[DM-MUG] Ruminations....

[Victoria L. Herring]

I've been giving some thought to where DM MUG is going or should be 
and since I'm pretty compulsive thought I'd toss them out.  Maybe we 
can talk about them on list and at a meeting....:

1.  I think we should have some sort of dues to help Alan defray 
costs, to get a Dot Mac site, etc.  I'd be willing to keep funds in 
my lawyer's trust account, or others should have good ideas.  We'd 
certainly be a non profit and someone must know how to run such 
things.  The main point is to make it easier to be dynamic and 
resources are necessary for that, not all that much though. 
Depending on how large we are the dues need not be much [how large 
are we?] or we could structure them:  Business, Individual, Family, 
Senior/Student etc.

2.  I think we should have a nominating committee to come up with a 
slate of officers for next year.  Groups of which I am a member are 
in the midst of that this fall and we could and should do that too.

3.  We should use iWeb and create a Dot Mac hosted website that is 
gangbusters and really will pull in people.  The Take Control book on 
iWeb is great and there are such wonderful examples out there that we 
should try to beat them in look and feel = maybe even to getting good 
free publicity for the coolest website?   We could do a Blog so 
everyone in DM-MUG and outside can contribute comments etc. The more 
we publicize and link DM-MUG the better.

	In fact, we should be using as many Apple applications as 
possible = such as the iCal calendar now in effect.  We can and 
should use the products we talk about and promote the heck out of 
them.

4.  We might want to make a connection not only with Alan but with 
the Apple Store and get some events going in both places, and 
probably CompUSA too.  [I got on the Apple.com list of events and 
there are lots of things going on!]  We need to let people know we're 
out here == the Mac ads on TV do a great job, but not if no one knows 
there is a group here able and willing to help.

5.  One of the first jobs in 2007 should be creating a strategic plan 
or structure to take DM-MUG into the future and energize it. 
Programming is an essential part of it = people should be able to 
leave a meeting having learned one or more new things that night, and 
eager for more.

6.  We could partner with other MUG groups in other states or areas 
and do joint programming...hold educational meetings, swap meets, 
etc....reach out to others of similar interest.

well that's enough for now, lots to chew on!

Vicky
-- 
Victoria L. Herring, Attorney, Discrimination & Employment Law, 
<http://www.HerringLaw.com>;  Travel research, 
<http://www.JourneyZing.com> ;   Photographs at 
http://victoriajz.smugmug.com  and http://www.buyiowaart.com. 
Upcoming show:  Two Rivers Festival, November 10-12th, downtown Des 
Moines.