Msg: 5223 *Conference*

07-28-94 19:01:59

From: RICHARD HANSON

To : COMET _

Subj: REPLY TO MSG #5219 (MEMBER?)

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You are correct ... we used to get together every month.  In fact, physical
meetings was how we communicated back in the early 80's, here locally, and the
rest of the communication was on Compuserve.  Model 100 groups were formed in a
few parts of the country.  They all fed into, and took from, Compuserve.

We were major since we were formed around professional folks like engineers,
company executives, doctors, as well as computer and electronic folks.  Also,
many of us were also in other user groups.  In all cases, except for just a
few, we held physically meetings, or via phone, or at lunch or coffee.  It was
great.  One thing we didn't have in our group were newspaper reporters.  Those
type tended to be on the East coast and always took information, asked tons fo
questions, and rarely added to the program mix.

Anyway, we held monthly get togethers--they really weren't meetings.  There was
little to no structure.  Various people made announcements, passed around
information and programs.  The main foucs was the informal gatherings of groups
around solving a problem or showing how something or other was used.  Those
were the early days.

From mid to late 80's through early 93, I started holding gatherings at a local
pizza place, i.e., Melo's Pizza.  We all liked Pizza, and there were big tables
around for laying out the equipment.  Again, still informal, folks helped each
other with problems and answering questions.  It was a lot of fun for a few
years but like anything else it got old.  I finally called it quits when all
that showed up were the same old handful, along with a guy from Berkeley who
turned everyone off, and that nothing new was happending.

Do we still have meetings?  No.  Will we?  I don't know.  If anything is going
to happen--regarding a meeting--I'd like someone else to organize it.  Or maybe
just a few of us, chatting here online, would be interested in meeting
someplace sometime to see each other, share stories, solve a few things, answer
questions, etc.  Perhaps someone could find a convenient place close to a BART
station.  Then we could post card to just the bay area folks.  Also, I'm not
going to pick up the tab, this time.  I used to pick up the tab for everything
for years--amounting to around $150 to $200 a month for pizza and wet-stuff!

Anyway, think about it for awhile... drop it down a well and see if it
splashes, or run it up a flag poll and see if it waves.  -Rick-