The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group President's Annual Report Stan Johnstone stanj@melbpc.org.au

At the end of my last Annual Report I said that I looked forward to serving you again as President during this year. Already that year is past--it seemed to pass at an unbelievable rate!

Last year we had just moved to our new offices in Dorcas Street, and having spent most of the previous six months on that project, I hoped to be able to spend more time representing you more widely in Melb PC activities. I think I achieved that, although work behind the scenes is seldom seen.

We started the year a little behind the eight-ball as a result of a shortfall in the number of members standing for election. However I was most fortunate in being able to quickly rectify this by inviting George Skarbek, John Swale and Brian Horman to join the Committee and fill the vacancies. The wealth of experience they brought with them resulted in the strongest, most experienced and united Committee in our history.

Financial matters

The Financial Report for the year ending 30 June 1998 was published in the October issue of PC Update. Under the guidance of our treasurer, Bill Ford, we have been able to continue the positive financial trend started by Bruce Elliott some four years ago.

Despite the costs of moving to Dorcas Street and purchasing new furnishings and equipment, despite litigation costs arising from the action of one our members, despite rising costs in almost every field, and despite reduced industry support, we were still able to declare a surplus for the year, albeit much smaller than last year. Our overall financial position is even stronger than it was twelve months ago.

This has been achieved without any increase in fees in any area. This is largely due to the small but dedicated staff led by Tricia Swan, and the generous donations of time and energy by volunteers which enable us to run a very lean organisation.

In the past year we spent a lot of money; it is your money and it is being spent wisely on your behalf. At the same time we have accumulated sufficient funds to secure the future of Melb PC and to continue its development.

In past years we have benefited from the generosity and continued support of major vendors through donations of product material for the running of Melb PC, and for prizes at our Monthly Meetings. During the first half of this year we continued the close relationship with Microsoft through Carrie Mayhew, its Customer Relations Manager. Unfortunately since her resignation the support we previously enjoyed from Microsoft has completely dried up. We are aware Microsoft is going through a time of major restructuring, however the lack of support from this major company has been most disappointing.

Fortunately most of our other close friends in the industry continue their excellent support.

Dorcas Street offices

The wisdom of moving from Albert Road has never been in doubt since the move.

Facilities and equipment continue to improve, the upgrading and additional equipment is constantly reviewed to ensure the maximum benefit to members. The problem of office security that plagued us at Albert Road has been successfully overcome, and we believe we can continue to provide attractive venues for training, meetings, etc.

The day-to-day running of the office by Tricia Swan, Margaret Greer, and part-timer Kerry Williams, together with the willing volunteers mean that the Secretary John Swale is not required to visit unnecessarily. How did we get on before the days of Internet and e-mail?

All in all we are now able to present a much more professional image to the community than was previously possible.

Internet Service

The timing of our move to Dorcas St was most opportune to take advantage of the new 56 kbps technology that was being released at that time. Since then we have added additional ISDN lines to increase the number of lines available, and also to make available the V.90 protocol now that it has been adopted as the international standard. Just on 5,000 of our members subscribe to the Internet service.

We are continuing to use the k56flex protocol on the earlier 56 kbps equipment, and this firmware will be upgraded just as soon as all the "bugs" in V.90 have been found. In the meantime, users of V.90 and k56flex modems can enjoy the benefits of faster transfers.

During the year we were fortunate to have George Skarbek take over the leadership of the Internet team of Richard Solly, Jason Lee, Ash Nallawalla, John Morris and myself. With regular meetings and building on their training and experience, a lot of thought and planning is given to maximise existing and new resources, and continually study ways to improve and increase access and performance for the benefit of the user.

There have been several changes during the year to the bandwidth size and source. Our monthly traffic costs doubled in the past twelve months, however we have been able to increase our Internet feed and the benefit will become apparent. We now subscribe to a monitoring service in the US which reports regularly on our service as it is seen worldwide. Our own statistics enable us to monitor closely all factors such as line saturation, etc.

