Indiana County PC Users Group

http://www.icpcug.com

Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, January 16, 2007
With 12 present, President Chauncey Ross opened the meeting at 7:14 PM at Indiana County Technology Center.

Minutes & Treasurer’s Report
The members approved the minutes of the Dec. 19, 2006, meeting on a motion by Ron McConnell seconded by Donna McConnell.

The treasurer’s report reflecting an opening balance of $412.75, income of $60.00, expenses of $209.92 and a current balance of $262.83 was approved on a vote of those present.

New Business
The members discussed the feasibility of following a budget for 2007, which would project necessary income to pay monthly meeting-room rentals and for a membership in the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce.

In debate over whether ICPCUG should become a member of the Chamber, Larry Stadtmiller described the publicity benefits of a Chamber membership as a “shotgun approach” to reaching potential members. He said ICPCUG should employ a “rifle approach,” making direct contact with prospective members by sending representatives to speak at meetings of other organizations, such as Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis.

Linda Gibson suggested ICPCUG should seek publicity in the Club News section of The Indiana Gazette. Fred Maize added that most Chamber members probably have taken care of their technology-education needs.

Other suggestions from discussion:

● ICPCUG’s membership appeals should stress the answer to “what’s in it for me?”

● The Web site needs to be active.

● The organization should have a Google group list.

● ICPCUG should inquire with the Chamber about an advertising rate for not-for-profit groups.

Members suggested that ICPCUG should invite technology professionals, such as Web developers, and large local companies such as banks, Comcast, Verizon, etc., to send speakers to our meetings to talk about their companies’ uses of technology.

Additional discussion centered on recruiting high school students and school clubs to attend ICPCUG meetings; distribution of brochures and wallet cards; changing the name of the organization; offering programs that make technology a secondary focus; and having members conduct programs on the use of technology at their workplaces.

Program
The meeting site, Indiana County Technology Center, switched to a ceiling-mounted PC projector since the last meeting, and ICPCUG members learned how to connect to the new projector.

The program presenter, Larry Stadtmiller, demonstrated the features of a MAC laptop computer, an iPod and a digital picture frame, which other wise looks like a tabletop or wall-hanging picture frame – except that it displays digital pictures and can be programmed to show them in slide-show fashion.

Larry also demonstrated several applications on the MAC laptop (a G-4 Powerbook), such as speech-recognition software, iTunes, iPhoto and iCal; he also demonstrated the unit’s hardware features, including the built-in microphone.

Lacking access to the Internet this evening, group members could not view the Google group feature discussed earlier.

In a general discussion of technology issues, members talked about the steps to save documents on a MAC computer; the operation of an HP wireless printer/scanner; the practice of “war driving” – cruising the streets in search of wifi signals; the need for an external fax machine and filter for users on DSL service; Excela Health-Latrobe Area Hospital’s new practice of burning MRI readouts onto DVD for a patient to view at home.

Ron McConnell offered to make a presentation on tax-preparation software at the next meeting.

No other old or new business was discussed.

Close
The next meeting of Indiana County PC Users Group will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007. On a motion by Lauralee Bunton, the meeting was adjourned at 8:56 pm.