Barely a month has flown by since Macworld SF, but it seems like MUGs around the region haven't missed a beat. At Macworld I had the great opportunity to put faces to virtual smiles with many of the MUG leaders that I work with quite often. I also got to meet some new folks who are interested in starting MUGs in their areas.

We've got the interest of new MUGs in Idaho, on the Oregon coast (south & central). I'm looking to see those groups grow!

Along the lines of new MUGs, RCMUG in Crescent City CA is continuing to grow & hold meetings. I had the opportunity of meeting Ron at Macworld (thanks to his MUG shirt & brightly colored logo). He's been spreading the MUG BUG north to Brookings OR (15 mi away) and that's where another group might be born.

Beyond new MUGs, here's what's been happening around the area since Macworld.

We are looking forward to a quarterly Regional Web Conference thanks to Pixion. Groups have responded with interest, and we're hoping to have our first conference in March or April. This will give us a chance to meet virtually, and talk about issues that all groups face. Plus, it will lesson the isolation that so many of us feel here in the NW.

WhatMUG in Bellingham has started their MUG formally at the beginning of the year. Since Mac Carter stepped in, the group has experienced a great facelift, & here's what's happening with them:

1. Our new website continues to be improved.
   
   
2. We have a newsletter editor now and are just getting started designing it.
   
   
3. We are about to launch our Email Discussion Listserv (this week).
   
4. We are actively building relationships with vendors
   
5. We are initiating a process to plan the main topics for our monthly meetings
   
6. We are launching a new section for new “Mac” users at our meetings
   
   
7. We are in the final stages of completing our club By-Laws.
   
   
8. We are in the process of determining the proper form of non-profit incorporation.
   
   
9. We are looking for a larger meeting location due to overflow attendance
   
   
10. We have arranged to have club business cards printed for promotion.
    
    
11. We initiated a “Free Book for a Review” program.
    
12. I attended Macworld and gave a presentation at our January meeting.
    
13. We now have 33 members with 72% paid up on 2004 dues (up from 0 members when we started kicking this MUG back into gear in November.
    

SPSMUG has a lot going on with their regular & beginner meetings & a new website:
The South Puget Sound Macintosh Users Group will meet on February 10 (2nd Tuesday) in the Chalet Auditorium at Panorama City in Lacey at 7:00 p.m. John Gerecht will demonstrate his use of the wireless system Airport to connect Mac components. This application has been around a long time, but latest versions of Airport allow connection to non-mac equipment and both extending or limiting range at will. Bring your questions about this or any other Mac-related topic for discussion.

Beginners Group:
The Beginners group will meet this month in the Chalet Auditorium at 10:00 a.m. on February 21 (3rd Saturday).

Web Site:
Our old web site was http://spsmug.org/  Starting in December this URL was intermittently removed, and it is now not available at all. Instead, we have a new site with a slightly different URL http://spsmac.org/ Although still under construction, this new site is now available with functioning links to Apple News and Google.

dBUG is celebrating 20 years with the Mac Topic : Apple's Clark Schroeder on iLife and other iApps Date : Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Location : dBUG Resource Center
9620 Stone Avenue N, #202
Seattle, WA 98103 (USA)
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Come one, come all to dBUG's Main Meeting at dBUG's new Resource Center. Hear Apple's Clark Schroeder on iLife and iApps. Win an iPod and/or iLife in the Raffle. Twentieth Anniversary Celebration is happening for both Macintosh and dBUG. Members and non-members welcome. For more information visit <http://www.dbug.org>.

Mac Camp is coming!
PMUG hosts a semi-annual camp which gives you the best of 2 Oregon worlds. You get to take your computer out to the woods for a weekend of fun & learning at Silver Falls State Park. The dates have been set for April 16 thru 18. More info will be coming soon.

JoMacs brought Macworld home with their last meeting on Feb 5, "A Week in the Life of Macworld". The evening saw Quicktime movies of User Group University, The Macworld Keynote & the Expo week, goodies & buttons for everyone, a brief overview of what's new in iLife, capped by a GarageBand presentation by one of their own members.

JoMacs also announced the date of the 2nd Annual Rogue Valley Mac Expo as June 13. Last year their first expo was very successful, and this year, they're planning for bigger, better & more exciting. Stay tuned for more info from them as the event develops.

Their annual business meeting happened in January, and as a result, several new & exciting programs are coming to the group, including member forums & FAQ area on the website, a "Call a Guru" program, and a band of Greeters to brings smiles to the door of each meeting. It's going to be an exciting year "in the middle of nowhere"!

Last on tap is a thank-you to the Northwest Apple Pickers for allowing me to be the guest at their meeting this last Sunday (Feb 8), virtually. Thanks to Apple technology & high speed internet, I was able to share "MUGs on Tap". A presentation that included Quicktime movies, slideshows & short audio. Since this was the first of it's kind in the NW, I know we'll be looking at ways to improve & make this option of being at meetings a smooth workable solution.

I know this time of year brings a lot of changes to the boards around the region, & I've been working to let folks know how important it is to update their information on the Locator, and to take advantage of the resources that Apple and the other supporting vendors offer.

Until next month, Happy MUG-ging!

Cheers!

Chris Kiltz
NW Regional Liaison
Apple User Group Program
"Catch the MUG BUG, get involved!"