 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Carol Daniels cad@melbpc.org.au |
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Is it really the end of another year? Yes it is, or it soon will be. The
years do pass at an accelerating rate as you get older and busier. Although it's only 1 November today, it is
for all intents and purposes the end of my year. I'll soon be off overseas and although I will be working,
for myself and on behalf of Melb PC and PC Update, while I'm gone, I somehow mark the end of each year
with the final issue of PC Update. Everything I do from today on will be filed, mentally at least, in
1999.
Thanks a million
One thing I must do before "the end of the year" is thank the PC Update team, our contributors
(authors and cartoonists!), all the members that write to me throughout the year, all the volunteers that
help with the various aspects of Melb PC, and those non-Melb PC authors who gave permission for their work to
be published in PC Update. A special thank you to the office staff and the office volunteers who put up with
my shenanigans whenever I visit the office. Of course, I can't forget our advertisers and the vendors that
support Melb PC, PC Update, and of course, my fellow committee members.
Thanks too, to the online community of writers and editors, in APCUG, Studio B and OWL, whose ideas, insights
and rants always spark the sort of thought processes that develop into a topic to write about, even when I'm
sure I have nothing to write about!
One of the thoughts that guides me as I work on each issue of PC Update, is how can we shift the focus
from computer users to computer users.
There will always bee a segment of our membership that takes delight in discovering the how and why of
computers and computing for their own, intrinsic merits. I confess to being one of them, a perennial student,
always in search of a new subject to explore.
But today, the computer is one of, if not the most, ubiquitous symbols of technology in western civilisation.
It is a constant part of each of our lives. That is why I believe it is so important for PC Update to
cover computers and computing in a user context, rather than a computer context. Because computers have the
potential to affect every aspect of our lives, understanding them, how they work, in isolation, limits our
use of the computer and the computer's usefulness in our lives.
That's why, over the past couple of years, you've seen articles in these pages about hardware and software,
along with articles about how and why our members use their computers, and articles about how computers are
changing our lives, individually or as members of distinct populations.
There have been a few grizzles about these articles, generally about the "softness" and the superiority of
those articles that concentrate on "hard computing". On the other hand, Noel Craske and his students
at Monash University have educated and enlightened us about some fascinating developments in software and
hardware technology. On the whole, the response to the mix has been overwhelmingly positive. Need I say that
I hope to continue developing and broadening the mix next year?
It all depends on you
All members are invited to contribute to PC Update. You do not need a lifetime's experience in
computer science to help your fellow members with a tip, how-to or personal experience article. PC
Update wouldn't be the magazine it is today without volunteer efforts, nor would Melb PC be what it is,
without volunteers.
With the holiday season approaching, this is as good a time as any to remind members that Melb PC needs them
to continue to grow, in numbers, benefits and services. If the prospect of experiencing some "warm fuzzies"
from helping your fellow members isn't carrot enough for you, perhaps this information will convince you to
step forward and lend a hand.
Volunteers benefit from their efforts
As a volunteer, I can tell you that it just plain feels good to help another member. In this month's Chat
Room, you will read that volunteering can also be a way to further develop your own skills and knowledge.
If you need more evidence, you can turn to a Retirement and Well-Being study conducted by Cornell University.
The researchers looked at men and women who were still working or retired, and involved with some volunteer
activity. The study showed that volunteers feel better, have increased levels of self-esteem and feel more in
control of their lives, than individuals in similar circumstances who do not volunteer.
Even though I'm usually spruiking for contributors to PC Update, there are a myriad of ways you can
volunteer at Melb PC, from helping at SIGs, at our main monthly meeting, in the office, at swap meets or in a
networking group, as suggested by Ash Nallawalla in his article in the November issue of PC
Update.
That's all folks
That's all from me for 1998. I hope you enjoy your holiday season, and you have a safe, happy and bug-free
New Year.
I hope to see you again, as readers, contributors, advertisers, vendors, sponsors and volunteers, in these
pages next year.
Reprinted from the December 1998 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
