By Ron Bernstein
fotoman@adelphia.net

You love computing. You love Macs, and you want to get the most out of your experience. Whether you are new to computing or a seasoned veteran of too many Macs to count, the answer is the same: join a user group. You won’t regret it!

I have been a member of the Gold Coast Mac User Group in Miami for many years, and have benefited in many ways. Let me tell you about some of them.

Here are some key services provided by GCMac:

• Monthly meetings at the Museum of Science in Miami give members the opportunities to get their questions answered at a Q and A session with a “Mac guru.”

• The same meetings feature software and “how to” sessions, pro-jected on a big screen so all can see, as well as many giveaways of software and accessories. I even won an iBook in a GCMac raffle the night before my daughter’s birthday. Guess what her present was? She loved it!

• The face time during breaks helps to create and foster a sense of community, with all the attendant benefits of meeting people with the same interests you have.

• Special interest groups meet once a month, and can be formed around any topic that a group desires. Some standard SIGs at GCMac are: Photoshop, Advanced Users, Hardware, Beginners, and a new one around Apple’s iLife suite. These SIGs are located at convenient venues, and offer members the chance to delve into one topic for a few hours.

• Even if you don’t attend meetings, an answer to a nagging question is just a few clicks away with the group’s listserv. This mechanism, which allows a single email to go to the whole group, is terrific for hearing about new developments in the Mac community, and for getting and giving help.

• Rehabbing and donating computers to persons and groups who can benefit from them.

The GCMac membership runs the gamut from beginner to design and web authoring professionals. This community is a vital one, and offers benefits for everyone, since everyone can learn something from someone else.

All this adds up to a more satisfying and supportive experience than one can have alone, and is a terrific community resource.

It wouldn’t be possible without dedicated, insightful leadership, which GCMac has had for years, thanks to many talented individuals. Their behind-the-scenes expertise and the talents of the membership have combined to create one terrific resource for lovers of all things Macintosh.

Find an Apple User Group in your area.

April 2004