SWUG Story
W. T. Adams, L. W. Bouett, Susan Gamble · SPE Computer Applications · 1995
Summary This paper documents the rise, the history, the workings, and the future prospects of a vigorous and unusual software user group. The software with which the user group mostly concerns itself is a single vender's set of independent programs, which analyze geological, reservoir, and production data stored in the vender's proprietary database structure. Since its introduction about 7 years ago, this PCbased software has become widespread in many of the client companies and much of the industry; it is often treated as a de facto standard. The user group is independent of the vender, but works closely with the vender on both bugs and enhancements. It consists of members from both small and major operating companies, service companies, as well as consultants. The group documents its work and keeps in touch with members, but it is officially, and in most other respects, an informal group. Its one official function may be unique to our industry: the group has a representative with a seat on the vender's software development committee (SDC), whose recommendations are carried directly to the vender's parent company's board of directors (BOD).