Meetings are generally held for two hours, once a month, either
during the day or evening, on a specific weekday or weekend—perhaps
the third Wednesday of the month. Choose the day of the week most
convenient to the majority of interested users and one when your
meeting location is available. A consistent meeting date is the
key to better attendance. After you have chosen a meeting day,
stick with it.
Meeting Location
Equally important as a regular date and time is a consistent meeting
location. Possible meeting facilities include homes, computer
stores, schools, colleges, libraries, hospitals, churches, or
hotel conference or meeting rooms. The overall vitality of the
group can be improved by holding the meeting in attractive and
comfortable settings.
Steve Longo of the Philadelphia Area Computer Society (PACS), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been successful
in putting together a partnership with their local college. He
feels that an educational site offers a great setting for user
groups: numerous classrooms for SIG meetings, an auditorium for
main meetings, and parking lots. Some even make available computing
labs for special events. He feels the benefits to the college
include:
- User groups can offer host institutions another
avenue for media exposure and increased pedestrian traffic on
their campus. This is very important to campus recruiters.
- User groups offer faculty and students numerous
opportunities to learn about the latest software/hardware development.
- User groups are a source of knowledgeable computer experts.
- User groups can assist continuing education
departments by serving as a sounding board for possible computer
training topics, as well as a source for leaders of computing-based
training seminars.
In addition to necessary seating capacity, equipment needs must
be identified and set up. Make certain well before the meeting
that the correct equipment and necessary electrical power will
be available. In addition to a computer, this often includes requirements
for an LCD projection display panel or projector, a microphone,
blackboard or flip chart, video player, or overhead projector.
Assuring that they are all in good working order is a must—be
certain to check them out before the meeting begins!
Members and Guests
Attendance is usually open to members, prospective members, and
guests. Membership badges are appreciated and help members to
get to know one another. Guests are often provided with different
colored badges so that members can identify them, be available
for questions, and encourage them to join the group. Officers
and other volunteers are often identified with special badges.
Planning the Meeting
Planning interesting meeting programs for each month is not an
easy task. The person usually in charge of this important task
is the Program Chair.
Program selection should start with a review of the interests
identified by a survey of the members. When recruiting speakers,
be aware that expertise of the subject does not always make for
a good presentation. Handouts should be encouraged wherever possible
to encourage sharing of information with those members unable
to attend.
If a Program Chair is in doubt about the level of interest for
a specific topic, always include it on a program with another
topic that is of interest to a wider audience; and always plan
for backup topics in the event of a last-minute cancellation.
Vendors will often furnish guest speakers who give product demonstrations
or new product announcements. Borland, for example, is happy to
help you find a speaker and to assist in boosting attendance (which
may boost your membership) by advertising to our local registered
users in the area to promote the event.
When vendors come to a meeting, they are interested in having
the largest possible attendance so they are also willing to advertise
in your newsletter, or to furnish a copy of their product for
review in the newsletter prior to their presentation. If a particular
vendor is unable to accommodate a visit to your group, ask whether
they will answer questions from members over a speaker phone during
a meeting.
In addition to vendor presentations, other programs that are often
popular are user or dealer panel discussions; swap meetings where
members bring items to buy, sell, or trade; or five-minute presentations
by members in which they demonstrate their favorite software program.
A sample feedback sheet from the
Pasadena IBM User Group,
Pasadena, California, and questionnaire from South Mountain
User Group, Phoenix, Arizona, are included in the Appendix
as examples of methods to survey members’ interests. In addition,
the article
“How to Treat an Industry Vendor”
offers common-sense guidelines for user group members to follow.
Question-and-answer Sessions
Most groups devote a portion of the meeting to a question-and
answer-session, where user group members can seek help from a
“panel of experts” or their fellow user group members.
Commonly used computer slang for these sessions are Star-dot-Star
(*.*), F1 (usually denoting help), or Random Access.
This can be a ten- to fifteen-minute segment or up to half of
the meeting time, depending on the questions or problems and the
expertise of the members. Through users sharing experiences, tips,
expectations, and complaints, group members gain knowledge during
the course of one or two meetings that they may not gather otherwise
from months of personal experience. If no one can answer a user’s
question (which doesn’t happen very often), the question
is usually published in the newsletter or sent to the vendor for
an explanation that may then be published. The advice given by
user group members is frank, open, and usually accurate. You’ll
rarely hear members holding back about a hardware or software
product, either in person or in print, making this one of the
most popular portions of the monthly user group meeting.
