Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch
Are you getting the most out of the Cajun Clickers (or any computer club)? Over the years I’ve been a member of several computer clubs. The biggest change is that these days, it isn’t just about computers. We also learn about cell phones, cameras, smart homes and much more. Just a few months ago I learned about how we use electronics to predict and track our weather. There are many reasons that I keep joining them.
The most important thing about computer user groups (clubs) is that they are full of people who meet to share information and to learn from each other. All of them are informal groups with a common purpose of learning more about how electronics operate and can be used to better our lives.
A computer club offers a lot of knowledge and experience. It’s almost like having tech support with a native English speaking support staff. No matter what problem you may have, someone usually knows how to solve it. If they don’t know the answer, they almost always know where to go to find out.
I’ve noticed that a lot of benefits of our club are not used by many of the members. There hasn’t been a question asked on our Ask The Experts Google Group since October of 2022. The General Discussion Group hasn’t fared much better. There has been one posting in the last year. The club also has a YouTube Channel and a Facebook Group.
Most of the monthly meetings have an attendance of around thirty members. This is less than one quarter of the total membership. There are usually empty seats at the club workshops.
Our computer group has a monthly newsletter. I’ll admit that I like to run my mouth and the newsletter gives me a chance to write articles like this. It also gives me a chance to learn about many other things by reading the the monthly columns.
Another under utilized club benefit are the many workshops offered on Zoom by the APCUG. These cover a wide array of topics on most Operating Systems. Some sample topics are Your Health and Technology, Cross-Platform Software, Backing Up with pCloud, Smart TVs, the Frugal Genealogist, and many more.
Computer user groups are a fun place to meet new people. Since I’ve joined the Clickers, I’ve learned from a professional photographer, a tax accountant, a Better Business Bureau professional, a local television meteorologist, several writers, programmers, web authors, and more.
Where else can you get all of this and more for only $4.58 or less a month? The annual membership fee is less than you would pay for one computer class almost anywhere else.
Thanks for reading.