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A PAG Christmas Carol-PAG member of things now past

By Mark Erickson posted 12-21-2009 03:55 PM

  
I am the PAG Member of things now past. To those of you who have carried the HEUG spirit in your hearts all year — a hearty thank you from the PAG! You have lived the lessons of user communication and camaraderie that the HEUG was designed to promote.

To those of you who may not have not been as active as you wanted or intended to be this year, there is still time to change — to get involved — and what better time than this Holiday Season on the eve of Alliance 2010. Learn from the mishaps of Ebenezer Heugmember as I share with you the story of my visit to HIM...

Ebenezer! Ebenezer! Ebenezer Heugmember! I am the first PAG Member spirit whose coming has been foretold. I am the PAG Member of things now past. I am here out of concern for your HEUG welfare and to visit the shadows and times of your past. Each year in March a conference known as Alliance, offered Campus Solutions enlightenment, yet you chose a different path. A stranger asked for aid through the listserv, yet you did not respond, though you knew the answer…


"I wish," Scrooge muttered, putting his hand on his keyboard, and looking about him, after drying his eyes with his cuff: "but it's too late now."
"What is the matter?" asked the PAG Member of things now past.
"Nothing," said Scrooge. "Nothing. There was a user that posted a problem with loading test scores on the listserv. I should like to have responded as I knew how to fix it: that's all." The PAG Member smiled thoughtfully, and waved its hand: saying as it did so, "Let us see another Alliance Conference!"


When a PAG survey requested your contribution upon a pressing matter, yet you chose to overlook it. When you could have submitted a presentation to the Alliance conference, yet you were anxious to…


"You recollect the way that your institution implemented online applications?" inquired the PAG Member of things now past.
"Remember it!" cried Scrooge with fervour -- "I could present it blindfolded."
"Strange to have forgotten to do so for so many years," observed the PAG Member. "Let us go on."


When you found an issue that could have been shared with your colleagues on Issue Tracker, but you decided against it…


"PAG Member!" said Scrooge in a broken voice, "remove me from this place."
"I told you these were shadows of the things that have been," said the PAG Member. "That they are what they are, do not blame me!"
"Remove me!" Scrooge exclaimed, "I cannot bear it!"
He turned upon the PAG Member, and seeing that it looked upon him with a face, in which in some strange way there were fragments of all the HEUG faces it had shown him, wrestled with it.
"Leave me! Take me back to when I could participate in the HEUG. Haunt me no longer!"


Do not repeat the mistakes of previous years! Do not be haunted by your past…


Thanks to all of you for a great experience on the PAG! As a descending member I appreciate your making my experience on the PAG a fulfilling one. It was a pleasure serving you and moving our issues forward. Happy Holidays!


Mark Erickson
PAG Member of things now past

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