Door Prizes
Door prizes have become a common part of many user group meetings,
and Borland and other vendors often offer a special limited-time
discount to all attendees on the product demonstrated. Handling
of door prizes differs from group to group. The Sacramento
PC User Group, Sacramento, California, awards door prizes
to members as a way to encourage membership. Some groups draw
door-prize winners from member names, badges, or completed membership
surveys, and some groups require that a winner write up a review
for the newsletter in order to keep the prize.
Other groups sell raffle tickets to boost membership and make
money, but it’s important to check the laws of your state
regarding any kind of a raffle; it may not be legal in your state.
6. Services and Activities
Once the initial burst of enthusiasm has subsided, a user group
needs more than a common interest and a monthly general meeting
to keep its membership. It needs to provide a focus and additional
activities to continue to grow and attract new and enthusiastic
members.
Publishing a Newsletter
In a recent user group demographic survey, the one aspect of the
user group that members liked most was the monthly newsletter.
With the advent of desktop publishing and readily available printing
tools, newsletters are becoming very professional and some are
even marketed as magazines. Most user groups produce a monthly
newsletter, either in hardcopy or electronic format. In turn,
Borland publishes a newsletter for user groups, Borland User
Group Link, to keep user groups abreast of Borland’s
activities. Individual articles are available to be reprinted
in user group newsletters.
Items often covered in user group newsletters include:
- Advertisements: both commercial and member ads
- Beginner’s column
- Board minutes
- Calendar of events
- Disclaimer
- Editorial
- Help Line of volunteers willing to assist on
a one-on-one basis
- Industry news
- Meeting highlights
- Notices and announcements
- Officers and group contact information
- Opinions
- President’s column
- Question and answers
- Reviews of hardware, software, and books
- Schedule of meetings
- SIG news
- Special offers to members
- Spotlight on a SIG or volunteer-of-the-month
- Tips and tricks
- Tutorials
- Welcome to new members
User group newsletters are known for their unbiased reviews written
by people that actually use the products on a regular basis. Writers
are genuinely interested in the product and take their time to
investigate the product thoroughly. Articles are often shared
from one newsletter to another in newsletter exchanges among user
groups.
With an active advertising program, it is possible to fund the
cost of publishing and distributing the newsletters, which is
usually one of the largest user group expenditures. Remember that
bulk rate permits are available to nonprofit groups for mailing
of newsletters.
Groups that are concerned with the environment can distribute
their newsletters electronically on disk, or print their newsletter
on recycled paper. Conservatree Paper Company, the largest wholesale
recycled paper merchant, will sell directly to user groups with
a minimum order of $100 and in full carton quantities. See the
“Connections” section, page 35, for their address.
Evaluation copies of software are frequently available from vendors
for reviews in user group newsletters. Reviewers working with
vendors should keep the following points in mind:
- When requesting a product for review, contact
the vendor in writing, including a copy of a recent newsletter
and an estimate of when the review will be published.
- Send a thank-you letter and a copy of the published
article.
A key ingredient to ensure the success of a user group newsletter
is product reviews. A sample software review agreement
from the Oklahoma City PC User Group, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is
a good example of an agreement format. In his article,
“Guidelines for Writing Software Reviews”,
(in Appendix) Paul Demmitt, Central Maryland Microcomputer User Group (CMMUG), Columbia,
Maryland, has prepared an outline for writing reviews that contains
tips that will improve your writing.
Electronic Communications
Electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) accessible to members
via modem are popular services for a user group to provide. Bulletin
boards allow for information exchange 24 hours per day and serve
as a method of communicating among members. You can post a message
on the board that describes your problem and receive an answer
or solution within a day or two, rather than waiting for the question-and-answer
session at the next meeting.
Additional uses of a user group electronic bulletin board include:
- Newsletter article uploads to facilitate creation
of the newsletter
- On-line newsletter
- Announcements of meetings and events
- Industry news
- Help files
- Distribution of shareware and public domain
software
- Membership recruitment
- Conferences or on-line SIGs for various areas
of interest
A simple bulletin board can be set up using an XT-class computer
with a hard drive, modem, bulletin board software, and phone line.
