in this issue Views From the Top From The Font Upcoming Meeting Topics Don Talk Special Interest Group (SIG) December 2003 Board Minutes PCCC Service Project PC3 Sports Full Slate Web Potpourri

January ProgramMr. Ralph Blanco and Mr. Ken Dresser, IBM Senior Engineers, specializing in Virus Security Architecture will talk about computer security and the way computer were then and are now. Ralph has been involved with the PC since the beginning days and knows virtually everything about PC's. Ken is the principal designer of security routines and software to defend against viruses. If you have a PC problem or question, this is the time to come to the meeting and ask two of the most knowledgeable guests we've had in many meetings.

Views From the Top

Richard Kinkel, President

I want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year, and I hope everyone had a great Holiday. Additionally, it was good seeing everyone at the Club's Christmas party, and for those who missed it, you missed a good party, but there is always next year.

For the New Year, the club is off to a good start. For the January program, Dr. Paul Reiss is responsible for the program and has invited a senior VP from IBM to do the program. You won't want to miss this program. For the February and March meetings the club is doing community outreach projects where we will refurbish donated computers at the general meeting and ask for club participation. We will then donate these computers to a worthy cause.

Within the next few months, we are starting a new graphics and web site development SIG, Galen Bolin and Dewey Williams are heading this SIG. You will also be hearing more about our club Forum from Virginia Host. If you want to do something really cool and fun go to our web site: pc3.org and click on Forum. At this site you can participate in ongoing PCCC Board discussions, and get all your computer questions answered. Try the Forum, I did and I really like it.

I want to remind everyone that the new PC Club calendar year starts the beginning of APRIL. What this means is that your membership dues for the new club year are due. Right now the annual dues are $5. We are looking for ways to increase club revenue, since we are running out of money. Check out the club Forum to participate in this discussion and to add your input on how we can increase club funds.

Go to the PC Club's Website

	From The Font
Keith Wales, Sr. Well it's a new year, 2004. This is a leap year and a Presidential Election Year. It's funny how that works out. I guess the politicians need that extra day to convince us we should elect them because of the all the good works they have done or are promising to do. But long before the elections in November there is a more important election and we each and everyone need to look at the issues and the candidates and vote for the new Executive Board for the Personal Computer Club of Charlotte. When I look back on what was being discussed at the board meeting one year ago and I listen to what is discussed today it is the difference of night and day. At the last board meeting, 3 days before Christmas,we had ten members in attendance and it lasted over two hours. Be sure to read the Minutes of the meeting later in this months eBytes and Bits. In the last year the club has gone from getting ready to close up to being a growing vibrant entity. We have the Community Service Computer program that Bill Barnes is heading up that will with your help, literally, recycle several computers and make them available to people who could not afford a computer otherwise. You will hear more about that at the January meeting and we will start the rebuild at the February meeting. Everyone who wants to help will get a chance to see what the inside of a computer looks like and how to take things out and put things in. Every time I look at a mother board it reminds of the early version of "SimCity" with all its streets and buildings. Also for those of you who may have gotten a new Flat Panel Monitor from Santa the club is interested in your old WORKING CRT monitor for the Community Service computers. Remember that old monitor is full of toxic waste, has nothing to do with your surfing habits, and it should not be sent to the dump. If you have a monitor that fits this description let Bill Barnes know at Bill@pc3.org and he will advise you on when and where to bring it. We presently have three SIGs going strong and you can find out more about when they meet further down the newsletter. We also have a new SIG starting in the next 60 days with a general topic of Web Design & Graphics. All the SIGs are covered in detail in the SIG Newsletter that our SIG Director, Bill Barnes puts out. Be sure you look at that when it comes the weekend after the General Meeting. While on the subject of the SIG newsletter Bill is adding a Classified Section to it. It will be available to all Regular Paid Members. This will be a place to sell those old Access97 programming manuals that are taking up space in your office. The previous message was from Pam needling me to get rid of the 15 plus old Access97 programming manuals I have. But really this is a good place to move those items you no longer need or want and not wait for the July Swap Meet. Bill needs the description and price of the items you want to sell sent to him at Bill@pc3.org by the General Meeting night. Be sure you are clear as to what you are selling. We will NOT be doing pictures of the items at this time. For simplicity sake the ad will run only in that month's SIG Newsletter and you will need to send it in again the next month if it did not sell. This is just another of the ever increasing number of reason why you should become a paid member. Speaking of paid members as a reminder all membership dues for 2004 are due in April. You can avoid the rush by paying Bob Carraway, membership chairman, at an upcoming meeting. The board is presently discussing the cost of membership dues going forward. If you are interested in what is being said and or have any input, the discussion is on the PC3 Forum under Board Discussions, be sure to check it out. You will also find other forums running there such as Help Desk. If you have a computer problem post it on the forum and everyone will take a whack at it and you can use the solution you feel is best. Well I have rambled all over the place this month but I hope maybe I have said something that was of value. Until next month have a great 2004. The economy is on the up swing and it's going to be a great year.

