 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla editor@melbpc.org.au |
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Under New Management
The elections are over. I was particularly gratified to see that the high cost of magazine production did not concern too many voters. Newer members would be interested to know that over 85 percent of respondents to two successive annual surveys said they joined this group for PC Update, and several people have asked previous committees to raise subscription charges if warranted. Through my involvement with user groups around the world I have seen totally opposite ideologies working presumably well. Some groups take pride in accepting no commercial advertising in the interests of impartiality; others want advertising to cover all costs. I would prefer neither. Some groups also take pride in charging low dues and having little or no surplus at the end of the year. I like Melb PC the way it is.
New Products
Both Grammatik and RightWriter for Windows now handle Word for Windows 2.0 files. A feature in Borland Turbo Pascal for Windows 1.5 and BC++ 3.1 that blew my socks off is the way in which the source code is shown in many fonts and colours depending on the context. For instance, if you forget to place a semicolon at the end of a line then the next line changes attributes, making it easier to spot typographical errors. If you are getting CorelDRAW! 3.0 make sure it is release 3.OB or later. The first release had some bugs that delayed my review; its Release Notes should have had the word "Beta" deleted-a typo, they told me. Still, it is a terrific product. I bought a MicroRef Desktop Publishing Ruler in the US for US$9.95. It is an essential tool for any DTP addict.
Controversial Reviews
I did not publish a list of overdue reviews partly because it would have embarrassed a couple of the unsuccessful candidates and there were enough sour grapes. Software dates so quickly that it Is pointless chasing such people - they simply get struck off our list of reviewers. I can only apologise to some of our advertisers who might be wondering why their donations have not been reviewed. I am not responsible for people who approach vendors on behalf of PC Update without my knowledge. Contrary to what an advertiser said to me recently, we do not pay reviewers to say nice things about their competitors' products.
Advance Australia Unfair?
I would love to support Australian computing enterprise - but when local software authors make such remarks I despair. Whenever possible, we will endeavour to showcase an Australian computing success story or a product review. If you know of a good story then please contact me via PC Update.
Writing Reviews
If you are concerned that the same few people seem to get to write the reviews, then you need to know that these people are self-starters. They deliver on schedule - we're the ones who can't print their reviews fast enough. Yes, there is still a little backlog of articles. If you want to be a reviewer please contact me. We are going to tighten up the review process without getting too bureaucratic.
We publish user perceptions, not laboratory tests. Yes, sometimes we err, but in good faith. We had other things on our minds these past nine months.
Under Strict Supervision, Mr Chairman
When Lloyd named me as the new editor at the June monthly meeting, our resident public conscience got up and hoped aloud that I would be kept "under strict supervision." He needn't have worried.
Although my name has appeared here as Editor for the past four issues, PC Update was produced entirely by Peter Smith just as he did (so well) for the previous two years. My temporary appointment was part of the peace accord. I continued to work as Reviews Editor but wrote the editorials. Nearly everything else was the status quo. Some of you have rung me, faxed me, or congratulated me in person for winning the BIX award, so this little secret needs to be aired. Thanks again Peter (waving to him on the opposite page), it is a shame you never got to write a farewell editorial.
Contrary to what the interim Secretary said about Peter's unauthorised use of the group's intellectual property, namely the PC Update logo, the facts are different. I am the creator of that work and did not transfer my rights to it to Melb PC. The Editor has my permission to use it for legitimate purposes, and I gave Peter the permission to use it in his campaign. For what it is worth, the so-called "logo" is merely a kerned version of the magazine's name in Adobe's copyrighted typeface Futura Bold Oblique.
Goodbye (Again)
I didn't stand for election mainly for family reasons but also to silence the noisy elements that have alleged that there were too many PC Update staffers on the committee. If five out of fifteen people looking after our main asset is "too many", then I am flabbergasted. I was also incensed at the allegations that unspecified people were offering review software to members as incentives to vote for Peter. I was on the previous elected committee not necessarily because you read my 100-word bio and voted for me but because the secretary said at two committee meetings that my electronic nomination via the BBS was good enough for him and because the committee co-opted Gary and me to be on the safe side. The irony is that two others on that committee handed in their nominations after the deadline and have not been questioned to this date (I can say with some glee that they were on "our" side).
Anyway, fresh blood is a good thing for any committee. I will be busy enough writing also for Brisbug (the Brisbane group) and PC User, and with APCUG duties.
I go on record again that my only allegiance to this group is the magazine, not any individual or faction. It was fun being the real Editor for two-and-a-half years until late 1990 but it wasn't this time around.
Reprinted from the September 1992 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