Deluxe boards require multiple computers and phone lines. Popular
bulletin board software programs include: PCBoard (Clark Development
Co., Inc., Murray, Utah), TBBS (The Bread Board System, eSoft,
Inc., Aurora, Colorado), Major BBS (Galacticomm, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida), and Wildcat! (Mustang Software, Inc., Bakersfield, California).
One of the oldest—and most widely used and supported—BBS
systems is RBBS–PC, the Remote Bulletin Board System for
the IBM Personal Computer. Although RBBS–PC is copyrighted,
there is no charge for its use (except cost of diskettes and copying).
RBBS–PC is available for download from many computer BBSs
or from user group libraries. It can also be ordered directly
from Capital PC User Group, Software Library, Plaza East
Two, 51 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850-2401. The cost is $16
domestic and $18 foreign.
If you don’t have volunteers to operate a BBS, or if you
don’t have a PC for the BBS, you might make an arrangement
with another local board to add your user group conference area
to their board.
Several decisions need to be made when planning a bulletin board:
equipment; features to offer; software; security; clean, accessible
location; access privileges for members and non-members; staffing;
and finances. Dedicated volunteers are a must to keep the board
operational, and equipment, software, phone lines, and facilities
are major expenses that must be considered. Syslaw, by
Lance Rose, covers legal issues that must also be addressed when
operating a bulletin board. This book is available from PC Information
Group, 1126 E. Broadway, Winona, MN 55987, (507) 452-2824.
Special Interest Groups
General meetings don’t begin to meet the needs of a large
number of members at a single meeting. Smaller groups of members
with similar interests are the answer to filling these needs.
With SIGs, members are accommodated according to interests, expertise,
or locality. SIGs might also be product-specific. For example,
a database SIG may eventually branch out into three separate SIGs:
dBASE,® Paradox,® and Clipper.
Some common SIGs include:
| Accounting/tax | Local Area Networks |
Beginners (novice or new users) | Medical/Dental |
CAD/CAM/Graphics | Micro to Mainframe |
CD-ROM | MIDI |
Communications | Multimedia |
Community Service | Nonprofit Computing |
Desktop Publishing | Object-Oriented Programming |
Disabilities and Computers | OS/2 |
Educators and Technology | Portable Computing |
Ethics and Computing | Professional (legal, accounting, etc.) |
Genealogy/Family History | Regional (geographic) |
Hardware | Security |
Information Search and Retrieval |
Special Needs |
|
Spreadsheet |
SIGs have the same requirements as the general meeting does for
comfortable meeting space and equipment for regularly scheduled
meetings. Because they typically are smaller groups, SIGs can
make arrangements to meet in homes or schools.
A SIG leader does not have to be the user with the most expertise,
but must be someone who can guide a discussion and take care of
logistics and notification of SIG members. Phoning members to
remind them of the meeting tends to increase attendance.
To improve attendance at SIG meetings, Don Singleton
says that the Tulsa Computer Society, Tulsa, Oklahoma,
has “a Watson board that is used both for our general meeting
and for any SIG meeting. The guy who’s got the board just
gives the computer a series of phone numbers and it calls and
gives the announcement as to what’s coming up so we don’t
have to depend on human volunteers for that effort. Let the computer
do it.”
SIG programs are usually not as structured as the general meetings
and often spend time answering members’ questions. Group
projects and assignments to report on at the next SIG meeting
are methods used to increase participation.
Gerald Schaefer, Akron–Canton PC User Group,
Akron, Ohio, works with local trainers to conduct training in
a SIG meeting. “It’s working out for the trainers because
they are volunteering to come and tell a little bit, and of course,
they hand out flyers for their business. So it’s a two-way
street.”
According to Al Harrison, the Houston Area League
of PC Users, Houston, Texas, operates SIGs a little differently.
