You may or may not know that user groups nationwide share their newsletters with each other. This is a wonderful program that I am proud to say we participate in. You may not be aware that a good number of the Sacra Blue articles you have enjoyed over the years have been reprinted in other newsletters all over the country. But I digress.
Our membership director is also our group’s mail repository. As I am fortunate enough to sleep with our membership director, I get to see many of the newsletters published by other PC user groups. One evening, as I was working on the Sacra Bytes BBS, Marsha brought an article from the Boca Raton PC Users Group newsletter, Boca Bits, to my attention.
This very short article talked about Boca Raton PC UG members who were willing to come to members’ homes and set up Internet connections on their computers. I thought this was a wonderful idea, but it turns out that I misread the article. I’ll get to that in a moment.
ISVs
After reading the article, I decided that our group could do something similar. All we needed were volunteers with the technical know-how to set up Internet access on a member’s computer without blowing the computer up. I mentioned the idea at last month’s Steering Committee meeting, and to my surprise I was overwhelmed with offers to join the ranks of the Internet Setup Volunteers (ISVs). I recruited several volunteers at the Steering Committee meeting and put them through an intensive four-hour training session at my office during one Saturday last month.
Now we have five fully trained ISVs who will come out to members’ homes or business to set up your Internet connection-free! Non-members will be asked for a $35 “donation.” This $35 donation will not only get your Internet connection set up, you will also enjoy a one-year membership in our fine organization. This is a great deal-tell a friend!
You can take advantage of this new service by meeting certain requirements. Namely, you need a computer with a working modem, a phone line, Windows 95 or 98, and an ISP (Internet service provider) already selected. If you have all these features, and you do not feel comfortable setting up Internet access on your computer, please call one of the following volunteers during the hours indicated.
Tom Anderson: 916-488-2472, Everyday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
John Crow: 916-762-7575, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Diana DeMuth: 916-488-2472, Evenings, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Edwin Holloway: 916-255-4104, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ron Lambert: 916-395-0253. Monday-Friday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Please understand that this is a limited service, and that we are not offering a free repair service. (At least, not yet...see the next paragraph). None of our Internet volunteers claim to be technicians, and this service is not for people who have technical problems. If your modem is not working or you have other computer maladies, you should contact one of our mentors in our Mentor List or get in touch with a technician.
The Boca Raton article I read did not offer a free service after all. I went back to get details on their service only to find out that they offered a list of consultants who performed this service for a living. Oh, well. I see no reason we cannot capitalize on this idea.
|
Your Big Chance
If you attended last month’s general meeting, you know that our Webmaster, Dave Eden, is stepping down after four years of dedicated service to our group. Dave set up our Web site (www.sacpcug.org) four years ago and has maintained it ever since. Today, Dave doesn’t have the time to give our site the detailed attention it deserves. Dave’s employer has him traveling much of the time, and Dave is also the father of two young sons. What’s more, Dave recently became president of the Davis chapter.
I think we need more than one person to replace Dave, and I would like to see a Web site committee headed by a new Webmaster. This presents an opportunity for you to get involved with Web design and fill a vital role for our users group. As I see it, there are three requirements to join the Web site committee:
-
You need to be an SPCUG member.
-
You need to have some experience constructing and maintaining Web sites.
-
You have to have a desire to see a project through to its completion.
If you would like to be the Webmaster or a member of the Web site committee, please let me know as soon as possible. We will be naming the committee members and our new Webmaster within the next 30 to 60 days.
Though Dave promises to help when and where he can, Dave is stepping down so someone else (or a group of someone elses) can pay more attention to the site. We applaud and congratulate Dave for a job well done-he has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the last four years, and he will be sorely missed.
Looking Forward to September
Mark Saturday, September 18 on your calendar as the day our group will host a very special event at the Coloma Community Center. (It’s on T Street in midtown Sacramento.) We’re going to host an “education day” at the Center along with Access Sacramento. Training coordinator Edwin Holloway
(edwin@calweb.com) is spearheading this project, and though plans for the day are still nebulous as of this writing, there are plenty of opportunities for us to provide valuable services to the community.
Access Sacramento has constructed a ten-computer PC lab with Internet access so we can provide computer classes. The Coloma Center also has classrooms and an auditorium where we can host several events, from a bake sale to a computer repair workshop to an auction. Ideas abound.
More information will appear in the pages of this newsletter as the yet-unnamed September 18 event draws closer. If you’re interested in volunteering for the event, or if you want more information, contact Edwin by e-mail or by phone at 916-255-4104. As with any group endeavor, we’ll depend on your ideas and participation to make this event a success.
|
