This situation calls for a MINIMAL (not aesthetic, canonical, or excellence-seeking) list of guidelines for programming and documentation. Not only will it help prevent further damage to Forth's reputation, but it will serve right away to reassure the customer. SUPPORT O F F I G / C O M M U N I T Y ACTIVITIE$ IS STILL NECESSARY Existing activities remain important. The Forth Interest Group (FIG) sponsors important conferences like FORML (Forth Modification Laboratory) and the Real Time Programming Convention publishes Forth Dimensions, which among other things links Forth users together internationally and provides a place for entrepreneurs to advertise operates a bulletin board system on the GEnie wide area network (which also provides an electronic marl backbone) conducts chapter meetings, with the right combination of informality, openness, and spirit of mutual help caters to hobbyists as well as professionals (one such hobbyist led the author to a major client) The Institute of Applied Forth Research runs the Journal o f Forth Application and Research (a refereed, archival journal) and the annual Rochester Forth Conference, and has begun conducting specialized conferences and workshops. The ANS Forth technical committee is working to give Forth the credentials that
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