“A few things that we’ve done at HAL–PC are that
we formed a SIG committee a few years ago that was intended to
kind of standardize and normalize the way a SIG should be handled,
and it’s a good reservoir of information, cross-fertilization,
and training for our various SIG leaders. The second thing that
seems to work very well is that at the beginning of every SIG
we have a Q & A session for about half an hour. If you are
a novice or have a particular question, you can come early—so
to speak, since most SIGs start at 7:00 P.M. in the evening—you
can get there about 6:30 and take part in the Q & A, which
is very dynamic. The third thing that we’ve done in some
of the SIGs—it worked very nicely in Paradox and some of
the language SIGs—is have a kind of a SIG project. We have
a SIG project where members are offered different tasks. No one
person is assigned any one task, because one of the beauties of
a SIG, of course, is cross-fertilization—sharing. That’s
kind of helped generate a lot of enthusiasm in the SIGs, and of
course, at the same time, we’re trying to do a real project,
especially for people who are not system developers or programmers;
it brings up real world kinds of problems and it helps you better
learn the language or program.”
Legally Sharing Software
Shareware and Public Domain Libraries provide a service to members
as well as a means to raise user group operating revenue. Software
distributed by shareware authors for distribution on a “try-before-you-buy”
basis is available to user groups for distribution, either at
meetings or on electronic bulletin boards. Normally disks are
sold for $2 to $4 each. A disk-of-the-month featured in
the monthly newsletter or at the monthly meeting is a popular
feature.
Operating a shareware library and keeping it current
with the latest versions requires a dedicated librarian and volunteers.
The librarian is responsible for securing the latest versions
of the master disks for the library; scanning disks for viruses;
determining which programs will be included; maintaining and distributing
a listing or catalog; filling orders for copies, and accounting
for sales. Duties of the librarian position are detailed in the
Monterey Bay User Group–Personal Computer (MBUG–PC)
Volunteer Manual
in the Appendix under Vice President—Software
Librarian. All libraries, of course, should be run in strict accordance
with each product’s software license agreement.
The Central Kentucky Computer Society (CKCS),
Lexington, Kentucky, offers public domain and shareware software
at one of their local malls. The mall does not charge the group
for space and advertises for a week on their outdoor sign. Through
several of these Shareware Sellebrations, CKCS is able
to finance several group activities, including support for their
group resource center.
Providing Training
One of the most important missions of many groups is to provide
education to their members on the use of computer technology.
Training sessions at SIG meetings, seminars, workshops, or regular
classes are offered by user groups to both members, and often,
the general public.
The Twin Cities PC User Group, Edina, Minnesota,
holds weekly DOS and Donut sessions with informal discussions
and assistance.
David Reed’s Central Kentucky Computer Society
in Lexington, Kentucky, holds a monthly series called the Second
Saturday Single-subject Seminars. “These are ad hoc
meetings (members only, at our resource center) on subjects that
our members are interested in. We can squeeze in 40 to 50 people
for these meetings and use our projection equipment. They begin
at 2:00 P.M. and run until 4:00 P.M., featuring a different subject
each month. Often we find enough interest in a single-subject
seminar to create a SIG from those who attend. Our Windows SIG
started this way.”
Mark Walsh’s Portland Personal Computer Club,
Portland, Oregon, also has a monthly meeting, called Second
Saturday. “We have a similar format, except that ours
is open to the general public as well. We pick up a fair number
of new members this way. The meetings are often, but not always,
lead by SIG leaders. Topics are fairly random, with some that
repeat occasionally. Past topics include: Windows, telecommunications,
choosing a hard disk, LANs, etc.”
The education of members about software piracy and licensing issues
are subjects of service to the industry and users in general that
can be performed by user groups. The Software Publishers Association
(SPA) will provide user groups with materials on copyright and
licensing.
User Group Library
Press releases, books, videotapes, and other literature and publications
are regularly made available by publishers to user groups. Review
copies of books are available from some publishers upon written
request that is submitted on user group stationery. Some groups
choose to loan these out to members on a limited term, while others
with a central meeting location often create a reading and research
library of materials available to all members.
Fairs, Swap Meets, and Shows
The goal of providing public education about computer technology
can be accomplished by holding a computer fair or show. Fairs,
shows, flea markets, or auctions can also be substantial fund
raisers for user groups.
