The Pioneer Valley PC Users Group in 1998.

The Pioneer Valley PC Users Group (PVPCUG) has met regularly since 1984, making it one of the oldest surviving users groups in the country.

Like many PC users groups, it grew enormously in the 80's, and shrunk dramatically in the 90's. It went from a peak of about 600 members to well under 100. However, unlike many larger groups, it avoided bankruptcy and total collapse. The PVPCUG still meets at Amherst College at 7 PM on the 2nd Wednesday of every month except August, as it has for over a decade. The agenda is totally informal. Some 15 or 20 members gather for 2 hours of unstructured discussion about whatever computer topics and questions they want to explore.

Today the FidoNet bulletin board is gone; the Internet has made it irrelevant. The shareware library has not issued any new disks in some years. The old disks are still available - at least for a while - but no new ones are being issued. The increasing complexity and decreasing cost of commercial software combined with the availability of shareware via the Internet has largely eliminated the need for such a service. If anybody would like a lot of old disks - mostly 5 1/4 inch but some 3 1/2 - loaded with shareware, let us know.

At the end of 1997 we halted publication of our monthly newsletter and stopped collecting dues. We send out a monthly e-mail reminder of the upcoming meetings, and usually send out a brief e-mail report after each meeting. With no expenses, no complex meeting planning, and no headaches, the new right-sized PVPCUG has solved its Y2K problem. Whether your computer runs Windows, MAC OS, or Unix, you are welcome to join us.

Mort Sternheim

Past President, PVPVUG