HMAUS Signal

by William Gass, HMAUS member

In his yearly Presidential Address, Terrence Young, our newly elected HMAUS (Hawaii Macintosh Apple Users Society) president issues a stirring “call to action” to all members to take a more active role within the organization. While this may prove somewhat effective in motivating non-participating members to become more involved in the regularly scheduled events and activities that the organization sponsors, I believe that it may be found lacking in one area that I strongly feel may be crucial to the continued success, nay – even to the very survival, of this organization.

The area that I speak of is Membership. We must find a better way to recruit new members into the fold. We have a truly incredible mix of members running the gamut from professional computer consultant to our very own “Un-Techie Tutu,” but we need this influx of new blood to keep us vibrant and alive! We already have established recurring educational activities that serve both to entertain and inform our members, but how do we acquire those elusive new members? How do we inform them and the general public of our very existence? These are questions that require and deserve much more thorough research and investigation. In light of that and the importance of this issue to our organization’s mission and goals, I would like to humbly propose that we appoint a panel to discuss this (and all membership related issues) at our next MGM (Member’s General Meeting) or at the MacSpringFest.

I would recommend that the panel consist of a fairly representative cross-section of HMAUS members, young and not so young, experienced and not-so-experienced users, long time HMAUS members and brand new ones. Each one of these members brings something different to the mix; each has his/her own reasons for joining and continuing to belong. We need to respect and consider all of these aspects to determine how we can best reach and meet the needs of our prospective members.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day” nor will we be able to find all the answers we seek or create a successful membership campaign in the course of this public panel discussion, but it could serve well to focus our attention and efforts in this area and allow us to better define a positive course of action.

I truly believe that there is a need for HMAUS today, even though many would say that the internet and the sheer numbers, proliferation and intrusion of computers into our everyday lives on both a personal and professional level and the accompanying exposure of much of the public to computers since an early age, would seem to negate that need.

Although some user groups have grown in recent years, many are going through difficult times, having experienced declines in membership over the recent years. During the “Golden Years,” we had vendors lined up for events and donations of software, and even equipment were not unusual. Heck, we even received assistance from Apple in the good old days! Now those supporting organizations are few and far between and their numbers are dwindling rapidly. Monster groups that used to have thousands of people attending meetings have faded into near oblivion. The massive and powerful BMUG (Berkeley Macintosh user group) and BCS (Boston Computer Society) are no longer with us. The BCS, founded in 1977, grew to become the largest personal computer user organization in the world with over 30,000 members in fifty states and forty countries. At its peak in the late 1980s it boasted more than 75 different user and special interests groups and held more than 150 monthly meetings. For many these groups helped with their very first computer, for others they were a source of advanced technical information. This and other such groups were instrumental in influencing the growth and evolution of “personal” computers. Major manufacturers like Apple and IBM used their meetings to introduce new products. In fact, Apple introduced the very first Macintosh at a BCS meeting in 1984. Despite its place in history, it folded in 1996. BMUG lasted a short while longer before closing up shop in 2000 and then reemerging as an on-line presence known as PlanetMUG. Many feel that the rise of the Internet as a source of information and the growing sophistication of today’s computer users caused these groups to fail (Dvorak 1).

There’s no doubt that user groups used to be much larger and more active ten to fifteen years ago. At one time Oahu itself had two groups that were each larger than HMAUS is now. Considering the large increase in the number of computer users, this decrease in membership becomes even more significant and puzzling. This does not appear to be relative to the merits of each individual group, but almost an across the board decline. (Frick 1)

People that I meet in my daily meanderings through this digital universe are quick to confront me with innumerable questions or concerns once they find out that I am an “Apple Person.” Most of these are novice users and “switchers” feeling their way around unaided. I try to insure that their experience is a positive one whenever possible, and if I don’t know the answer myself I can always forward them on to another friend who may be able to help. It is these many instances that, sometimes painfully, reinforce in my mind the need for HMAUS to become more visible to the general public. Many of these people knew little to nothing of our group when questioned and were very eager for more information, which I gladly provided.

All of us run into problems that we may find difficult to solve at one time or another and I must admit to having my own select cadre of “Mac Geeks” that I too turn to in times of need. Many are searching, but who can you turn to if you don’t know what’s out there?

A long time ago, on a planet far, far away, I was one of the two Mac guys at the old Computer City store in Waikele. I was an old Mac user newly hired and newly arrived on the island, with nowhere to turn for support and fellowship. But not for long, it turned out that HMAUS had a presence there on Saturday afternoons, in fact a very commanding presence in the form of HMAUS members Mel Fowler and Rob Morgan. Each Saturday, one or the other would come and set up shop in the Apple section of the store. There they would dispense sage advice, performance tips and other goodies, all at no cost to the interested public. They didn’t bother with the hard sell; after all, this is Hawaii. They distributed special event flyers, copies of the Signal newsletter and membership applications, all with a healthy dose of “Aloha” thrown in for good measure.

Thus began my own thirteen-year relationship with HMAUS. Throughout the subsequent years I have been lurking around the fringes, sometimes as a member, sometimes not (EV and I used to joke around that I was the longest non-member in good standing!). Throughout all of this time, through my transition to CompUSA (with the advent of the “Apple Store within a Store” concept), through my move into private consulting, the one constant in my digital domain has been HMAUS. I have expanded and continued to practice my own personal Apple “evangelical” work by preaching the HMAUS gospel to all the non-believers who would take the time to listen.

There are very serious concerns relative to the future existence of user groups; their educational viability–the ability of members to teach each other newer technologies–could be made worse by the fact that the average age of user group members is increasing. There are very few new members joining now who are fresh out of college, or even under the age of 35 for that matter. Younger people are more apt to congregate in an online setting than attend regular meetings once a month. Online education may be a viable option for us one day. We must remember that we are competing with a wealth of readily accessible informational resources and find ways to differentiate ourselves. (Woodie 1)

“The future of HMAUS and other user groups will depend on how well the leadership will be able to recognize and adapt to changes in the computing environment.” (Villaluz 1)

I urge you to consider the benefits to both you and your organization of bringing in these new members. I feel that it is imperative that we take steps to reach out and touch these people in the same manner that I was lucky enough to experience. Mel and Rob served to put a face on HMAUS for me and while it might not have been the prettiest one – it got the job done. I believe that we need a similar type of outreach program today. We need to reach these new users where they shop, where they congregate, even where they live – and I’m willing to give up a few of my Saturdays to help do it!

How about you?

Works Cited

Frick, Douglas. Email

Villaluz, Eugene. Email.

Woodie, Alex. Special Report: The State of OS/400 User Groups, Part 2. 29 April 2002. <http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh042902-story04.html>

Dvorak, John C. User Groups Overlooked Again.
PC Magazine. August 2002

HMAUS member William Gass submitted this paper in April 2007 as an assignment for his English class on Argumentative Writing.

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