Planning for a computer fair, show, or swap meet should begin
at least six months to a year prior to the event. Running such
an activity can be very positive for your group if there is sufficient
planning and enough volunteers with specific job tasks. There
is a tremendous amount of work required, but it can also be a
lot of fun. Not only can the fair or show be financially successful
and help to finance other activities, but it can also help build
membership, provide for community training and awareness of the
group, and promote the organization in general. Plans need to
be made for location, electrical power, equipment, furniture,
volunteers, admission, presentations/speakers, promotion, food,
vendor space and contracts, parking, security, and door prizes.
Dan Hanson, of the Greater Cleveland PC User Group,
Cleveland, Ohio, worked with a local trade show company to handle
the logistics and the convention center, while the group handled
vendors, publicity, and seminars. It was a tremendously successful
event—even with the 60/40 split on the profits with the trade
show company that handled the details—that allowed the group
to do what they do best, “computer stuff.”
Robert Sanborn reports that the Indianapolis Computer
Society, Indianapolis, Indiana, “held their first auction
and it was a big hit. Not only with the treasurer, but more important,
with the members, as we had our biggest group of the year in attendance
and we combined it with our very popular holiday bash. It was
a lot of fun.”
See the article in the Appendix by Maralyn Henry,
Upstate IBM–PC User Group, Greenville, South Carolina,
titled, “Computer Fair a Winner”,
which provides details of their successful Computer Fair.
Setting Up Help Lines
Users helping other users is most evident in the Help Line listings
published in group newsletters. These listings identify volunteers
who are mentors to users with questions about particular applications.
These volunteers who are willing to help other members on a one-on-one
basis provide their home phone numbers and areas of expertise.
This one-to-one relationship is critical to effectively educate
and train users.
Sample Help Line Listing
The following volunteers have agreed to provide assistance on
the stated subjects during the times and days noted. Please call
only during these times.
Accounting Software
Sam Jones (525) 733-2469 Monday-Friday 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
Sue Smith (525) 233-9256 All 9:00 A.M.-9:00 P.M.
C++
Keith Brownell (525) 522-2786 Saturday-Sunday 12:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M.
Jerry Evans (525) 585-9292 Monday-Friday 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
Communications
John Johnson (525) 733-6892 Weekends Any
dBASE
Jennifer Adams (525) 725-3390 Tuesday-Thursday 6:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M.
Adam Williams (525) 233-8267 Monday-Thursday 1:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M.
Help Line categories can be either generic or specific (e.g.,
spreadsheets or Quattro® Pro); software or hardware specific;
or topic related (telecommunications, genealogy, etc.).
Stephen Manes states in PC Magazine, “The Value of
User Groups” (March 27, 1990), that “the educational
role of user groups today can hardly be overestimated. Graphical
user interfaces can’t hide the fact that computers are becoming
more complex, not easier to use but harder. Of all the
resources in the computer business, there remains one more useful
than any microprocessor, or other ware—hard or soft. I refer,
of course, to that rarest of beasts—The One Who Knows.
Friend or acquaintance, colleague or sales rep, The One Who
Knows is often the only defense against the dark clouds of
fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Big companies can and do pay handsome
sums to such experts, but smaller companies (including governments)
often can’t or won’t. The user group makes The Ones
Who Know available by the dozens—for free.”
Community Service
Service to the community offers rewards in many different ways.
Your group will reap the benefits of greater visibility and recruitment
of new members by participating in projects that help to make
a difference in your community. Such service activities include:
providing assistance with computer technology to another nonprofit
group, participating in community special events, teaching computer
literacy programs to community groups, and refurbishing and distributing
donated computer equipment to nonprofit agencies. Contact Borland
for information on our community service user group software donations
project.
The Boston Computer Society has set a goal
to provide every member of society with equal access to computer
technology and are very proactive in their public service activities.
Some of their activities are:
- Holding a conference on Computers and Social
Change
- Creating a Youth CompuFest
- Setting up a clearinghouse for donations and
volunteers
- Recognizing companies that provide computer
access for the differently abled
- Building relationships with Boys and Girls Clubs
and staffing centers
- Working with the United Way and other nonprofit
organizations, minority communities, and the economically and
educationally disadvantaged
The Cincinnati PC User Group, Cincinnati,
Ohio, provides donated systems to local people who are home-ridden.
One quadriplegic person had no other means of communication other
than eye blinks until receiving a laser pointing device and a
computer. Now an entire world of communication has opened up.
