Considering the Possibility of
External Financial Support for Computer User Groups
Phil Shapiro
Computer user groups serve both private and public functions. Their
private function is to serve the needs of their members. Their public function is
to do what they can to serve the needs of the general public.
__ In most user groups, the private purpose of the group
far outshadows the public purpose of the group. This is only to be expected, as it
would not be fair to the paying members of user groups to devote a lot of attention
(and financial resources) to assisting the public in general.
__ Yet a tension exists. About the only way for user
groups to increase their membership numbers is to devote time and money to helping
those in the general community. User groups, by definition, don't have advertising
budgets. So practically the only way they can maintain a public profile is to allocate
part of their limited resources to helping the public in general.
__ The interesting phenomenon to note is that while
computer ownership continues to climb at ever-increasing rates, user group membership
numbers tend to stay relatively flat. Why is this so? Is it that user groups are
not serving their function? Far from it. User groups, by and large, perform extremely
well given the fixed financial resources in their operating budgets. In my view,
user groups are the bedrock of the entire microcomputer industry. Without them, software
and hardware companies would have to spend billions of dollars more in technical
support services. Not millions of dollars more: billions of dollars more.
__ Any way you measure it, user groups are hugely successful
at the work they do. Why is it, then, that membership numbers in user groups tend
to remain flat?
__ Here is my view on the subject. Membership numbers
tend to remain flat because a lot of newcomers to computers don't find their needs
being met by user groups. A lot of novice computer users choose to not renew their
membership because they don't feel that user groups are giving them what they need.
__ This is the fundamental paradox of user group existence.
For user groups to grow, the needs of computer novices need to be given a lot of
attention. But if a lot of attention (in time and financial resources) is devoted
to novices, this reduces the quantity and quality of services given to the more experienced
computer users in the group.
__ User group supporters universally agree that newcomers
to computers deserve greater attention and assistance than people who are more experienced
with computers. But providing that extra attention and assistance is far beyond what
can be achieved by the goodwill of a few user group volunteers.
__ Anyone who has been involved as a user group volunteer
can attest to the fact that the patience of user group volunteers can get frayed
at times. The most patient and kind volunteers can have their patience tested by
the quantity of the needs out there.
__ What is missing in this equation is the recognition
by society that user groups are performing a vital function. If we are to move forward
into the exciting possibilities of this technological age we need to find ways of
bringing external financial support into the operations of user groups.
__ Where might such support come from? Several sources
come to mind. Foundations are one source. Local, state, and federal government is
another source. And the media is a third source.
__ Each one of these entities could play an important
role in supporting the work of user groups. If all three of these entities supported
user groups, the resulting benefits to society as a whole could be incalculable.
Foundation Support
Philanthropic foundations are in the business of supporting initiatives in which
people help others to help themselves. It makes plain sense for philanthropic foundations
to support the work being done by user groups.
__ Supplemental funding for user groups can help them
support the existing work they are doing and allow them to provide new and better
services for their local communities. Foundation funding could work wonders in helping
to unleash the energies of dedicated, caring user group volunteers.
Governmental Support
Governmental support of user groups sounds far-fetched at first. But the government
is already engaged in several initiatives to increase the knowledge and technological
expertise of the general public. Governmental support of user groups is entirely
within the realm of possibility.
__ What existing initiatives is the government involved
in to expand the general public's skill in using technology?
National Telecommunications
Infrastructure Administration (NTIA)
NTIA is a newly-created office in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its mission
is to support grassroots community, business, and medical initiatives that help develop
the National Information Infrastructure (NII).
__ In 1995, NTIA awarded $26 million in grants. While
this is a small sum to be distributed to initiatives nationwide, it does signal a
stronger interest by the Federal government in the benefits of developing the non-technological,
human side of the National Information Infrastructure.
CTCNet support from National Science Foundation
In October of 1995, the National Science Foundation awarded the Community Technology
Centers' Network (CTCNet) a $2 million, five year grant to help further support the
building of free-to-use and almost-free-to-use community technology centers around
the country. Currently CTCNet has over 60 affiliates, and is rapidly adding new affiliates
with each passing month. The mission of CTCNet is to help bring technology tools
(and knowledge of how to those tools) into the hands of people who might otherwise
be unable to afford them.
Media Support
The media can help support user groups in several ways. One way is to simply give
greater media coverage of the goings-on in user groups. People who are not members
of user groups have little idea of how user groups function and of the services they
offer. The press could help change this.
__ Another way the press could help support user groups
is to give them free or low-cost publicity space. User groups are not in the business
of making money, so it would be a responsible and beneficial thing to do to charge
them lower advertising rates. (Or offer user groups free public service announcements
(PSA's)).
