Melb PC Personality - August 1994

As Melb PC's Training Coordinator, and member #419, Tom has been actively involved almost from our club's inception ten years ago. He is now the mainstay of our training programs.

Spending, on average, three days a week and anything from 3 to 14 hours each of those days in the office, Tom's rugged, likable presence (from the twinkle in his eye to his reciting of poetry) is familiar to many members. As a result, we now have competitively-priced, quality-controlled training covering everything from "How To Buy a Computer" (which is free to the public) to "Command Line Computing" or specific software programs such as "Databases using Quattro Pro". From beginners to general, from single sessions to short courses to weekend workshops, Tom has coordinated a varied, valuable and accessible training calendar of which Melb PC can be very proud.

Born in Scotland, Tom accidentally stayed in Australia when as a merchant seaman, his ship left Perth without him (one too many parties) in 1955. Using his rigging skills, he worked through the Pilbarra to the Canning Stock Route, from stations to gold mines then moved to Darwin and took up diving; staying in the Australian North West for 7- 8 years.

Over the next few years, between skippering fishing and survey trawlers ("I've skippered most things") he continued his diving mostly for training, photography (including for the CSIRO) and for fittings for oil rigs. Going back to school at the University of WA he completed a BSc in Human Mechanics.

Tom first came to Victoria in 1977 to supervise the building of the Underground Rail Loop and continued on to the Latrobe Valley as a Plant Supervisor. It was during his diving and in Plant maintenance that he first came in contact with computers. Tom recalls with amusement having transferred an insurance policy from one car he sold to one he had bought. With the new policy he received an account for $0.00, so he ignored it. A month later, another bill, same amount and he continued to ignore it. After six months he received a threatening letter saying that his policy would be suspended unless he paid the $0.00. Shaken into action, he was told this was a computer process which was not rectified until he sent his cheque for $0.00. Then, in Latrobe Valley, when a computer decided to issue four gallons rather than 40 gallons of oil for a D9 earth mover Tom, the man of action decided he needed to know more about computers!

In 1978, Tom's first course was in computer processing and data processing, all of which became redundant by 1980; learning Basic as a language being the only useful retention. However, it "got me interested". Having written, both professionally and for recreation (technical writing, fiction and poetry), most of his life he became inspired upon first seeing a word processor attached to a computer at a Computer Show in 1982. In 1983, he bought a 256 kB PC with twin floppies, composite green screen and 9-pin dot matrix printer for $4,700 and was at the "leading edge of computing". He also bought Multimate - on two discs, one for the word processor, one for the spell checker! Needless to say, he has upgraded since and now runs a 486DX-33 with 270 MB HD and 8 MB RAM. He also has a 286 with 2 MB RAM and an XT with 640 kB, which he likes to use for his word processing. It has the original "10 tonne" IBM keyboard "which will only fit an XT". From his home in Lara, he currently works for himself as a consultant in viruses and setups.

Tom has also contributed to many other community groups. In diving he was Federal Secretary of the Australian Underwater Federation (early 60s), Chairman of the Technical Committee (which looks after SCUBA), and a Founding Father of the Federation of Australian Underwater Instructors - for which he became Regional Director. Also in the 60s he set up the Academy of Martial Arts (from his primary base in Aikido - where he remains active).

Currently he is very involved with the Melb PC Community Outreach Program where together with Peter Freeman he has been coordinating, repairing and placing donated computers with needy groups for the past 4 years. They help set up the computers and train the workers to "get the job done". [All donations "of any conventional computer equipment" would be welcome - are you or your company upgrading? Please contact Tom or Peter if you can donate a cast-off!]

Anyone who uses Melb PC BBS will appreciate Tom's refined wit and talent as a poet. Using his DataCraft 9600 modem he contributes to many of the help areas as our dear "Pom Oldman". His participation level would put many a younger man to shame. His hobbies include white water rafting, horse riding (with his companion of four years, "the lovely" Lynda Kingsbury), prospecting and gold dredging. He has a dog "Jinna" and a cat "Bibs" and whilst he doesn't often see his three sons, he is very proud of them all being tradesmen.

Whilst Tom still teaches several Melb PC courses he mainly oversees Trainers and their Programs. He believes very strongly in "teaching people not subjects" and knows there are many new techniques being developed overseas that would be of assistance to Melb PC. What started as Tom Coleman's Ragtime Computer Show has now become a professional training system. "Training needs recognised standards of proficiency", Tom believes. He feels that particularly in the last 2 - 3 years with the increase in the power of software, teaching should develop as the software is developed so that instructors know their products. "What was important to teach before has been outdated". He believes that Melb PC should provide an internal competency standard, so that our courses are recognised as "delivering the best". He would like to find a better way of determining "what the members want".

Tom Coleman is infectiously enthusiastic. When he feels he is doing something "worthwhile" his adrenalin pumps. Over the last 18 months he has assembled a cooperative training team with excellent skill and thanks to Tom, Melb PC can well be pleased with the quality and success of our training courses. As a member and as a person Tom Coleman is a "contributor". We at Melb PC are exceptionally lucky that he has chosen to contribute to us. For all this and for your friendship, Tom, we thank you and wish you well.

Reprinted from the August 1994 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia