MacRIT, MUG finances, the Barrie Mac Expo, and DVD Fest are all topics on this week’s User Group Report at the MUG Center, an online resource for Mac User Groups (MUGs).
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The User Group Report is the audio series hosted by Chuck Joiner, editor of The MUG Center. It features interviews with people making news in the user group community. This week’s edition starts with Sarah Friedlander and David Barbati from the Rochester Institute of Technology Macintosh User Group (MacRIT) as they profile their group, their annual LAN Tournament, their cross-platform iPod raffle, and campus group perpetuation. Jim Foster of Macintosh Users East (MaUsE) outlines his group’s involvement in the Barrie Macintosh Expo, and talks about why their small group is doing big things with MacSolutions, a vendor who’s not even in their immediate area.
In fact, MacSolutions, a Mac retailer in Barrie and Peterborough, Ontario, will be hosting the second annual Barrie Mac Expo on March 27. The event will feature vendor exhibits, a Mac-centric seminars, and more. MaUsE will staff a booth throughout the event. Admission is free the to public.
Also on the User Group Report, Arthur Barber of The Tulsa Users of Macintosh Society (TUMS) discusses his MUG’s finances and a fiscal policy they developed that allows their board to operate the group effectively while still remaining accountable to their membership. Reed Martin of Apple North Apple Field Mac Users Group talks about how his campus group covers two different colleges, how they have the community involved, and how their flagship event, DVD Fest, has attracted the participation of Barrie Osborne, executive producer of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Matrix.”
The second part of DVD Fest 2003 at Carleton College in Minnesota will be held on April 26. The first part of the competition part was a student film competition using iMovie for Carleton students. Over 75 percent of the campus student body participated in the event, with almost 40 teams contributing entries. The final part involves the DVD Fest Regional Finals. Regional campus groups are invited to submit their best 2-5 minute iMovie films on DVD. Osborne will be on hand for a special premier night.
MUGs are good places for making new friends, finding Mac-loving buddies, boning up your technical expertise, finding solutions to technical problems, and sometimes finding a good deal on used hardware. For more info on MUGs, and to find the location of the one nearest you, go to Apple’s User Group Web page.