Keeping the brain drain to a minimum is more of a challenge for a computer community of more than three decades. Unless the system gains fresh users over such a period, its knowledge base will age, retire or move on to other, more lucrative projects.

Losing any education opportunity for the HP 3000 sets limits on how long it can thrive. But Paul Edwards and Frank Alden Smith didn't have much choice when they decided to close up mpe-education.com. It was to be a Web-based 3000 classroom, running on a proven, online teaching app. The two seasoned training pros worked hard at getting HP 3000 instruction materials out of HP's hands, once the vendor ended its 3000 classes. The HP Development Corporation has made the turnover of such HP intellectual property a serious task for third parties like Edwards and Smith.

But even when independents like that duo step up, customers need to follow in their footsteps. The 3000 community is full of entrepreneurs, not organizations running off endowments. Business has to materialize to promote an idea into an enterprise. It didn't happen for mpe-education, despite interest from 3000 customers including HP's Bangalore operations. Nobody could seem to find their checkbook.

Edwards and Smith have not abandoned education altogether. But to learn anything about IMAGE, Suprtool, MPE/iX administration, networking or other computing arts, you will have to contract with them to appear at your site. The mpe-education.com venture was established to let you learn online.