 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial David Jitts |
In the last issue, I foreshadowed some changes to the format of PC Update. This will be a gradual process but a few are beginning to creep in - you can see that the front and back covers are a little different.
The inside of the front cover is now wholly devoted to the Contact Directory. It is good to see that there are a few more names there but there is plenty of room for more. So why not add your name to the list of members who are willing to give up a little time to help their fellow members?
The Committee has been changed to reflect the new Constitution and in the process, we picked up three new Committee members. Great!! Welcome, gentlemen.
Welcome also to our new DOS Comer Editor, Mr. Proton. Who is this man? Alas my lips are sealed, but here is a hint -there are a heck of a lot of protons that go to make up our Mr. Proton. And he has convinced me. I will install DOS 3.? into the new IBM AT when it arrives! (See Pres Said for more details.)
Of course I am looking forward to getting a faster computer with a large capacity hard disk drive. The most significant thing about it, however, is that it is the very first time that IBM have offered to provide some form of sponsorship of our Group. I recall that our inaugural meeting, when Lloyd gave birth to Melb PC, was held in IBM's auditorium but we had to find another place for our second meeting since IBM were concerned about possible breaches of their security. This new generous sponsorship must surely mean that we have arrived in the eyes of Big Blue.
The Boston Computer Society recently had its tenth birthday and its Journal corned a series of articles which reviewed the progress of the Society over its comparatively short lifetime. They made very interesting reading.
What struck me particularly is an article which described how in 1980 it rented its first tiny little office and hired its first, part-time employee. The following year its membership reached 2000. This seems to exactly parallel our own current membership and ambitions of getting a permanent "home".
Well now, seven years later, the BCS has over 23,000 members, several full-time employees and is planning to build its own Computer Discovery Centre for which it has established a $1.5 million capital fund. Mitch Kapor (founder of Lotus) and Steve Wozniak (founder of Apple) have each donated $100,000 towards that fund. I wonder if we will ever reach such dizzy heights.
In the meantime, coming back to earth, if any member knows of a place where we can hold SIG meetings plus have a small permanent office and which doesn't cost an arm and a leg, please let David Owen (our esteemed Secretary) know as soon as possible. It would be nice to think that we can find a permanent home before the end of the year.
Elsewhere in this Edition is the Notice for our AGM. This includes the election of office bearers and ordinary Committee members. It is an appropriate time to reflect on the achievements of your present Committee up to date.
On the plus side, I believe the administrative functions have been changed from utter chaos to a very smooth operation and this is entirely due to the efforts of David Owen, the Secretary, and John Drake, the Treasurer. Our other functions, such as Public Domain Software distribution and PC Update have seen some improvements on an already high standard. All this was achieved without any feuding.
Our biggest failing has been the lack of any new directions and initiatives. For example:
- The talk of developing stronger links with other User Groups across State
and/or CPU boundaries has proved to be so much pie-in-the-sky.
- The Group's cash reserves continue to grow but we have no long term plans
on how to utilise these funds.
- We have failed to build up a new core of enthusiastic members who will carry on when the current crop of "workers" burn out.
Reprinted from the September 1987 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
