User group Newsletter Editors: Utilize this content in your newsletter -- PLEASE ... reference UG Network Channel ... Shareware Manager is coming: YUM! Show us the shareware! The Info Manager is looking for your rumors and tidbits... give him a post! ...or subscribe... see subscription notes below Info Manager - 12/01/Y2K MacWorld Expo; MacAddict Magazine Raises User Group Academy Flag; Microsoft; CuSeeMe; E-Stamps; ADB Keyboards on PC; Macs for Schools; India; XBox; David Pogue; SoapBox: "I can't be President, I don't know anything about computers!" . It is time for us Mac users to start thinking about MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. Actually past time, but I digress. User Group members are being allowed in free or at a big discount on conferences. See your Apple User Group leader for codes. Meanwhile if you are going, you should keep up to date with the Hess Memorial Party list that is kept by Ilene Hoffman. (Past User Group Hero award winner). You can see it at: http://www.ilenesmachine.com/partylist.html . MacAddict Magazine Raises User Group Academy Flag Rumor has it that MacAddict Magazine said: "YES, user groups are a vital part of the computer world puzzle... YES we want to get on board!" Advanced notice on the inner circle mailing list said MacAddict is putting on the 11th Annual User Group Soiree at Macworld this year and rumors are flying about the "penthouse at Moscone Center!" I looked in the UGN for the Soiree Invitation, but it hasn't been posted yet. __ It was released in last week's UGN Newsletter that the 2000 User Group Academy Awards will be part of the User Group Soiree this year, so we're anxious to get the full details. Guess we'll just have to keep checking http://www.user-groups.net/news/ . Microsoft The Register has an article entitled: "MS: how PCs shipped without Windows will destroy your life" about how Microsoft is trying to intimidate computer manufacturers (apparently successfully) into not shipping computers without an operating system. Or even with someone else's OS. See it at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/14955.html . CuSeeMe The company got started from a video conferencing product developed for the Mac and Connectix's camera originally developed at a northeast university. Well according to the New York Times, the company has fallen on hard times and has announce that it would elminate 36 positions (22% of its work force). Hope that is enough to get it back into a profitable mode their software was a great inovation in its time. . E-Stamps The New York Times also is reporting that the first company to get approval from the Post Office to sell US Stamps via the Internet. (Actually let you print them out on your printer). Has announced it is getting out of the Stamp business. Not enough people were willing to pay them for their stamps. They really needed to have a price that was no more than the Post Office and they couldn't get the USPSto discount. They are going to concentrate now on providing services to businesses. . ADB keyboards on a PC Many of us Mac users love the Apple Extended Keyboards. Perhaps the best "standard" keyboard ever made for a computer. It was extremely expensive to purchase but really held up and "felt right". www.macwindows.com is reporting that it is possible to use that keyboard and other Mac ADB keyboards on a PC that uses the iMac USB to ADB adapter from Gryphon. They also have other ideas for how to do it. On their Keyboard/Monitor Sharing Tip page: http://www.macwindows.com/keytips.html#moretips . Macs for Schools Accelerate Your Mac (http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/) is reporting that MacTreasures is setting up to take Macs and donate them to schools. It is possible that they would work with user groups if you don't want to do a program yourself. If you want to donate or know of a school that would like to be included, send an email to unusual@mactreasures.com requesting further information on the Program. I personally couldn't find any info on the MacTreasures web site. (BTW - it is a good place for older Apple II and Mac software and hardware.) . MS Again The Register has printed an article about how it is almost illegal to sell PCs without Windows. Sounds like another anti-trust item to me. (And Europe is investigating MS as it is.) See it at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/15040.html . India Apple has announced plans to sale consumer model computers in India. See the full article at: http://www.siliconindia.com/tech/tech_pgtwo.asp?newsno=6067&newscat=Technology . XBox Microsoft has promoted its XBox as a new game machine, but The Register is reporting that they are also porting "Money" to XBox so that people can use XBox as an financial planner as well. Of course no one will be surprised that XBox will be able access the Internet. . David Pogue David has announced that he has accepted a job with the New York Times as their Personal Technology columnist replacing Peter Lewis and will be leaving MacWorld magazine effective with the April issue. (Thanks MacShowLive for letting us know about this one.) You will be able to read his column on Thursdays on the NYT web site. (Free registration required) . Web Site of the Week: While readers in the South may not be familiar with White Rock Beverages, I want to mention a contest they are having. White Rock is running a contest to select a new logo for their line of products. I first came across them when I lived in Chicago and discovered them via my job at an airline catering company. They are primarily a Northeast US company, but they have a neat logo. The American Heritage magazine told me about the contest and I went there and submitted my vote for the one by Susan Cerro. If you agree with me, please submit your vote too. If not, then forget about it. ;-) www.whiterockbeverages.com/contest.html . I can't resist adding another site. www.ifsandsbutts.com. What is it you ask. Well, I have reported on sites in the past that specialize in products from our childhood. This one specializes in soda, soda pop or pop as we used to call it. You can order 6 packs of various assorted soda or cases of 24. They have an unbelievable assortment in what they discribe as America's First Micro-Soda Bar. It is a Dallas company, so I can actually go visit. Some of the flavors: Abita Root Beer, BIG Brooklyn Chocolate Egg Cream; Jack Black's Blue Cream Soda; Motley Brue by Skeleteens, Moxie (various flavors); Big Red; Grapette (one of my childhood favorites); Virgil's Root Beer. There is actually a two page list. (Thanks to Yahoo magazine for pointing out the site to me. They also mentioned hometownfavorites.com that I mentioned some months back.) . Quote of the Week: "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." ~~~~~Elizabeth K¸bler-Ross . Soapbox: "I can't be president, I don't know anything about computers!" This is the time of year when many user groups are scrambling to find officers for the new year. It is unbelievable how hard it is to get people to volunteer for these positions. One of my pet peeves in this regard is the excuse "I can't be the President, I don't know anything about computers". In reality is that position doesn't need ANY computer knowledge. __ The President needs to know about how to get additional volunteers, how to delegate (even possibly delegating someone to run the regular monthly meetings - for those that are afraid of public speaking), how to run a board meeting and perhaps how to generate publicity for the group. Of course that could be delegated as well. __ A treasurer needs to know accounting, not computers. Although an accounting program should make that an easier task. One of the jobs that needs to be the person who is most consistent in handling their duties is the person working on the program for the monthly meetings. That person needs to be willing to spend about 30 minutes a month looking for presenters. __ I have done this job for groups from 60 to 16,000 and have found that the size of the group doesn't matter when getting events scheduled. Location of the group can make a difference. And the focus of the group can make a difference. I am willing to help anyone that takes this type of position and can't find presenters by making suggestions. __ This is really a topic for another soapbox. But the main thing to remember about any of these opportunities is that they are just that "opportunities". Not challenges, not problems. You will find that you will benefit from doing them as much or more than the group does and you can have fun doing it. . pau **** Don't forget ... the Info Manager invites you to use all or part of his column in your user group newsletter. Please let him know, and if possible send an electronic copy for the old scrapbook. Any suggestions for topics and reports of rumors are always welcome. Please me know. Thanks The Info Manager is a veteran of the UGN (AOL User Groups Forum) and User Group Network. He's been a supporter and volunteer on many, many UGNet and User Group Academy projects. As a long time user group member, he's served as volunteer from Honolulu to Boston and many points in between. 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