The Indianapolis Computer Society, Indianapolis,
Indiana, provides volunteers to assist charitable organizations
on-site with their computer problems.
The Pacific Northwest PC User Group Computers
for Community Service project reconditions donated computers and
places them in nonprofit, non-political organizations or with
individuals who are either disabled or have low income.
Gerald Schaefer, Akron–Canton PC User Group,
Akron, Ohio, reports that their December meeting features prize
drawings for which members buy tickets. Those who bring cans of
non-perishable food, however, receive free tickets. The food is
packaged in food baskets and donated to the Salvation Army for
distribution during the Christmas season.
Today many user groups are participating in activities that can
make a difference in their communities. By participating, your
members also receive great personal satisfaction.
7. Connections
Building partnerships and long term relationships between your
user group and other organizations can make all the difference
in the long-term vitality of your user group.
Borland User Group Relations
100 Enterprise Way
Scotts Valley, CA 95066-3249
Telephone: (408) 431-1065 or 431-1138
Fax: (408) 431-4175
ydavis@Borland.com
Connecting with Other User Groups
APCUG
The Association of PCUser Groups (APCUG) is an umbrella organization
for user groups. It holds meetings for user group officers in
conjunction with both COMDEX Spring and COMDEX Fall.
APCUG
1730 M Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20036
User Group Locator: (914) 876-6678
GLOBALNET
On-line bulletin board system of APCUG
(408) 439-9367 (8-N-1)
Intergalactic
Annual conference sponsored by NYPC for user group officers,
usually held in New York in June in conjunction with PC Expo.
NYPC -- Attn: Intergalactic Coordinator
40 Wall Street, Suite 2124
New York, NY 10005-1301
Partnerships with Other Local Groups
Contacting and working with other groups in your area can be successful
for all groups involved. Opportunities for cooperation include
sharing booth space at trade shows or fairs, bringing in SIG leaders
from other groups for presentations, or holding joint meetings
with major presenters.
Regional Officer Meetings
Regional meetings occur at various locations throughout the year
and are a major benefit to officers who attend to share experiences
with other groups and learn from each other. Regional meetings
are posted on APCUG’s GLOBALNET bulletin board and in APCUG
reports.
In 1992 regional meetings were held in San Francisco, California;
Lexington, Kentucky; Sydney, Australia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
and Bradenton, Florida.
Making Other Industry Connections
ASP
The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) can be contacted
for shareware authors and for procedures to obtain copies of available
shareware:
Association of Shareware Professionals
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
Telephone: (616) 788-5131
(Monday-Friday, 8:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M., Eastern Time)
Fax: (616) 788-2765
SPA
Software Publishers Association (SPA) will work with user groups
to provide information on licensing and copyright issues. They
also have a self-audit disk available for organizations.
Software Publishers Association
1730 M Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 452-1600
Vendors
Most vendors are looking for both publicity and user feedback.
In building a relationship, be sure to make it two-sided and acknowledge
their contributions; send them a copy of the reviews you publish
and communicate user questions or problems. Like Borland, most
vendors are anxious to improve their products and one of the ways
they are able to accomplish this is through user feedback. APCUG
has a file of all known vendor contacts available to member groups
on GLOBALNET.
Working with Dealers
Appointing a liaison to work specifically with local dealers is
a good way to build lasting relationships. Include the dealers
in newsletter mailings and group announcements. Often dealers
are willing to participate in advertising, promotions, meeting
programs, and even equipment loans.
On-line Connections
- America Online, Inc.
8619 Westwood Center Drive
Vienna, VA 22182-2285
- CompuServe, Inc.
P.O. Box 20212
5000 Arlington Centre Boulevard
Columbus, OH 43220
Telephone: (614) 457-8600
Fax: (614) 457-0348
- Boardwatch Magazine
5970 S. Vivian Street
Littleton, CO 80127
Telephone: (303) 973-6038
Subscriptions: 1-800-933-6038
Modem (N-8-1): (303) 973-4222
- FidoNet
Electronic bulletin board network of 11,000 nodes covering most
of the world
- PCRelay
Relaynet International Message Exchange (RIME)
Electronic mail transfer system between 1,000 bulletin board
systems
- Internet
International system of linked computer networks to
universities, government agencies, military branches, and corporations
Other Outside Contacts
- Conservatree Paper Co.
