 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Guest Editorial Gary Taig - Production Manager, Features Editor prod-mgr@melbpc.org.au |
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The millennium comes to a close. Yes, I'm one of those people who believes a
ten year period finishes at the END of the tenth year. Likewise, the current two thousand year period is just
ending. But, reality was blurred, wasn't it? Perhaps many of those who celebrated last year really only
wanted an excuse for two lots of parties. That's cool.
Melb PC's Future?
What's in store for Melb PC during the first few years of this third millennium? Will it survive and grow,
and go on to become one of those lasting institutions? Will there be a famous old building somewhere in
Melbourne in the year 2034, several stories high, filled to capacity each week night with hundreds of people
attending SIGs as we approach our 50th Anniversary?
No? Well, perhaps we'll attend virtual meetings instead. It's not difficult to imagine that most new
residential accommodation in 30 years time could include an Internet meeting room where cameras are
automatically activated as we enter the room and the full-wall, flat monitor flashes to life, displaying a
maze of small, moving images - the faces of the people already involved in this morning's meeting. Point your
laser beam at one of the images to zoom in and look closely some object your friend Joe Bloggs is dismantling
and discussing, somewhere in Iceland, or South America. Press another button on the laser to zoom back out
and discuss Joe's problem with the other meeting participants located in fourteen different countries. Will
change be quite so rapid? I think not, but who would dare write the official forecast.
In the meantime, Melb PC thrives as we see constant change and development in technology provide many more
reasons for us to meet regularly and share experiences. Schools will barely cope with the task of educating
our children and grandchildren. There will be many people who need a club like Melb PC in order to learn and
share learning experiences. Some for purely social reasons because electronic communi-cation will never
replace meeting at the club house or place of work.
So, this I will predict. Melbourne PC User Group "will" have its 50th anniversary in 2034. The size, format
and location of the meeting place being the only details in doubt. Our ongoing growth will be driven by a
strong community spirit and the need for like minded company: the challenges to be met and the obstacles to
be confronted and overcome. They exist today, they drive our current growth and they won't go away. How long
before our 50th? Just thirty three years? Many of us know how quickly the last 33 years has passed.
PC Update 2001
Next year PC Update will be greatly improved. It will contain lots more news about the group and I'm hoping
that by the end of the year we will be able to regularly publish 96 pages instead of the current 64 pages. We
need more writers though, so if you have something to share please consider involvement.
Many thanks to all those wonderful people who contributed their writing skills during the last 12 months.
Thanks especially to our regular writers who provide the substance upon which it's relatively easy to build a
monthly magazine. Without your regular input, PC Update would be a lesser publication.
In the meantime, if you play Internet games and you're thinking of upgrading to Windows Me you'd be well
advised to read Major Keary's summaries of three current books . Major tells of a frightening and some might
say, not unexpected feature of Windows Me.
Enjoy the approaching festive season.
Reprinted from the December 2000 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
