22 June 2010

JGSLA 2010: Mac users to meet

At this year's conference, the Mac users will celebrate the third annual meeting of the Mac BOF and the group's first evening meeting.

At the Salt Lake City 2007 conference, I joined in - as an onlooker - at Doris Loeb Nabel's Mac group, which gathered in a corner of a sitting area. Doris had posted to the conference ist about the Mac users getting together and they really turned out!

Doris wrote to Tracing the Tribe:

Although I loved my Mac, I had experienced little, or no support at various conferences.

On a personal level, when I encountered a computer problem or a question I would have liked to discuss with other users, I often found the situation frustrating, and felt that I was probably reinventing the wheel.
As the result of Doris' SLC digest post, a group of Mac users with similar experiences met informally during the conference, and also joined for dinners, and shared common interests at the hotel's wireless hot spots at various periods of free time. While shmoozing, they learned from each other.

The group soon had a yahoo website enabling discussions, uploads, questions and answers, and is a forum to keep in touch, grow and make progress.

Detailed responses result in posts about genealogy software, hardware, Mac shortcuts, and occasional glitches. Experienced and new users learn from each other, as they share hints and tips.

Writes Doris:

Whether you are an experienced Mac and genealogy aficionado, a newbie, or are considering switching to a Mac, I encourage you to attend our BOF meeting, Monday, July 12, from 6:15- 7:15pm.

The unique BOF meeting slot is a window minus concurrent session conflicts.
Dinner is a possibility, and Doris asks interested Mac users to contact her so that food options will be available for those interested.

If you'll be in Los Angeles, please respond to Doris if you are interested in purchasing a box dinner from a nearby restaurant. The conference culinary chair is one of the Mac BOF’s charter members, and is investigating reasonable options.

Include the following in your email to Doris: if you'll be in LA, if you'll attend the meeting, your email, cell phone (if you'll be at the conference) and hotel name, level of genealogy research proficiency, Mac level of proficiency, and subjects you'd like to see on the Mac meeting agenda.

Doris is the publicity chair and webmaster of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut.

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