^P- ^C{User Group Corner ^P+ ^Cby Dean Esmay} In my last column we explored the various ways to organize and structure a user group, and at the  and end I said that this next column would be about how to plan user group activities. Well, I lied. I forgot one other thing that needs to be covered first, and that is figuring out what sort of computers and what sort of users you want to support in your user group. In a group of only a few friends, this is not much of an issue. Once you get past that stage, though, it's not necessarily an easy question. The easiest way to answer the first question, what sort of computers you'll support, is usually to pick just one platform and to stick with it. If everyone in the club uses the same basic type of machine, then it's much easier to structure activities, write newsletter articles of interest to all members, and so on. If everyone in your group uses Commodores, or Apples, or Windows machines, then life tends to be a lot simpler. That last brings up an interesting point, by the way; notice I said "Windows machines". With established lines of computers that have been around for many years, it's often not enough to say that you just support one type of computer; sometimes you may have to get even more specific. If you say you support IBM PC compatibles in your group, does that mean you really want to be trying to support 8088 microprocessor-based CGA machines? If you say you are a Mac user group, does this mean you will support machines going all the way back to 1984's 128K and 512K black and white Macs? Don't laugh; there are a significant number of people using older machines like that, and they often wind up needing more help and support than users of newer machines. In the PC Compatible market, this problem is worsened by the growing divide between Windows and MS-DOS users. These days, there is probably a place for "Windows" user groups that support only PC users who also use Windows...or MS-DOS user groups that don't support Windows, for that matter. Why bother with all this division? Why not just say you'll support all Macs or all PCs? Or even go a step further and say you'll support ALL computer users of ALL platforms? Well actually, there are a number of user groups which do this, and do it quite well. What they'll usually do is have sections of their newsletters devoted to various platforms. They'll also have meetings which will start as general-interest meetings for all users, and then split up into "SIGs" (special interest groups) for platform-specfic meetings. The benefit of this sort of approach is that you have a much wider potential audience for your group. Most of your really big computer user groups support multiple platforms. Okay, so why not do it this way? Well for one thing, you get a lot more in the  and way of headaches. You have to structure your meetings carefully so that you have something for all the various platforms you support. You have to do the same for your newsletters. You'll also have to put up with occasional "turf wars" and fights that inevitably crop up between users of various machines; many people become very attached to, and partisan about, their particular choice of computers. I've seen arguments over whose-platform-is-better get so vehement they nearly came to blows. Now, most people are mature enough to make arguments of that nature rare, but such rivalries do exist and create just another headache for those who run multi-platform user groups. The benefits and drawbacks of both methods balance out pretty well if you ask me; there are bad and good things about both. A platform-specific user group can concentrate more on supporting one type of computer, which creates a more unified group feeling, and being platform-specific makes meetings and newsletters easier to structure. On the other hand, more universal groups can have a more open, "everyone is welcome" atmosphere, and can wind up having far more people involved. Pick the  and method that works for you, and have fun. Okay now, NEXT month I'll talk about planning user group activities. In the meantime, I'd like to welcome the  and following groups to the  and growing list of Softdisk Network of User Groups: Anchorage Commodore Users Group PO Box 14615 Anchorage, AK 99510-4615 Ripon PC User Group 1146 7th St. Ripon, CA 95366 Fresno Commodore User Group/64UM PO Box 16095 Fresno, CA 93755 Gravenstein Apple Users Group PO Box 964 Petaluma, CA 94953-2964 South Bay Computer Club 22631 Evalyn Ave Terrance, CA 90505 Apple Pi, Inc. 6501 Welch Crt. Arvada, CO 80004 First State Commodore Club PO Box 1313 Dover, DE 19903-1313 Apple Tree of Central Florida 1112 Shawn Court Travers, FL 32778 Apple Computer Enjoyment Society (ACES) 6391 Haye St. Apt. South Hollywood, FL 33024 Port St. Lucie Computer Society 2 Don Quixote Court Port St. Luchie, FL Stone Mountain Users Group 1576 Darwen Lane Tucker, GA 30084 Metro Atlanta Computer Klub 3391 Bryan Way SW Marietta, GA 30060 M.A.C.H. Gateway PO Box 83702 Boise, ID 83714 Treasure Valley/Boise User Group (TV BUG) PO Box 83702 Boise, ID 83714 Champaign Urbana Commodore Group (CUCUG) PO Box 716 Champaign, IL 61824-0716 Salt City Commodore Club PO Box 2044 Hutchinson, KS 67504-3674 Northwoods IIgs User Group PO Box 550 Milford, ME 04461-0550 New Mexico Commodore Users Group PO Box 37127 Albuquerque, NM 87176 Clark County Commodore Computer Club PO Box 28136 Las Vegas, NV 89102 Las Vegas PC Users Group 1350 E. Flamingo Rd., #188 Las Vegas, NV 89119 BUG "Bronx User Group" PO Box 523 Bronx, NY 10475 Commodore Computer Club of Toledo PO Box 13011 Toledo, OH 43613 Toledo PC Users Group PO Box 13085 Toledo, OH 43613 Coos Computer Club 2175 Everett St. North Bend, OR 97459-2336 Lane County Commodore User Group PO Box 11316 Eugene, OR 27440 Commodore Users Association PO Box 84 Medford, OR 97584 Main Line Commodore user's Group 1046 General Allen Lane West Chester, CA 19382 Harrisburg PC User Group (Member APCHUG) c/o Jack Stahl 1195 Fairmont Drive Harrisburg, PA 17112-3408 Central Cambria Computer Club Box 800 RD#4 Edensburg, PA 15931 Houston Area Apple Users Group (HAAUG) PO Box 610150 Houston, TX 77208-0150 NASA/COMM PO Box 57284 Webster, TX 77598 WAVE 725 Lois Ave. Brokefield, WI 53045 Get your user group registered with SNUG today! What is SNUG? In recognition of how important user groups are for many people, Softdisk has started a new program called SNUG--the Softdisk Network of User Groups. SNUG is not a user group, but rather, a program for user groups to take advantage of. User groups can "register" with SNUG to receive special discounts and other offers to their members from Softdisk--starting with a special 20% discount (on top of any other discounts we might be offering at any given time) on one-year subscriptions to any of Softdisk's publications. This is for any member of a SNUG-registered user group. There will be other special offers too; free subscriptions for user groups to give away as door prizes, contests, user group event calendars, and more. We'll use this column each month to talk about the SNUG program, and also to talk about various issues and ideas that affect user groups and their members. To help promote user groups, Softdisk will also regularly publish the names and addresses of SNUG-registered groups in order to promote them to its subscribers. So the user group helps promote Softdisk, and Softdisk helps promote user groups. Hey, pretty good deal, eh? Registering your user group with SNUG costs nothing. All a group has to do to register is call Softdisk Customer Support at 1-318-221-8718 and request a user group signup kit. There's no cost and no obligation. We encourage those of you who already subscribe to Softdisk who also happen to be user group members to encourage your group to join SNUG. It really doesn't cost anything, and it's a great way both to promote your group and to get some great stuff from Softdisk for the group. So talk to the officers of your user group, tell them about this program, and have them call Softdisk at 1-318-221-8718 to request a free user group signup kit ASAP! This column is still in its infancy, like the SNUG program itself. We'd very much like input and suggestions for this column from you user groups out there. We'd love to reprint articles and other information from your own newsletters, so if you're interested in having us do that, please let us know!