 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
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PC Update reorganises
With the resignation of Peter Smith and Gary Taig from the PC Update team (see the CPU column), I have had to find new team members from the forty or so people who offered their services. Peter and Gary will continue to help me behind the scenes but I thank them for their significant contributions to the magazine.
We could not use all the 40 volunteers because that is too large a number of people for the task, which is largely done over the telephone wires and not in one place. Some people were unqualified, so it was sad to drop them in favour of those who had the right experience. Some people simply could not be reached by telephone, which caused them also to be dropped from the list.
I am pleased to announce three new faces: Dianna Walker is our new Assistant Editor; Ruth Lawrence is the Subediting Team Leader; and Joy Karton heads the Production Team. They all have impeccable qualifications and practical experience in their field. Most authors will need to contact Ruth's team directly; not Dianna, Peter or me. We are slowly implementing a workflow regimen and have to insist on strict deadlines even though "special favours" might have been bestowed in the past.
New Internet service
The "New and Improved"™ Internet service is almost ready to be let loose. I have stopped making forecasts about its start-up date because every day seems to bring a surprise or ten.
The biggest one was the decision to choose a service provider. AARNet has a very fast link to the Internet and was slightly dearer than the rest but seemed worth it. After changing policy on us several times, AARNet decided to volume-charge us at the last minute, after the previous editorial was written, so we decided to go elsewhere.
We went to Connect.Com, our previous providers. We have neither the software nor the staff to manage volume charging, which is bound to hit us one day, so we have started by choosing a good router that will collect the data needed by such software.
I predict that Internet access will become more expensive in the future, once the big players move in. Let's make the most of it.
We shut down server.melbpc.org.au at 7.30 pm on 28 February 1995 and vacated the werple premises. It took less than a day to hook up a new PC and the old Dell machine to the Internet. Mail started flowing. As I write, the Sun Netra server has yet to be configured for news; the phone lines have to be terminated; and the new V.34/V.FC modems and the Annex 4000 terminal server have yet to arrive.
When I get a chance I would like to write an article about the service, describing how the components hang together. For the moment, it is one of the best deals in town, not only in price but technically. The system uses three computers and three uninterruptible power supplies (donated by and thanks to APC), so that downtime on at least two of them will not hinder access to the rest. If the news server is down, for example, both Shell/UUCP and SLIP/PPP machines will continue to work. If there is a further holdup with the news service, we will mail out the application forms so that you can start using other services immediately.
Some people are on Internet mailing lists but have failed to unsubscribe to them probably because they don't know how. I will be asking all such subscribers to let the system subscribe to those lists so that we do not waste resources when two or more people subscribe to the same list. We will create either a local mirror of the mailing list or a local newsgroup.
If you have been approached by a member who has advised you to choose another service provider, please leave me a note on the BBS with the person's name and the reasons given. It is sickening to learn about a disinformation drive by people who are either determined to make this team look bad or are too lazy to find out how our service is better.
Our service is good value for money because it is technically sound, has the BBS as a secondary support mechanism and a small number of volunteers who try to help users, particularly after hours. It has room for expansion and will be linked to our BBS one day for further efficiencies.
Stan Johnstone keyed in over 500 registrations, and more continue to trickle in. Gary Taig helped with procuring goods and services, sending out forms to members of the old service and with various odd jobs around the place. Peter Freeman, Allan Michelmore, and Alan Carter helped with telephone lines and cabling. Thanks, all.
No catch!
Last month I said that one had to be a member for some time (twelve months, actually!) before you could apply for our Internet service. Forget all that. We have no such restrictions now.
While there is a temptation to go and sell memberships with Internet subscriptions, let us not forget that this is a user group first, not an Internet service (or magazine subscription) that has a user group behind it. Far too many members forget that and drop out for the wrong reasons. You should take part in more face-to-face activities and get to know other members, for that is where some of the intangible benefits will be realised.
What trial membership?
If you are not a member of this user group but have been offered a three-month "trial membership," or a "subscription" to PC Update, please telephone the office at (03) 699 6222 with full details, particularly if you have parted with any money. The Committee has neither sanctioned any such trial, nor has been asked to offer such a trial, so it is a matter of grave concern.
Reprinted from the April 1995 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