The mailing out of "yellow cards" was commenced just twelve months ago, and is done daily to help users who we identify as having problems at the authentication phase of dialling. Often this happens at the time of a member doing an upgrade, forgetting their password, or it could indicate the need for the member to seek help. It takes time each day, but it does benefit users. We do not know of any other Internet provider who provides this type of service.

The introduction of Intranet access during the year provided increased access time for users, and the online files and our large caches enable us to provide an increased and better service without incurring additional expenditure for traffic charges. Newsgroups continue to create a major headache as they tend to create line saturation at times, with the volume of news fed to us. Unfortunately most of this news goes unread, anyway!

We have plans to upgrade the service further and hope to increase the current two hours access to four hours per day early next year. Despite the additional hardware that we will need to install to provide the level of service required, we are confident that these plans will be implemented without any need to increase fees.

Bulletin Board Service (BBS)

There has been little development of the BBS over the past two years, and the changes to the operating system recommended by the team two years ago have never been implemented.

With all the work that went into building up the BBS over the years, it is very sad to see how the Internet has now greatly reduced the need for BBSs. Phil Lew continues to lead a willing team to maintain the system, and it still is a wonderful resource, and a quicker and cheaper method for obtaining files and other material.

During the year it was recommended that it was unnecessary to continue with the 32 modem lines, and so access was reduced to one rotary group of 16 lines.

Although it was hoped to introduce a system for cheaper e-mail and FTP access through the BBS, the necessary volunteers and experience have not been forthcoming. It appears that such a service is unlikely to develop.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

With the appointment of Joe Henry as SIG Co-ordinator there has been much closer liaison with the Committee, and Joe has tried to attend at least one meeting of each SIG during the year. A couple of older SIGs have closed due to lack of interest, while at the same time new ones have started.

Following the closure of the Melbourne Atari Computer Enthusiasts group (MACE), the ex-members transferred to Melb PC so we started the MACE SIG, which meets at Dorcas Street on the second Sunday each month.

Both the Retirees and Interested Persons SIG (RIPSIG) and the East SIG continue to fill their venues to full capacity, and the Windows SIG under Lynn Pollock has now grown to the extent of "standing room only". The regional groups at Ballarat, Bendigo, Sunshine and Warragul continue to serve the members in those areas.

During the year the computer in the Dorcas St SIG room was replaced with a monster aimed at trying to meet the requirements of all the SIGs that meet there. This included the requirement for it to boot under multiple operating systems, and this was finally achieved through the efforts of Barry Martin, Lynn Pollock and Joe Henry. Well, we think they have covered everything, but then, what if they want to add ...!

One project that was proposed was the installation of a camera to enable members to "visit" a SIG while in progress using the Internet. Unfortunately this work did not proceed, and it is hoped that a new volunteer group will work to develop this feature next year.

Training

One of the big disappointments has been our performance in training during the year.

This is despite the excellent facilities and equipment we have installed, and despite the high quality of the trainers we employ. There is certainly no criticism of them or the excellent work they do, and I know they share our frustration in this matter. Too many courses were cancelled due to insufficient numbers.

Most of the trainers teach these courses at other venues such as CAE and TAFE colleges--and there they come across Melb PC members doing exactly the same course. Why? Is the perception that our prices suggest a lower standard of training course?

Brian Horman from the Committee is now working with the training team to help them build up training to the level we would all like to see.

Membership

There was a small decline in membership during the year. Unfortunately this is a tendency that all types of non-profit organisations experience worldwide.

However the membership sub-Committee has initiated a number of steps in order to arrest this trend and is determined to reverse it. One of the first approaches can be seen in an advertisement appearing elsewhere in this magazine. It is in your interest that we maintain or increase our membership in order that we may better represent the interests of our members in the industry and other forums.

Naturally the other benefit is it helps maintain our financial stability and thus provide the members' benefits at minimum cost. Please remember you can always help by encouraging other members of your family, friends or business associates to join and enjoy the benefits we have to offer.

PC Update

One of the most rewarding results this year was achieving improved reliable and fast delivery of the magazine to our members through the use of Australia Post. The previous method of delivery, introduced some years ago to reduce costs, had become increasingly less reliable.

