September 2009 Issue

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A Potted History of the Club - Part 2

Back again after our summer break, I have continued looking back over past newsletters. How quickly the years have seemed to have passed amazes me.

In Issue 99 for November 1997 I reported the move to a new venue for our meetings. For many years we had met at the ITeC but with the retirement of the head we had to find somewhere else to meet and Cantell was our final choice. The facilities at the time were quite good but not as good as we had enjoyed at the ITeC. The main problems were that the computer room was on the third floor and there was no lift and an overhead projector was not available. The computers were not connected to the internet but few members used this service so this was not too much of a problem.

In issue 101 of January 1998 I reported that Nigel King would be giving a presentation of how to use Windows Notepad to create a webpage and Nigel brought along a copy of Webtutor which when compressed fitted onto a 1.4 Meg floppy disk. As it's name suggests, Webtutor was a tutor for the web and enabled users to add extra features to their homepage. How things have moved on since those days, not always for the better. Most members use their computers mainly for the internet these days. Gone are the days when we got exited about discovering new programs to try from the extensive range of programs available from our club library.

Later the room that we had used for some years was demolished and we moved to the new building where the available facilities were much better. There was a lift to the third floor computer room where an overhead projector was available. We started demonstrations again but these were not particularly successful. Members were more interested in the internet and split into two groups. One group was interested in the demonstration and the other were happy to chat mostly about their internet experience.

Membership started to drop, we ceased to have demonstrations and we moved downstairs to a small but well equipped computer room. No overhead projector was available but as we had ceased to give demonstrations this was not needed. There was a further drop in membership to the position we are in today with a small group of faithful members, happy to use the computers that are all connected to the internet or to chat among themselves.

I would like to be able to return to earlier days when we had a large and enthusiastic membership but I am afraid these days are gone. The internet is a wonderful service but it has changed the way we use our computers. For my part it has spoilt my hobbies. For most of my long life I have collected tracks from recordings and it has sometimes been years before a particular track could be found and recorded. What a great day that was! Now I can go on the internet and download anything I like but it has taken the excitement away so I do not bother.

I thought it wonderful when Microsoft brought out a golf game. I thought it most realistic at the time but again things move on. You can now purchase a gaming machine which allows you to play any game almost as if you were playing the real game. You can swing a golf club or tennis racquet in your own room, remote from your TV and have a very good competitive game. Not much in the way of exercise though. Would I want to go back to the old days? I suppose not, but in a way, looking back I enjoyed my computer more then. Don't ask me my age!