 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Major Keary |
 |
The size of PC Update is directly controlled by the amount of advertising we receive. Less advertisements, less pages for articles, reviews, and views.
Some businesses have a policy of supporting user groups by taking significant amounts of advertising space. They take a long-term view of their market and Meib PC is grateful to them.
Not all computer-related businesses can afford that. Consequently most of our advertisers regularly assess the effectiveness of the space they take in PC Update. No increase in sales, no more advertising. It's as simple as that.
Members can make a positive contribution by choosing the services or products of advertisers in PC Update. At least, "please consider". We, as individuals, have also to make commercial decisions about what we buy and where we buy it; but keep in mind that advertisers in PC Update are helping support gout magazine. Encourage acquaintances who might not be members of Melb PC to consider our advertisers.
It also helps to mention PC Update whenever you can. Things like, "I saw this product reviewed in PC Update, if repeated often enough have an impact on retailers. Even telling them that you decided not to buy a particular product because of a PC Update review will help drive home the message: Melb PC is a significant force in the marketplace.
Take any opportunity, such as when browsing in a bookshop, to mention Melb PC and PC Update to sales staff who may not be aware of the size and spread of our membership.
Persuading someone to take advertising space would help, but remember that results have to be seen or the advertiser will quickly drop out.
Disclaimer
The fact that a product or service is advertised in PC Update does not mean Melb PC endorses, guarantees, or otherwise takes responsibility for the product or service.
Should it be found that an advertiser's claims are not correct, or there are numerous and substantiated complaints about the advertiser, then PC Update will decline further advertisements.
While some officers of the Group may make an effort to represent a member's interests in a dispute with an advertiser, that cannot be guaranteed. Melb PC is unable to act on behalf of its members in such matters.
However
Feedback is important and will help others. If you do have a complaint or adverse comment about a product or service PC Update will, within the constraints of the libel law, publish it. We have to be fair, so mere assertion will not be sufficient. If a member feels aggrieved, and cares to raise the matter with the Secretary, Melt PC will certainly consider the issue.
While you may not feel so strongly as to go that far, Melb PC would be pleased to receive brief letters, or messages on the BBS, in order to identify a common problem.
At the same time, we would like to hear about the good vibes. If you are particularly pleased with some aspect of a transaction, please let us know. If an advertiser attracts sufficient plaudits, then it is fair that the word be spread. It also helps us to assess complaints.
Wanted
On the matter of complaints, one I often hear is that PC Update does not publish enough articles for beginners or those just emerging from the beginner chrysalis. Strangely, it generally comes from members who regard themselves as at least intermediate users.
While it is easy to respond, "Well, write something", as an observation it is true that PC Update needs to carry such material. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to commission articles on particular topics, or for particular levels of experience.
So, it is back to "Well, write something", or at least make a constructive suggestion about the kind of topic you think would help beginners. Perhaps by casting the mind back to your beginner days would help get fingers to keyboard. What seemed so difficult to understand then, but is almost axiomatic now, would be a good starting point.
If you are a beginner, then set down some of the things that need better explanation than is available in manuals, or which have been a source of frustration or perplexity. Someone can be found to write an explanation.
Those who have moved on a little from beginner status should think about recording their respective experiences for the benefit of others. The problems tussled with at the cost of sleep, but which dissolved as comprehension burst through, might well be the subject of an article of great use to other newcomers.
"I can't write" is no excuse. Some of PC Updates best articles were received in unpublishable form The indefatigable efforts of sub-editors have wrestled appalling copy into the kind of writing which has helped PC Update win world recognition.
Have a go. Send in your sow's ear. Short pieces on specific topics, no matter how elementary, are needed. By 'short' I mean 500 - 1,000 words, setting out the problem and how it was (or should have been) resolved. If it needs to be longer, then go to it.
If making a suggestion, or posing a question, remember that in Melb PC we do not regard any question as 'stupid' just because there is a simple answer. Asking questions is an important way of finding information.
There is, of course, already a Q&A section in
PC Update that caters for short questions and brief answers; beginners are encouraged to use that or the
Q&A session at our monthly meetings. However, there are matters which are more general or require longer explanations and it is that kind of thing I would like to see published.
If an article in some other user publication catches your eye, please let me know. Because there is a considerable backlog of articles submitted by our own members, such material would have to be of exceptional interest to be used; but, don't hesitate to draw attention to articles published elsewhere. In almost all cases
PC Update would be able to use such material with suitable acknowledgment.
Material for publication should be on disk in unformatted ASCII. Most word processor applications have a facility for either opening an ASCII file, saving to ASCII, or converting to ASCII. By unformatted I mean no justification, no tabs, no fancy characters outside the 0 - 127 range, and no margins. The author's name and contact telephone number(s) - work and/or home
- should be provided.
If you have a modem, then simply upload to the PC Update BBS, the numbers for which are listed in each issue.
Reprinted from the October 1992 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
