PCUG Coffee & Chat (CnC)
Notes for Newcomers

1. WHAT: We are a sub-group (Special Interest Group or SIG) of the Canberra PC Users group (PCUG).

2. WHEN: We meet once a week on Tuesdays, to discuss Computer problems (and successes), and usually to enjoy some social activity, including meals if you wish. Northside meetings start at around 10:00 AM for coffee and individual discussion. The more formal part starts at 10:30 am and finishing about midday. Southside meetings start at 10:30 AM for coffee and individual discussion and the main meeting starts at 10:45 AM.

3. WHERE: Meetings are noted in the "Sixteen-Bits" PCUG magazine Calendar. Meetings alternate between the Wests Club (Catchpole St, Macquarie) and the Canberra Irish Club (6 Parkinson St, Weston). We encourage CnC attendees to support the clubs by becoming members.

4. GUESTS: Are always welcome and they are the responsibility of the host. Guests must be signed in if attending at the either club. Guests are encouraged to take out Club Membership.

5. ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS: May find the main meetings a bit too technical at first. But you can learn a lot by sitting at the main meetings and just soaking up the lingo for a while. Fear not to ask "dumb" question! They sometimes stump the "experts".

6. HOW: We are a gregarious, fairly democratic bunch, of mostly retired people. Someone, somehow, is appointed Chairperson for the day and tries to keep control. Members with questions to ask (or something to report) write them on the white board, and the Chairperson addresses each in turn.

7. BUDDIES: If a newcomer would like someone to discuss problems "one on one", the Chairperson will try to organise a "buddy" for you who lives nearby.

8. NOTES: Someone is persuaded to collate the meeting notes which are much appreciated by PCUG members who could not attend. The task involves copying the white board questions and publishing them to the News Group and mailing list as a reminder. The person who wrote the question on the white board is encouraged send the explanation to the mailing list at CandC@lists.tip.net.au by COB on Friday.

9. WEBSITE: The group maintains a Website at http://www.pcug.org.au/pcug/candc/ The Website contains the group Charter, and a listing of members, their suburb, phone numbers and computing interests. See the Chairperson for the password to access the listing. A printout of the latest listing is generally passed around at meetings so that new members can add their details if they wish.

10. NEWS GROUP: We maintain a news group tip.coffee-chat on the PCUG News server at newshost.pcug.org.au This news server is only available to PCUG members. But follow the help at http://www.tip.net.au/tipnews/ if you subscribe to another ISP and would like access via the Web. However the mailing list is gatewayed to the news server.

11. MAILING LIST: We maintain a (free) mailing list for those members who would like to subscribe. It is not too busy, just the weekly notes and occasional discussions. You can subscribe yourself by visiting https://lists.tip.net.au/listinfo/candc (The subscription page).

12. LIBRARY: We maintain a small software and hardware library for members' use. See the Chairperson for details.

13. Above all, WELCOME and ENJOY!

23 Mar 2010