\centerline{\bf Wheel re-invented at UMIST!}
\smallskip
\noindent
UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) run a
\TeX\ archive too! It is a lot more limited than the Aston Archive, and is
really only a small subset of components, targetted specifically for
workstations using SunView or X-windows (and printing on a \PS\ printer). In
theory, the archive is for Science and Engineering Research Council
grantholders. I assume that all grantholders get the Sun {\sc sparc2} as part
of the grant! The archive covers \TeX, \MF, \BibTeX, a {\tt dvips} and a pair
of previewers. There are the usual tools, but in addition they have an
interactive speller.

Some interesting questions arise from this archive. First: why? All of this is
already available at Aston. Why is public domain software being supposedly
restricted to SERC grantholders? And the key one: did money pass hands? There
might be one other: what do the SERC grantholders without Sun workstations do?
For all that  SERC are to be commended for their  identification of the great
utility of \TeX\ and \TeX\ tools for the science and engineering community. And
for their willingness to put some resource into this general area.

Since there is no way to restrict the archive to particular people, here's how
to use it: send mail to
\begintt
info-server@uk.ac.umist.cns
\endtt
The information server sends out files contained in mail messages. The requests
are of the form:
\begintt
request: subject
topic: topic within that subject
request: end
\endtt
For example, information about \TeX\ can be obtained by the following message:
\begintt
request: catalogue
topic: tex
request: end
\endtt
There is also a line-limit command for those restricted in message size.

In order to use {\sc ftp} there is a guest account (that is, username {\tt
guest}), with a password of your email address (I guess this means that
anything will do: I cannot believe they have an index of all {\sc serc}
grantholders email addresses, far less kept them up to date!).

UMIST also run a \TeX\ advice service. 
The support line address is |tex-support@uk.ac.umist|.  The mailbox is
monitored  `regularly'.
Again, it isn't very clear either how
this is funded, or who is elegible for advice. If there is money floating
around in SERC for the support of worthy \TeX\ projects, there are lots more
which could do with some help or encouragement. \author{\mwc}