The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial David Jitts

Our past Treasurer, John Drake and current Assistant Editor, John Wilkins, did not seek re-election. Many thanks for your valuable contribution, gentlemen, and we look forward to your continuing participation in the Group in other ways. 

The elections were performed in accordance with the new Rules. The Returning Officer payed tribute to the excellent way in which they were conducted. It's nice to see another example of how Melb PC is getting its act together. 

This is the last edition of PC Update for 1987. The Group tends to go into recess during January so there is no edition in that month. But you can look forward to the February edition for two reasons. Firstly, I am having a break and John Wilkins will be the Editor. The second reason is that I know he is planning to include the first issue of the Public Domain catalogue in that issue. 

Last month I announced a contest for a Twelfth Commandment to cover up for my little boo-boo. The prize of a packet of diskettes looks perfectly safe - I did not receive a single entry. Hey gang, this terrible apathy is very discouraging. While it was not an actual entry, I did hear a great suggestion from Ray Watson, "Let there be fun in computing". Bung it in, Ray, it's a beauty. 

Not much to report regarding the search for a "home" for Melb PC. There were a few interesting possibilities but they seem to have fallen through for one reason or another. The current remaining option is taking space in Compuskill's premises at Yarraville. For more information on Compuskill see David Owen's article elsewhere in this edition. The progress has been so lousy that I intend to recommend to the Committee that they sack me from the house hunting sub-committee. 

In his column in Computer Weekly, Paul Zucker, that well known computer journo, threw out a challenge to all User Groups. The challenge was to "consider what you could do for others in the community". So how about throwing off that lethargy (see above), accept his challenge and consider it? If you can get beyond the consideration stage and want to actually do something, call Yayah Abdal-Azziz because I understand he is looking at this very subject. Should you be reading this, Paul, what reaction did you get up in Sydney? (Paul is heavily involved in the Sydney User Group) 

The price of floppy disks has fallen to such an extent that the cost of a mailer and postage to return contributor's disks exceeds the cost of the disk. For this reason I have been carting a pile of disks to each meeting and returning them to each contributor whom I can recognise. But the pile is growing. If I have one of your disks, please collect it from me at the monthly meeting. 

I have another suggestion to contributor's. Unless you have a strong desire to protect your privacy, what about including your phone number in the body of your text. That way, a reader who wishes to discuss your article or perhaps contribute to your understanding of the subject, will be able to easily get in touch. That would make our articles somewhat different from those in the computer glossies. 

With Christmas just around the corner, I would like to wish all my favourite people a very joyous Xmas and a prosperous New Year. This is also an appropriate time to say "thank you" for your excellent contributions which have made PC Update into the premier User Group Newsletter. Thanks also to the members of the PC Update team (John Wilkins, John Swale, Dudley Horque, Peter Yendle, Mr. Proton and, last but not least, Mike Brudenall) for the splendid help during the past year without which the magazine would never have reached you, the members.

Reprinted from the December 1987 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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