Bob,
In these pandemic-crazed times it's good that you remind us of the good that has, and continues to take hold, about the fruits of your et al. collaboration.
For a mid-sized experiment as we had at Princeton, the collaboration was immensely beneficial. Our controls staff was light, but with the invaluable guidance of dedicated EPICS developers we were able to build, configure, and operate our control system. The collaboration meetings that I first attended were smaller and feisty; the Gurd's were courageous enough to welcome all to their home for socializing and cheer! The leaders' passion for success-by-all was inspiring.
Best regards,
-ps