Randy Brukardt recommended that I reply in my role as president of the
Ada Resource Association (ARA) about the kinds of things we are doing
to promote Ada.  Here are the five main things we do:

   1) Fund the deployment and maintenance of the Ada Information
      Clearinghouse web site (http://www.adaic.org)

   2) Support the ISO WG9 Ada Rapporteur Group by providing funds for Randy
      Brukardt to attend their meetings, and to maintain the
      various issues, commentaries, technical reports, and amendment
      proposals relating to Ada 95.

   3) Support the Ada Conformity Assessment Authority (Randy again ;-)
      in its role of maintaining the ACATS (aka ACVC) suite of tests,
      and in overseeing conformance assessment activities for Ada compilers.

   4) Support SIGAda, primarily through supporting the appearance
      of their booth at various *non* Ada conferences, and through
      grants to students working with SIGAda and/or the SIGAda web site.

   5) Support Ann Brandon, an Ada-savvy technical writer and
      public relations consultant, in the creation of press releases,
      white papers, success stories, and magazine articles relating to Ada.
      Ann has also helped others who have been interested in writing
      articles about Ada for the popular press.  If you would like Ann
      to review an article you are planning to submit somewhere, she can be
      reached at:

            mailto:[log in to unmask]

Unfortunately, the ARA has a rather limited budget (approximately $75K/year),
and a majority of our funds are already tied up supporting Ada "infrastructure"
things like the ARG and the ACAA, so full scale advertising campaigns are not
practical.  Most people agree that articles and news items in the popular
press are more cost-effective than are pure advertising, so we have focused
our public relations money there.  Suggestions for other cost effective
ways to promote Ada are very welcome.  Send your thoughts to me
(mailto:[log in to unmask]) or Ann (see above).

-Tucker Taft  [log in to unmask]