     organizational members.  Some members also feel that they
     are free to dress informally as individual members, while
     they would have to wear a coat and tie if they were
     officially representing their organization (see the question
     below on appropriate dress).

Q:   What are the requirements for membership?
A:   A prospective member must first attend one meeting of X3T9
     or the TG.  At the second meeting he or she attends, he or
     she is eligible to request membership in writing.
     Individuals requesting membership should furnish the Chair
     with a letter outlining their interest and qualifications
     and requesting membership.  He or she then becomes a member
     at that meeting.  That letter may also name an alternate
     member.

Q:   What are the requirements to maintain membership?
A:   There are basically three requirements to maintain P
     membership.  They are:

          Payment of X3 Service Fees:  The X3 Secretariat levies
          a service fee against the members of all its subgroups,
          including X3T9 and its TGs.  These fees do not cover
          the direct operating costs of X3T9, rather they help to
          pay the Secretariat's operating costs.  Billing is
          direct from the Secretariat and payment is made to the
          Secretariat.

          Attendance at Meetings:  If both the Principal and the
          Alternate(s) miss two of any three consecutive plenary
          meetings the Chair is supposed to write them warning
          them that if they fail to attend the fourth meeting in
          this sequence, they will be terminated.  The SD-2 does
          not define the meaning of terminated, but it is
          ordinarily interpreted to mean changed to Observer
          status.  Note that this means that if a Principal or
          his Alternate attend only every other meeting, they
          might receive warnings after every other meeting, but
          will retain their membership.

          Letter Ballots: X3T9 from time to time conducts letter
          ballots.  A member who fails to vote on two consecutive
          letter ballots will be warned as with attendance, and
          should he fail to return a third consecutive letter
          ballot he will be terminated.

Q:   What are these Secretariat Service Fees?
A:   They are annual fees, generally billed in October for the
     following year.  The fee for 1988-1989 will be:

        - Each Principal (plus one Alternate): $200 per annum
        - Observers and 2nd, 3rd,... Alternates: $150 per annum.
        - Liaison: no fee

     There is no additional fee for a member of X3T9 to join any
     of its TGs, however members of two TGs who are not members
     of X3T9 have to pay twice.

Q:   What do the Secretariat Service Fees Cover?
A:   These Secretariat service fees do not pay the direct
     operating costs of X3T9, including the mailing costs, which
     are considerable.  They do, in effect, pay the costs of
     processing standards developed by X3T9 after they are
     forwarded to X3.  Note also that the fees are billed from
     and paid to the X3 Secretariat.

Q:   Is there a charge for mailings?
A:   In the past mailings of committee working documents were
     free to members.  Chairs and volunteers bore the cost of
     these mailings.  The size of the current X3T9 membership has
     forced a change to a fee system.  It is simply impossible to
     find volunteers for these very large mailings.  X3T9 is
     using a commercial mailing service for document distribution
     in 1988.  This will mean an extra charge for the mailings
     which previously were paid for by Chairs or volunteers.
     Mailings will be available only to P, A and O members who
     have paid their Secretariat Service Fees.  A copy of the
     order form for the mailings of the working documents of X3T9
     and its subgroups is attached to the back of this document.
     There will be six mailings a year, one following each
     plenary meeting.

Q:   Is there any charge to attend meetings?
A:   Not ordinarily.  In some cases, particularly for informal ad
     hoc, sometimes called working group,  meetings (which occur
     quite frequently) there may be a small charge for the
     meeting room and coffee. In general, plenary meetings of
     X3T9 and its TGs have a host organization, who makes the
     arrangements and picks up any charges.  Note that this
     typically involves a guarantee with a hotel of a certain
     room occupancy.  A rate is usually negotiated which covers
     the cost of meeting rooms and coffee.  Since X3T9 is a big
     group, the rates are frequently lower than the normal
     commercial rate for the hotel.  If members fail to stay in
     the meeting hotel, or do not properly identify their
     affiliation with X3T9, this may cause an extra charge for
     the host.  In the past, there have been cases where the
     failure of those registering in the hotel to identify their
     affiliation with X3T9 has caused the hotel to cancel meeting
     room reservations, even though the actual number of
     attendees staying in the hotel met the guarantee.

Q:   Must I stay in the meeting hotel?
A:   No.  Sometimes it is not possible for everyone to get
     reservations in the meeting hotel.  People  from the  local
     area may attend (meeting sites, in fact are chosen, in part,
     to be near centers of computer industry activity to
     facilitate this).  Sometimes it is hard for Federal
     employees to get a sufficient per diem to cover the meeting
     hotel.  But you should stay at the meeting hotel if you can,
     because it is more productive, since you will be there to
     talk to other members after the meeting and it is more
     convenient.   In addition, if you don't, you are to some
     extent taking advantage of those who do, since the costs of
     meeting rooms are included in the hotel bill.

Q:   When do X3T9 and its TGs meet?
A:   X3T9 and its TGs meet for one week every two months,
     generally the third week of February, April, June, August,
     and October and the first or second week of December.
     X3T9.2 and X3T9.3 meet on Monday and Tuesday.  X3T9.5 meets
     on Wednesday and Thursday and frequently has working group
     meetings on particular subjects on Monday or Tuesday.  X3T9
     itself meets on Friday.  All meetings ordinarily start at
     9:00 a. m., except for X3T9 which starts at 8:00 a. m.  It
     is sometimes hard to get a good seat at X3T9.2 and X3T9.5
     meetings, so don't be late to these.  The meeting schedule
     for  1988 is:
          - 22-28 FEB 1988, Phoenix, AZ
          - 25-29 APR 1988, St. Petersburg, FL
          - 20-24 JUN 1988, San Jose, CA
          - 15-19 AUG 1988, Denver, CO
          - 10-14 OCT 1988, Boston, MA
          - 5-9 DEC 1988, San Diego, CA

     Schedules do sometimes change.  We try to distribute  sheets
     on meeting arrangements for meeting n +2  and n +1 in the
     mailing following meeting n.  That is, the mailing following
     the April meeting would include sheets on the June and
     August meetings.

Q:   What is appropriate dress for meetings?
A:   Whatever you feel comfortable wearing.  These are
     professional meetings and many folks, perhaps a majority in
     some of the committees, wear suits and ties.  We also have
     lots of grubby engineers and programmers who would sooner
     die than wear a tie.  Shorts, sandals and a T-shirt
     would make you stand out, but are occasionally worn.  As a
     rough general rule the attire at working meetings tends to
     be less formal than regular meetings, and the old hands and
     officers dress less formally than many new participants.