Randy, now let me tell you, those topics need not be too advanced, in fact, if the group would only consist of Geeks to blink into each others' eyes and say: "Ain't we great?" , then the group would quickly dissolve and leave a few oldtimers who might as well gather in the local tavern over a beer . - I myself have learned about everything I know from that group and a lot in the meetings ( right now i have trouble seeing in the dark and difficulty with my equilibrium and had to miss the meetings, but I have promise from a member to take me and I will take advantage), but YOU must ask the questions and insist that the presenter explain himself a bit more. And never think the question is dumb , to ask a question shows intelligence on whatever level it is asked. And you would be surprised how many people have no inkling of what is being said and would welcome someone asking , being too shy of saying something themselves. Then you have to consider that jargon and techno talk is the lifestyle of some, every profession has those "in" expressions, and to get "in", you will have to knock and make yourself and your question known. You have also to consider that not every Guru has those pedagogical qualities to explain a complex subject to the general public ( Leo Laporte and David Pogue are experts in that field), but the interplay of question and answers and the involvement of the whole group can do wonders. - When I joined this group my knowledge about computers was absolutely a tabula rasa, but I asked my way through the whole gamut and thus forced the group to rephrase, explain, be more general, draw comparisons, check their own presuppositions, so that there was never one single meeting that I did not come out to know more than I went in with. Sometimes I wished that somebody regular in the group would welcome newcomers so they would not feel so alienated in their first appearance, because I know that not everybody is as bold as I am and just walks in and talks to the first best one he encounters. My many years of teaching have taught me that. Maybe the group could make a bit more of an effort in that direction. And then there are topics that sometimes are more upscale, they need to be held on one's back burner until the revelation comes or the necessity to delve into that particular subject becomes individually necessary. therefore nobody should judge the whole dinner by just one vegetable not having the right tenderness . So , do not hesitate to come, ask and ask and ask. And you know, giving just one example, our Lee, who knows it all, who can talk on a level that seems more difficult to me than Japanese, but ask what it all means, and bingo, you get it presented in the right portion and the right seasoning just for you individually to swallow and digest.
Marta On Jan 8, 2006, at 9:41, rangrsz263 at mac.com wrote: > thanks. We're members and did attend several meetings but they are > way too advanced for us. > > Randy > > On Jan 8, 2006, at 12:18 AM, Harry Jacobson-Beyer wrote: > > You should check out our > monthly meetings on the 4th Tuesday of the month. > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > | be January 24 at Pitt Academy, 6010 Preston Highway. > | The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be January 24 at Pitt Academy, 6010 Preston Highway. | The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
