In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Geoff
Wicks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
Hi Geoff,
That is all very reasonable ... :-)
Obviously I want Quanta to exist as a central organisation, and to
continue to exist. In fact we are very lucky that such an organisation
was set up in first place, and continues to exist to this day.
If you compare this to many other Computers of the vintage of the QL,
then we are doing well to have such an organisation.
Whilst updating my QL & Quanta Group web page, I noticed that the link
that I had to Sub Groups on the Quanta web site was broken - which I
have now corrected. Yet no information was sent out about any changes
that had been made to the web site.
I also noticed that there is still an appeal on the Quanta web site to
Sub Groups to organise a Workshop in the South of England for this Year.
We, at the London Group have not been able to respond to this, due to
our circumstances this Year. The other likely offer, from Roy Wood, at
Hove, is also unlikely owing to his personal commitments.
However, the London group do hope that we will be able to consider
holding a Workshop in 2009.
Yet, again, this is where the grassroots support is important.
People have to turn out to show interest and support.
The London Group have to charge a subscription, because we have to pay
for the Hall hire charged. This is only £30 a year, or £1.30 a meeting
( with 10 meetings in a Year ).
Yet, now, we have 4 or 5 members attending; so we are not reaching more
that a half of the annual cost.
( Note : To myself, I must apply to Quanta, again, for an Annual Subsidy
).
We don't mind at all if someone attends just for the odd meeting or two,
during a Year. We are not even worried about a donation to our costs -
yet people who do attend in this way always offer a donation. It is a
part of the QL ethos ... :-)
We do get a benefit that we are allowed to store all of our equipment at
the Venue, and that I am trusted to have my own set of keys to access
and to lock up afterwards.
I am pleased that the Manchester Group has a much larger attendance
base. Well done to them !
I think that you are right to highlight the "black box" users. How to
reach them is a problem. I met a few who have been giving up their QL
equipment - often "stored in the attic" - as a donation to the London
Group.
Often the remaining "black box" users do not have access to the
internet, either. So, any easy contact route is closed off.
Please discuss further ..... :-)
----- Original Message ----- From: "Malcolm Cadman"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 10:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] The forgotten half
Thanks to both Malcolm and John for their contributions. Quanta has a
number of subgroups but we know very little about them and I wonder how
active they are.
When I did my survey of Quanta members four years ago I noted that they
were not evenly distributed across the country but appeared in
clusters. In most cases the cluster was where there was or had been an
active subgroup.
I visited Birmingham last year in connection with the Midlands show and
it was a very different group from what I had imagined. Simon Goodwin
is its chairman, but in practice rarely attends. In reality it is a
group of about 4 people who like to meet in a pub twice a month to talk
about everything including the QL. Once a year the high spot is the AGM
which about 8 people attend and Simon gives a presentation.
Interestingly Simon has done a lot of work for Quanta but is, on a
matter of principle, not a member.
I have no hangups about a group of people meeting in the pub this way,
but I wonder if there may be a lot of people in Quanta who are no
longer active QL-ers but like to remain a member out of gratitude to
the QL. I picked up something like this happening in Italy in Davide
Santachiara's report of the Italian show in QL Today. Well worth a
read! What can Quanta do to serve this sort of member?
May I just go off at a tangent to pay a tribute to Simon Goodwin? He
has twice done presentations for me at shows. He makes many demands but
always delivers the goods. People think that his presentations are
off-cuff, but in fact he is an absolute perfectionist who will spend
something like 8 hours preparing for a one and a half hour presentation.
In QL Today I have written an article about viability, which I hope
everyone will read. This is not so much about Quanta as about traders,
but I raise the question of black box users.
Traders are currently the link between the black box users and the rest
of the QL community and as trading diminishes there is a danger that
this group will become more isolated and neglected than they are at
present. How can Quanta reconnect with the black box users?
I have always felt that Quanta did not grasp the opportunity of John
Southern's survey four years ago to admit to black box users that we
were failing them. Do our officers see themselves as leaders or servers
and can they admit to Quanta's shortcomings?
I seem to remember someone on this group - I think my old friend
Mr.Tubbs - once wrote that the chairman had written in an editorial how
honoured he was to have been chosen as the leader. He went on to point
out that a leader should have asked a question "How can I serve you?"
Sorry a long mailing, but I think rightly so,
Best wishes,
Geoff
--
Malcolm Cadman
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