The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Gary Taig editor@melbpc.org.au |
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One of the most significant aspects of Melb PC is that we are a large and diverse democracy. But you would never guess it! Only about one or two percent of members vote to elect new management each year.
Why not? you might ask. Why don't members vote? One of the major reasons would be that often there is no election, no contest. Look at the number of candidates we had standing for President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary in 2005. Yes, there was literally one of each, and that scenario is more the rule than the exception in recent years. That's also why I omitted the word "healthy" from "...large and diverse democracy".
Would you like to change it? I would... No, no, no, I'll try that one again.
Would you like to change it? I will. I'll take it on. Are you prepared to join me? Are you prepared to be part of a planning group that actually works to save Melb PC from itself?
Here's the challenge. Please think about what you believe would be needed in order to achieve that goal and then write to me. Use my private e-mail which is gary at taig.net. Note: it doesn't have that .au on the end.
Annual Elections
Soon we will appoint a new management committee for 2007. Like it or not, you will have no say in the matter. Firstly, even if there is an election, on past performance 98% of members won't vote, and secondly, if you do vote you will no doubt have to select from the limited number of candidates standing. But, unless several or more members have the courage to stand up and be counted, next month, the number of candidates is likely to match the vacancies, exactly, and there will be no election. More on that in a moment.
Let's not detract from the few candidates who put in the hard yards. Let's not fall into the trap of believing and saying that the few standing are playing dictator. They are not. They are hard working volunteers who always work for the good of the group. I've seen and heard too many cynical and distrustful types publicly bagging committees unfairly, calling incumbent committees a bunch of self interested dictators and other grossly unfair descriptions. Those pathetic souls might put what remains of their creative mind to better use, working out ways to increase awareness of this issue out amongst the general membership.
Don't mistake this. I write with a certain authority on the subject. I'm not just mouthing off for the sake of it. Many of you already know but new members won't necessarily realise that I was part of more than a few management committees between 1990 and 1998, including group Secretary twice. I've worked on PC Update for almost all of that time — and as an independent contractor with full responsibility for PC Update since 1999. I'm qualified to write this.
There is one aspect of elections that I kept on the plate warmer, and it has to do with the number of candidates standing. I can guarantee there will be one or more, perhaps even several members of the existing committee who would want to stand aside right now. They've probably has a gut full; their own computing enjoyment would have suffered because of Melb PC duties (and don't I know about that one!) and they would dearly love to see a half dozen new committee candidates step forward. Here's how it will work. Dutifully they will each complete a nomination form, sign and submit it by the deadline and then later, perhaps they will learn there were some new candidates. Happy with that they will phone the Secretary and ask him to withdraw their nomination.
There would be no election but the group would have achieved a small turnover of management. This is not as bad a having no changes at all — it's a lot healthier than having the same old faces sitting up there again next year, but I will leave you to contemplate the dedication of those existing souls who dutifully went ahead and filled in the form and stood again, just in case... just to fill the seats, and of course Oh Yes! the workload. Give them a break! eh? Also if you have any financial or people management experience, please think seriously about giving them some relief and watch out for the nomination form in your next magazine.
Membership Drive
This month we have two detailed reports of happenings at SIG meetings. If you need material to attract your friends as new members, there it is — black and white evidence of just how useful Melb PC membership can be to the novice computer user. At regular SIG meetings — the lifeblood of Melb PC — they can and will learn heaps. Get them joined up and bring them along. Perhaps buy them a Gift Certificate.
Virus Protection
If you don't have good virus protection you should get organised without delay. I had one of those unexpected "heart attack" experiences a few days ago. It was hard to believe that someone would send an entry to the photo competition on a virus infected floppy disk. I got one helluva fright when copying an image off the floppy. All my antivirus protection jumped into action and killed it, and stopped the modification of the Windows Registry, almost before I realised what was happening, but it was a fright I could well have done without. It takes a little while to settle down after such a injection of adrenalin.
Reprinted from the August 2006 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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