Programmer 7500/MAX_PROGRAMMERS.iso/PROGRAMS/UTILS/DOS_HELP/PCLEARN.ZIP/USERGRP.TUT

Text File | 1988-12-13 | 6.3 KB | 137 lines

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 USER GROUPS - I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND
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The deeper you go with computers the sooner you discover the benefits
of joining a user group. The idea is simple: books, tutorial disks and
healthy doses of personal computer magazines will only take you so far;
sooner or later you need to talk to SOMEONE.

Computer groups once had the image as hacker havens, but have now
broadened in scope to provide services as general or specific as you
like. User groups offer an informal way to meet and exchange ideas
about equipment, software or specialized techniques in certain program
areas.

A good user group will boast a variety of functions and sub-functions.
A monthly meeting headlines the agenda. Meetings vary from group to
group, but a common standard is first a beginners corner for those just
getting started. More experienced users may come later for the main meeting
or come early to help teach or copy public domain software. The second
portion of the meeting usually revolves around an open "questions and
answers" session where members formally present ideas or ask pressing
questions of the entire gathering. Third on the agenda is usually
a presentation or guest speaker who discusses a software program,
new device or procedure. The fourth and final portion of many user
group meetings is the copying of public domain and shareware programs
of interest to members. Annual dues for most users groups vary
from free to $50 and are frequently supplemented by the sale of
public domain and shareware software to both members and interested
non-members. Frequently a resource referral list is prepared which
provides the name(s), phone numbers and specialties of members
who are available to answer technical software or hardware questions.
Sometimes problems and questions becomes so numerous that the
user group will schedule special training sessions to help
many members noting difficulty in a common area. Other user
groups find the field trip and enviable opportunity which brings
members directly into contact with business users or computer
development professionals at an office or plant location.

Additional activities of the group may involve a monthly newsletter on disk
or paper, a BBS system with group news and programs accessible by computer
and telephone modem, group discount purchasing memberships, a library
index, directory of members and list of local BBS systems and
recommended software/hardware vendors. The groups also serve as a
handy conduit for sales of used equipment by and for fellow members.
As senior members in the group migrate to more powerful computers
and attachments, fellow members can frequently locate excellent
equipment and software packages at below retail. The software library
of a user group can be a vast repository of unusual software programs.
Generally, the larger or more technical the group, the broader the
software resources available. In addition some groups maintain older
versions of a program which may be simpler and more useful for
the beginner. Another benefit of using the user group software library
derives from the availability of program variants within a given
area: a group member can try not one but five or six different
shareware spredsheets in an attempt to locate the most comfortable
software for his or her particular needs.

Some groups further specialize. Frequently these groups are known as
SIG's (Special Interest Groups). SIGs have a narrow focus which may
be more suited to certain people. SIGs exist to serve spreadsheet
users, DOS beginners, modem users, database users, designers, lawyers,
modem users, graphics and the list goes on.

Locating a user group involves a little probing at first. At the end
of this tutorial is a descriptive list of the largest computer
groups in the United States. Frequently a self-stamped envelope
will bring you information on a group nearest you or an invitation
to join that national club. In addition, FOG, an international
nonprofit computer users group, maintains a comprenhensive listing
of national clubs. This list is printed in issues of the Computer
Shopper magazine (most newsstands or $21 per year, 5211 South Washington
Ave, POB F, Titusville, FL 32781.) The address and listing for FOG
also appears at the end of this tutorial. Yet another way to locate
users groups is to ask sales personnel at a local software store or
even the manager of any local Radio Shack Store. Frequently a few
phone calls will produce several phone numbers of interest.
In addition, IBM maintains an automated national registry of user
groups which can be reached at [phone].


Largest national users groups__________________________________________

Boston Computer Society, One Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108; [phone]

Capitol PC Users Group, 4520 East-West Hwy, Ste 550, Bethesda, MD 20814
[phone]

Houston Area League of PC Users, POB 61266, Houston, TX 77208; (713) 447-
3800

Chicago Computer Society, POB 8681, Chicago, ILL 60680; [phone]

NYPC, 40 Wall St., Ste 2124, NY,NY 10005; [phone]

Philadelphia Computer Society, La Salle University, 20th & Olney Ave,
Philadelphia, PA; [phone].

San Diego Computer Society, POB 81444, San Diego, CA 92138;
[phone]

Pasadena IBM Users Group, 711 East Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101;
[phone]



User Groups devoted to business management and computer management________


Society for the Management of Professional Computing, c/o Lynn Geissler,
Shawmut Bank of Boston, 1 Federal St, Boston, MA 02211; [phone]

Micro Managers Association, c/o Annie Zdinak, 333 Sylvan Ave, Englewood
Cliffs, NJ 07632; [phone]

Association of Personal Computer Users, 323 S. Franklin St, Ste 204,
Chicago, Ill 60606; [phone]

Chicago Association of Microcomputer Professionals, POB 380,
Deerfield ILL 60015; [phone]

Gateway Microcomputer Managers Association, POB 28773, St. Louis, MO
63146; [phone]

San Francisco Microcomputer Management Association, 834 Baker St.,
San Francisco, CA 94115; [phone]


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