Conclusion
The sharing spirit that lies at the core of the user group experience is in some
ways a model of human interaction. In user groups people help one another for no
other reason than the fact than it seems like the right thing to do. Another way
of saying this is? If the Amish used technology, they'd feel right at home at any
user group gathering.
__ In user groups people pull together to help one another,
instinctively appreciating the fact that the progress of the whole depends entirely
upon the progress of the parts. People who are new to user groups are often surprised
when user group veterans go out of their way to be of help. This should come as no
surprise. This is how things should be, both inside and outside of user groups.
__ User groups speak to the best of who we are as human
beings. With greater external financial support, the sharing ethic that comes forth
from within user groups could emanate from user groups, as well. This would be a
good thing for all of us.
Phil Shapiro
The author has been an active volunteer in the Washington Apple Pi user group
for the past ten years. Along with teaching introductory computer classes for the
club he has written about a hundred articles for the club's newsletter, the Washington
Apple Pi Journal.
__ He currently works as an educational technology consultant
and freelance writer.
Internet: pshapiro@his.com
Personal home page at http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/
Sidebar Articles:
Federal Financing of Education
The United States government spends approximately $70 billion per year on kindergarten
through 12th grade education. While school and other education expenditures are indeed
important, consider the idea expressed in the following table.
|
Federal Support of Schools
1991 $70 billion
1992 $70 billion
1993 $70 billion
1994 $70 billion
1995 $70 billion
Total $350 billion
|
Federal Support of User Groups
1991 $0
1992 $0
1993 $0
1994 $0
1995 $0
Total 0
|
Do computer user groups merit $350 billion less support than schools?
Do user groups not perform a public education function?
If so, what public moneys do they deserve to receive?
Understanding the Rise of User Groups as an Historical Analogy to
the Rise of Formal Schooling
Two hundred years ago schools in our country were organized informally by
families who shared a belief in the value education. In some sense, early schools
were nothing much more than "education clubs." At that time in our nation's
history there was no general sentiment that schools performed an important community
function. Within the past century our country has come to realize that the fate of
the country itself rests on the combined educational level of its citizenry. And
so the concept of universal education took hold.
__ Today, at the dawn of the Age of Creativity, our
country is once again coming to understand how important it is for its residents
to have facility with the tools of the modern day. And so in the past two years national
leaders have been talking about the importance of raising the general population's
skill with technology tools.
__ But exhortations are not enough. The next level can
only be reached if user groups are given external financial support, so they can
more earnestly devote themselves to their increasingly important public function.
Another Analogy
Volunteer Fire Departments
In some respects user groups are like volunteer fire departments. Both entities are
composed of individuals who place a high value on "shared assistance in times
of need." Some might say that both types of organizations excel at "putting
out fires." Both survive on the feelings of camaraderie that members have, knowing
that in times of need there will be someone to turn to.
__ Both user groups and volunteer fire departments are
very good at fire suppression, emergency medical assistance (to ailing CPU's), and
the mitigation of other natural disasters (resulting from not performing regular
backups).
__ Likewise, user groups and volunteer fire departments
protect life and property from harm by continuous education efforts. Both stress
the need for advance planning of escape (key) routes, and for making vital life decisions
armed with the most complete information available at that time. (This insightful
analogy was suggested by WAP Journal assistant Jed Duvall.)
Organizations Mentioned in the Article:
Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet)
Education Development Center
55 Chapel St.
Newton, MA 02158
(617) 969-7101, ext. 2727
ctcnet@ctcnet.org
Washington Apple Pi
12022 Parklawn Dr.
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 984-0300
http://www.wap.org
info@tcs.wap.org
(Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 AM to 6 PM. Tuesday evenings, 7
PM to 9 PM. Saturdays, 10 AM to 2 PM.) |
National Telecommunications
Infrastructure Administration
(NTIA)
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th & Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20230
Phone: (202) 482-0516
nii@ntia.doc.gov
http://www.ntia.doc.gov
Also, very interesting work is taking place by the Benton Foundation, whose
web page can be found at http://www.benton.org/ |
For those persons without web access, Benton Foundation essays and other publications
can be retrieved via their automated email "info-bot". To get instructions
on how to use this info-bot, send an email message to: info-benton@cdinet.com
with "info" in the message. You can also use the Benton Foundation fax-on-demand
services (1-800-254-1671).
Finally, the U.S. Dept. of Education has a very nicely done web page. However hard
you look, though, you will find no mention of computer user groups on this page.
Before the end of 1996 that will change. http://www.ed.gov/
USER GROUP EDITORS: Articles
posted in this area have been cleared for publication in your newsletters ONLY after
you have contacted the author for formal permission, details and/or updates. In some
cases they may have additional art or graphics files which should accompany the article.
Please ALWAYS credit the original author!