#Amiga User Groups
10 messages in this thread
The people I've talked to at Commodore say that they've dropped\ user
group support. The marketing division is talking about implementing
something but nothing as of yet. Does anyone get any User Group support
from Commodore? If you do, could you tell me who to talk to there.
I have a few ideas for user groups that would be excellent if
implemented. First, we need to form some kind of Amiga User Group News
Service (much like the Mac dweebs have) so that we can beef up our
newsletters with timely and exciting articles/reviews/editorials/etc from
around the world. I've talked to Commodore about them supporting this and
if they get enough response from the user groups, I am sure they'll go with
it.
Also, I need all the advice, suggestions I can get concerning User
Groups, as I am about to start another one in my area. If anyone can help,
please reply. Thanks.
Todd;
Where are you located? BTW, when contacting C= it would be a good idea to
let them know the users group size.
-bill/ARS KB7LX
I am located in Arizona. I've got a very good contact with Commodore
marketing, who apparently is taking over the User Group thing. They have
no definite plans or anything yet, but they do and have sent me brochures
(100's) and Video Tapes. That's great for supporting me, but what about
the other user groups? Any ideas?
Todd;
Who do we contact? Our group ASDF, has some pretty close ties with C= but
not with C= marketing.
-bill/ARS KB7LX
Todd,
Our user group has an official Commodore user group number which we used
to get a not-for-profit tax status. We do get mailings from them containing
product announcements, press releases, etc. I don't expect them to "give"
user groups hardware/software but some enhanced affiliation might be nice.
And, like the others, the thing I'd like most is feedback from user
registration cards. Finding new members is difficult. I hope your contact
in Marketing sees the value of having an easily targeted group of Amiga
owners (user groups) and uses it for something.
Karl
– via Whap!
Could you give me more information on where you are getting your user
group support from. You said that you had some type of number at Commodore
and you received product announcements, etc. Would like to get in touch
with whoever is helping you out so I can get some help also. I talked to
marketing today and they are not sure yet how they are going to handle user
groups. Comdex has taken their minds off of it. My contact and my letter
to Dionne might win us more user group support. I will keep everyone
current on what I hear from Commodore. Please reply with the information I
need…Commodore would be interested to know what Commodore is doing. But
we all knew that , didn't we?
Todd,
Since I'm no longer president of our group, I've turned all that info
over to someone else. I do remember the contact in 1990 was named Nancy
Wilson. Of course that was several layoffs ago, but you might call and ask
for her. I can't even tell you if we're still getting mailings since I've
haven't been on the board in awhile. The number given to us from Commodore
didn't serve any purpose that I could see other than to allow us to get the
federal tax id.
Our next meeting is Wednesday, and I'll ask the Secretary if we're
getting stuff.
Karl
– via Whap!
Todd,
I agree that a "News Service" would be a 'good thing'. If you could get
enough newsletter editors to agree on file formats (to support interchange)
I think you could probably convince someone here (CIS) that a library for
holding the stories would be beneficial. I certainly don't wanna get in
the middle of a war among editors about whether to archive stories in
ProPage or PageStream format tho <smmiiille>.
Several years ago, C= were in the Los Angeles area, and called a meeting
of User Group officers one evening. I attended as prez of a fairly large
(approx 200) U.G. The meeting was informative, but I was dismayed at the
attitude of many of the clubs. "Commodore _ought_ to GIVE us hardware.
Commodore ought to GIVE us software." These people didn't want to GIVE
anything in return other than their (stipulated) valuable time. While I
agree that Users Groups can (and DO) provide an excellent evangelizing
tool, I canNOT do any evangelizing if I canNOT find members. Yes, we have
flyers in all the local places that Amigas are sold. We are actually in
the phone book (white pages) under Amiga (the ONLY such listing). What I'm
looking for from C= is _some_way_ to find new members so that I can then do
_my_ job of educating them in the ways of the Amiga…and probably teaching
them to "need" bigger and better products from C=. I would rejoice at
receiving registration information from C= about machines purchased (and
<sigh>, unfortunately, 'registered') in our area, so that I could contact
them (PLEASE in some Amiga data-base format). Or if we want an
_inexpensive_ method for C=, how about (this idea was rejected immediately
by the C= rep at the above mentioned meeting) a COUPON for $5 or even $10
OFF one's 1st year membership in the local User Group (NO, I would NOT
expect C= to re-imburse the clubs..and NO I don't consider it a LOSS of
revenue…if I can't find members, I get NO money from them).
Well, I guess I've rambled on long enough, tho I'd be happy to hear any
[ MORE ]
Rambled hell! You raised a number of valuable points. Not the least of
which is that we must combat this idea that C= has to 'do for us' (as User
Groups). Information (like registrations), news and the like is exactly the
type of thing that I would like to see.
The Users' Group discount coupon is an excellent idea. The club funds the
coupon but C= provides it to the prospective member (purchaser). If the
Users' Group really provides something of value to the 'discounted' member
then an active and contributing new member results.
-bill/ARS KB7LX
[ continuation ]
additional ideas.