Although the current method does cost more, it is ironic that the current size and paper weight of PC Update brings us right to the limit of a range in the postal rates. One month, during the year, the magazine had 2 mm trimmed off the bottom to save what would otherwise have been an increase in mailing cost of about $1200!

In Carol Daniel's third year as Editor she has introduced new types of material, and is always on the lookout for more articles on a wider range of topics relevant in today's use of computers. Although Ash Nallawalla had to restrict his activities somewhat during the year due to other commitments, he continues to handle the independent reviews that members enjoy. Like the last stage in a relay race, Peter Smith somehow or other makes sure everything fits together and reaches the printer in time.

Naturally it is not only their work, there are many others who write articles, help with the sub-editing, proof-reading, etc--all their work is most appreciated, especially when it makes the deadlines!

We continue to provide copies of PC Update to the Adelaide and Perth User Groups at the "run-on" cost. This enables these groups to provide their members with a quality magazine at a nominal cost to accompany their own local newsletter. This is an extension to "User Groups helping User Groups" beyond our own "Users helping Users".

Networking (but not PCs)

Ash Nallawalla's article in last month's issue of PC Update (p.48), "Unemployed at 45", attracted a good deal of correspondence. Many were pleased to see his frankness and some related similar tales. In my opinion it was one of the most important articles published in PC Update during the year, and I admire the courage and honesty Ash displayed in writing it.

These days there is a lot of job insecurity through downsizing, retrenchment, etc, and it is now obvious there are many members who are keen to see one or more networking groups established at Melb PC.

It would appear that Melb PC should play a role in assisting members and it surely falls within the true purpose in our rules. It does not matter what industry we talk about, the important factors are common to all. I believe that we have the material resources available, and almost certainly have members working in the field of job placement who, I hope, would be prepared to assist with their advice.

The precise format of these groups will probably be determined by the groups themselves. They may wish to meet through e-mail, at our premises or elsewhere, although we will arrange the initial get-together to set the ball rolling. You do not have to be unemployed to take part. Anyone who is interested in taking part in any aspect would be most welcome. Please contact myself by mail or e-mail to register your interest and we will get this started as soon as possible.

Naturally all of this would be treated in a confidential manner, and I hope it will be possible to create a small Committee to co-ordinate this project. How about you?

Our changing face

In the early days of Melb PC, who would have guessed that PC equipment would develop so rapidly, that so many accessories would become available to add on, or that it would become so fast and powerful yet remain so compact? Furthermore, who would have foreseen the uses that would develop from what was originally a machine for number crunching.

Who could have foreseen the impact of the Internet? In many presentations I have attended recently, industry leaders in this field tell how far Australia is behind what is happening in the US. And here they are not talking about bandwidth across the Pacific Ocean!

Developments overseas suggest that companies will be forced to market through the Internet if they are to be successful. Rather than send salespeople out into the marketplace, the move is to use electronic means to make contact with clients, use Web sites for marketing, and encourage online ordering by clients.

During the year I have had the opportunity to visit other computer groups in Melbourne, to do presentations to industry and community groups, and also to one of the larger personnel recruitment companies. In every case I have stressed the need for everyone to become computer literate, as the computer has become the essential tool used today in so many ways.

An e-mail address is essential for quick and easy contact, and whatever field one works in, the ability to know how to make contact and transfer information by electronic means is one of the ways any potential job applicant will be judged. We are seeing the early days of Internet marketing, but this will become a basic method of advertising, purchasing, and selling in a relatively short time and it is essential that everyone becomes familiar with it.

Whatever your field of work, somewhere along the line computers will be involved. Executive staff may no longer have someone to do their typing, they have to be prepared and able to transfer their thoughts into a printed form by themselves. Calculators are a thing of the past--most employers now expect familiarity with using a spreadsheet! Almost every personnel consulting company insist on at least some basic knowledge of the basic office software.

When Melb PC started it provided a means whereby members could share their learning and experiences with others, using what we now consider pitifully slow equipment. What was then a field of experimentation is now the basic requirement for work.