10 Lombard Street, #240
San Francisco, CA 94111
1-800-522-9200 (outside California)
(414) 433-1000 (in California)
- IRS
Tax-exempt Status for Your Organization
IRS Publication 557
1-800-829-1040
- National Center for Nonprofit Boards
1225 19th St. NW, #340
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 452-6262
- The Foundation Center
79th Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 620-4230
- The Independent Sector
1828 L Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 223-8100
- The Society for Nonprofit Organizations
6314 Odana Road, #1
Madison, WI 53719
(608) 274-9777
User Groups Referenced in Start Up!
Check the User Group listings for user groups with web sites.
Akron–Canton PC User Group
P.O. Box 2151
Akron, OH 44309-2151
Amateur Computer Group of New Jersey, Inc.
P.O. Box 135
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Atlanta IBM Employees PC Club
3073 Batesville Road
Woodstock, GA 30188
The Boston Computer Society
One Kendall Square, Building 1400
Cambridge, MA 02139
Buffalo IBM–PC User Group, Inc. (BIBMUG)
P.O. Box 609
Amherst, NY 14226-0609
Cajun Clickers Computer Club
P.O. Box 10997
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
Capital PC User Group, Inc. (CPCUG)
51 Monroe Street, Plaza East Two
Rockville, MD 20850
Central Florida Computer Society
P.O. Box 948019
Maitland, FL 32794-8019
Central Kentucky Computer Society, Inc. (CKCS)
1300 New Circle Road
Suite 105
Lexington, KY 40505
Central Maryland Microcomputer User Group (CMMUG)
9337 Angelina Circle
Columbia, MD 21045-5110
Cincinnati PC User Group
P.O. Box 3097
Cincinnati, OH 45201
The Detroit Area Network User Group (DANUG)
P.O. Box 69015
Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069
East Tennessee PC User Group
1345 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite 291
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) Personal Computer User Group
P.O. Box 2277, Mail Stop 318
Appleton, WI 54913-2277
Greater Cleveland PC User Group
3150 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
Houston Area League of PC Users (HAL-PC)
1200 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite #106
Houston, TX 77056
Indianapolis Computer Society
P.O. Box 2532
Indianapolis, IN 46206
Las Vegas PC User Group
316 Bridge Avenue, Suite 240
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Monterey Bay User Group-Personal Computer (MBUG-PC)
177 Webster Street, Suite A-354
Monterey, CA 93940
New Orleans Personal Computer Club (NOPC)
One Galleria Boulevard, Suite 1430
Metairie, LA 70001
New York Personal Computer (NYPC)
40 Wall Street, Suite 2124
New York, NY 10005-1301
North Orange County Computer Club
P.O. Box 3616
Orange, CA 92665
North Texas PCUser Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 780066
Dallas, TX 75378-0066
Oklahoma City (OKC) PC User Group
P.O. Box 12027
Oklahoma City, OK 73157-2027
Pacific Northwest PC User Group
1925 7th Avenue, Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98101
Pasadena IBM User Group (PIBMUG)
711 East Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
Philadelphia Area Computer Society (PACS)
La Salle University, Box 312
Philadelphia, PA 19141
Portland Personal Computer Club
921 SW Morrison, Room 529
The Galleria
Portland, OR 97205
Quad-Cities Computer Society (QCS)
P.O. Box 2456
Davenport, IA 52809-2456
Sacramento PC User Group
P.O. Box 162227
Sacramento, CA 95816-2227
Southern California ObjectVision User Group
16162 Beach Blvd., Suite 301
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
South Mountain User Group (SMUG)
P.O. Box 50002
Phoenix, AZ 85076
Tucson Computer Society
P.O. Box 1489
Tucson, AZ 85702
Tulsa Computer Society
P.O. Box 690180
Tulsa, OK 74169
Twin Cities PC User Group
5701 Normandale Road, #208
Edina, MN 55424
Upstate IBM–PC User Group
P.O. Box 5521
Greenville, SC 29606
Vancouver PC Users Society
P.O. Box 48297, Bentall 3
Vancouver, British Columbia
V7X 1A1
Canada
