Number 225 - February 2002

How to Get Your Money's Worth Out of This Computer Club
by Grant Fuller, Greater Victoria PC Users' Assn - Nov 2001
I joined this club because they said they were a group of enthusiastic computer users and accepted people regardless of their level of experience. I paid my membership and went to my first meeting. I didn't understand a word that was said, and went home fuzzy headed and confused.     What have I done? The language was foreign to me, but there was something about the mystery of it all that made me go to another meeting. This time I actually understood a few words, but still, I was confused. It was then that rule number one occurred to me: Rule #1     Get used to being confused. I'm going to spend a lot of time in that state so I decided to learn to accept it. However, the return on my investment was not what I expected. With the exception of a slot machine, I expect to get something back when I put money out. I figured my membership dues would buy me information, but the return rate was about a dollar a week. I kept going to meetings and in a few months I was following most of the conversation and the occasional light bulb went on in my head and I'd rush home to try out the newly acquired knowledge on my computer. I now had discovered rule number two. Rule #2     Be Persistent and Patient. I was now beginning to gather information and my investment was returning with interest. After about four months into my being a BB&C1 member, I was beginning to feel that, although	the flow of information was encouraging, the social atmosphere was a little cool. I thought " these people are quite reserved, where's my red carpet?" Having learned rule number two, I decided to approach the first person who seemed like they were involved in an area that interested me. After all, there's a million things you can do with a computer and it was time to "zero in" on something specific. The word "publishing" came up at a general meeting and I responded like a cat on a mouse (make up your own joke). I had blindly stumbled onto rule number three. Rule #3     Choose Something and Get Involved. In a matter of weeks I was involved with the newsletter group, admittedly as a junior member, but working with highly experienced people and catching my limit of information at every meeting. In no time they had me working with another highly respected member, teaching an advanced course on Adobe Illustrator. Computer graphics is the only area where I feel conversant, in all other areas, I simply sit and listen. After less than a year in the club, I have collected more information than any number of books could have provided. I still study from books as well, but books alone are too slow and life is too short.     So, three simple things were all I had to do in order to become immersed in the benefits of the club. Once I had accepted rule number one, it became fun. 1 Big Blue & Cousins
Number 225 - February 2002