 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
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Purposes of Our Group
The following is an extract from our Group's "Rules" that were last published about three years ago and a copy of which was supplied on disk to those who joined at PC89. If anyone wants a printed copy of the full rules they should ring our Administrative Officer.
"The purposes of the Group are to provide, on a non-profit basis, education and training to advance the effective utilisation of the personal computer by:
(1) Advancing computer literacy
(2) Advancing the art and science of information processing through education and interchange of ideas
(3) Keeping members abreast of developments in computing and information technology and enabling members to exchange information and experience
(4) Representing computer users in public debate and by acting and speaking on their behalf where they would be affected by proposed legislation or other regulatory measures
(5) Providing a forum for the exchange of views amongst computer users and between computer users and the computer industry
(6) Co-operating, supporting or joining with, or in, other organisations with similar purposes
(7) Undertaking other activities beneficial to the Group"
That is our raison d'etre.
Get a Modem
I bought my first modem seven years ago, when there were about three RCP/M bulletin boards in Melbourne. 300 baud was too slow for me to get enthused about, but eventually 2400 bps became affordable. Now I feel that a modem is the best, cost-effective accessory you can buy if you want to gain information about any subject.
USENET
I have written an article about USENET, the international system that I use almost daily to get much of my information and to exchange mail once in a while. Members of the UK IBM PC User Group get access to that system as an optional extra. USENET has similarities to the PC bulletin board network, but I maintain that the two have enough dissimilarities to remain apart. My compilations of the "Unix Newsgroups" have come from USENET, so you should have a good idea of the quality of replies you can hope to get to your questions.
If truly believe that Melb PC should try to establish a link to USENET. The PC BBSs are good for obtaining the latest programs; USENET is good for the information and personal help you stand to receive.
Write to me or leave a message on the BBS if you support the idea (but please don't ring.) If you agree but tell nobody, it's no use to us.
Special Offer
The group cannot "recommend" any product, but Colin Macauley has finally convinced me to try Telemate, a shareware communications program. This one leaves Telix for dead, and I lend my personal endorsement to it. I am registering a personal copy so that I can take advantage of
EMS and other advanced features available only in the registered version. If you were to buy a set of the shareware version, it would cost $15 - why not get a registered version for $33? See the inside front cover.
I cannot recommend that anyone in this country should register their copy of Telix - the author did not respond to three copies the group registered for use by the editors; he ignored two letters from our Shareware registration coordinator and a fax from me. I have seen a similar complaint on USENET too, and I am puzzled by it all.
Missing Articles
Some disks have gone astray, I am sorry to say. Our Admin Officer mailed some disks to Charles Wright instead of uploading them to the BBS as per the new procedure. The only problem is that Charles has gone interstate for a few months. If your article or advertisement is not in this issue, please resubmit.
I'd also like to give introductory articles on viruses a rest, as everyone should have got the message by now. If you haven't obtained some shareware or commercial antivirals by now, you're courting trouble.
The committee has approved that the second BBS telephone line and a rather ancient XT will be turned over to PC Update. We have waited over a year for a 'third' line, so this BBS will be used solely by authors and subeditors for uploading articles. It will not be an Opus system, if possible, and it will certainly not be connected to other external systems as I don't want to become a sysop. Try the number in mid to late March.
Reprinted from the March 1990 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
