The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group In the Saddle Peter Smith

First, a big welcome to all the new members who joined recently. Thanks to the volunteers who manned our stand at PC92, over 300 new members signed up at PC92, and about as many have joined since, having met us the show. 

So, as a new member, what do you do? That's largely up to you - come to the monthly meeting, visit a SIG, buy disks or shareware, go to a training course or use the BBS. The most important thing for any of these is to make yourself known. For example, if you come to the monthly meeting, why not collar someone who looks like they've been there before, and ask them what goes on. (If you happen to pick another new face, join it and hunt as a pack, there's strength in numbers!) If your target can't help, ask him/her who can! Or pick a likely-sounding SIG from the SIG pages at the end of the magazine - call the convenor to see if it suits your needs, or just turn up - you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised. Or look at the Shareware Catalogue. If you don't already have the one we published in August, get one from the office. Browse it - you are bound to find something of interest, which will occupy you for hours, for just $5 or $6. Or see what training is on offer, if what you want isn't there, let us know - it only needs ten to run a course. Or call the Bass and read the messages, there is much to be learned from other's problems and answers and you can participate too. 

What's Happening 

This is being written early in September, so by the time you are reading it, we will have moved further forward. I'm looking forward to reading this issue of PC Update - it will the first one for two years to have things in it that I haven't already read. In my clean-up and hand-over to Major Keary I've discovered a few articles that sank below the bottom of the pile - my apologies to the authors concerned, you can expect them to appear over the next few issues.

Monthly meetings

Hayden May, a member of Melb PC and AUSOM (the Apple User's Society of Melbourne) has agreed to coordinate our monthly meetings. Already he has a number of speakers booked up for this and next year - look out for a calendar next month. He would also like a few volunteers to help with the month-to-month tasks of ensuring the room is organised, equipment is available and so on-the myriad of tasks that make it just too onerous for one person to handle.

PC Update 

We are investigating a number of ways of reducing costs, without impacting on the size, content or quality of our magazine. 

Office

David Colechin has replaced Sam in the office and is rapidly getting on top of our problems. You may have already met him at our September meeting. 

APCUG Summit

This is an annual meeting of world-wide User Group representatives, held to coincide with COMDEX Fall, the largest computer show in the world. Last year your President, Editor and APCUG representative attended, the committee has decided to repeat that this year, subsidising part of the cost. We hope to obtain sponsorship to cover the balance. 

Home Computer Show

This will be held in November. It appears, at present, that the cost of the stand will not make it viable for us to be present at this three-day show. 

A New Home

Bill Westhead is actively looking for rental premises that might better suit our short and long term needs. Hopefully, more details next month! 

What's In A Name? 

Indeed, who are we? Melbourne PC User Group Incorporated is our official name, but it's a bit of a mouthful to say (and write). We frequently need a "short name" to refer to ourselves - to save RSI or breath! We have a logo - it's on every page of the magazine, our letterhead, membership cards and so on. It has a good "Short Name" - Melb PC. Melb PC has the advantage of identifying our main location - Melbourne - it also has PC as an identifiable object. Its a good name. We shouldn't use alternative abbreviations like MPCUG or M.P.C.U.G. or MELB PCUG as they tend to be confusing. (Incidentally, in both names the PC has no spacing.) Please, when you refer to our group, use just the two names, long and short-with a bit of luck they could become household wordsl (You may have noticed that we try to always change any odd form, before we print a letter or article in PC Update.)

Your Views

This month the topic is our BBS. Do you use it? If not why not? Would you be prepared to pay for downloading time? (Note: this is not a policy, nor even a proposal at this stage, please don't get hot under the collar!) Should you pay for connect time? What sort of, and how much, shareware/public domain software should there be on the board? Are there any missing special topics we should have message streams for? Send your thoughts, comments, suggestions, criticisms and praises (on paper or fax, please!) to our office.

Reprinted from the October 1992 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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