Melb PC tries to help its members adapt to the changing times, with our magazine, our training courses, our SIGs, our Dial Help service, and our communications services. However we can only do this if we prepare ourselves for change, and adapt to the current needs of our members.

I hope the networking program we intend to introduce will help all members meet some of the problems we encounter today.

Vistors and visitees

Last year, with the help of Ian Felsenthal we introduced the scheme of members helping members in their own homes. This was developed to assist those who were not able to attend other meetings, or needed the "buddy system" of working with someone who had that little more knowledge or experience than themselves.

This has continued to be a great success, and my thanks go to Ian for the wonderful job he has done. As might be expected there have been a few who have tried to take advantage of the scheme instead of attending a normal training course, or similar.

At the same time, I have been in many members' homes where illness or handicap prevents normal activity. The Internet has been a wonderful boon for many of these members by giving them the opportunity to converse, meet and make friends locally and overseas. The computer itself has helped them to explore new fields and maintain contact in more familiar ones. We are fortunate that such a tool is affordable to so many people, and the job of Melb PC is to continue to provide whatever assistance it can.

Orientation days

Another of the features we commenced last year still continues to introduce new and existing Melb PC members to the benefits available from our office and volunteers. We will continue with these days in the coming year.

These two-hour sessions frequently run to three hours, and from the questions asked it is obvious that many members are not fully aware of all the services we offer, and it has brought forward several new volunteers.

Often the highlight seems to be the visit to the BBS and Internet rooms, to see the equipment and the flashing lights, and gain some understanding of what happens at the other end of their phone line.

Dial Help assistance

Once again our deepest thanks go out to those volunteers who list themselves on the Dial Help pages. We will look to extending this in the coming year as it is becoming an increasingly important benefit for Melb PC members.

Following loss of regular employment, many members now set themselves up in the SOHO environment, providing full-or part-time services on a contract basis. It is quite different working by oneself after working in a large office and is likely to become more common in the future. Previously, while working with others there was probably someone nearby to answer a question, now you are working alone and the answer to a problem eludes you. To have someone you can ring and get a quick answer is a great boon, even more so when you find yourself doing a task that previously was done for you.

The Dial Help assistance has always been a major strength for Melb PC members, and I believe it will become even more important in the future.

Shareware

Once a major source of income, the sales of shareware today is often pre-empted by finding what is needed through the Internet. However not everyone has Internet access, and the Webster family of David, Glenn, Ian and Yvonne continues to maintain this excellent service for our members' benefit.

Their notes on new and updated shareware which appear each month in PC Update always make great reading for everyone who is interested in what is available. Somehow they search out all those files and the list each month stretches over many pages.

Volunteers

No Annual Report would be complete without recognising the extraordinary work that is provided by the willing volunteers who are the backbone of Melb PC.

There are those who assist in the office, the swap meets, the SIGs, PC Update, the Dial Help, the BBS and Internet teams, shareware - the list is almost endless. I salute you all, for without your generous help Melb PC would not exist.

In addition there is the Committee elected by the members who work so hard in your interests, but in addition usually act as the go-between for our various areas of activity and provide the representation to the Committee.

The volunteers' involvement would not have been possible without the support of their families, and we thank them for their tolerance and inconvenience caused by the contributions you make.

Towards Y2K

In the two years I have been President I have endeavoured to raise the professional perception of Melb PC. In all areas where we are exposed to the public we can only achieve our goals provided we are recognised for what we are.

That does not mean we cannot have fun doing it! However it must be remembered we have an income of $1.25M, and we have valuable assets in the way of equipment and furnishings. We must adopt a responsible attitude to protect our members property at all times.

Postscript

Just after completing this report, the nominations for the elections for the coming year were received. The only nominations received were by members of the current Committee. In a way this was very disappointing.

There are several ways of interpreting this, however I would like to think the reason is not a matter of disinterest by members, but that members are satisfied and happy with the way Melb PC is being run, and see no reason for a major change.

If this is so, may I assure all members that myself and the full Committee will continue to work in the same positive manner that we have in the past.

Best wishes to you all for the coming year

Reprinted from the December 1998 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia>

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