	Upcoming Meeting Topics
January Dr. Paul Reiss will introduce a speaker from IBM February We will start our computer rebuilding. March Election of New Officers We will complete our computer rebuilding.

	Don Talk
Don King This column is your PC3.0rg place to ask questions, which will not always get the thought they deserve. Technical data is usually gleaned from maintaining computers for Grandchildren and surfing the Internet. It is usually written under duress because I hate deadlines. It lacks research because I throw out all of my old PC Magazines. This is not always the serious stuff this club is known for, and nothing is planned too far in advance of publishing date. Hi Don, is there anything High Tech out there? A new computer user was all confused about why the cursor always moved in the opposite direction from the movement of the mouse. She also complained that the buttons were difficult to depress. She was very embarrassed when I asked her to rotate the mouse so the tail pointed away from her. FUNNY HI-TECH NOTICES Spotted in a toilet of a London office of UNIX: TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW In a Laundromat outside of AOL: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT In a London department store: BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS In an computer consultant's office: WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN. In a software support office in India: AFTER TEA BREAK, STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD. Outside a second-hand computer shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN? Notice in health food shop window: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS Spotted in a safari park: ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR Seen during a computer conference: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR Notice in a field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES Message on a Microsoft leaflet: IF YOU CANNOT READ. THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS On a computer repair shop door: WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESNT WORK AND WE HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OFF LINE ) MORE NOTICES The Web site you seek cannot be located, but Countless more exist. Chaos reigns within. Reflect, repent, and reboot. Order shall return. Program aborting: Close all that you have worked on. You ask far too much. Windows NT crashed. I am the Blue Screen of Death. No one hears your screams. Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working. Windows is like that. Your file was so big. It might be very useful. But now it is gone. Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your ire. The network is down. A crash reduces your expensive computer to a simple stone. Three things are certain: Death, taxes and lost data. Guess which has occurred. Having been erased, the document you're seeking must now be retyped. Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared. My wife Florence read this and she felt Don Talk has lost its touch.

	Special Interest Group (SIG)
Special Interest Group Next week will be our SIG week and we will have several during that week. The schedule is as follows: Database/Graphics SIG -- aka PIG SIG Will meet at a new time Our regular General Meeting Night January 8, 2004 at 5:30pm At Ole Smokehouse, 1513 Montford Dr. Office SIG Monday, January 12, 2004, 7:00pm CompUSA, South Boulevard and I-485 Digital Camera SIG Tuesday, January 13, 2004, 7:00pm CompUSA, South Boulevard and I-485 Internet SIG Thursday, January 15, 2004, 7:00pm CompUSA, South Boulevard and I-485 SIG Calendar »

	December 2003 Board Minutes
December 2003 Board Minutes The PCCC Board met December 22 at The Ole Smokehouse on Montford. Attending were Paul, Bob, Jack, Dewey, Keith, Richard, Bill, Virginia, Ted,, and Don (whew!) (if you don't know everyone, the Board meetings are open to all members: join us). In old business; we continued to give, and get, plaudits on the Holiday Party. Although the crowd of 33 was the smallest we have had, the food and fellowship were among the best. We missed the rest of you. Publicity co-chair Jack LaPointe reported he and Loren Dobosoy are still doing their job, and it shows. Virginia Host is back from her travels and will work to keep the web Forum current and lively. You do visit the Forum at http://pc3.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi regularly, don't you? This is an opportunity to follow and join in on the Board's discussions between our little communiqués here. We discussed rearranging the General Meeting format to allow more time to meet and greet newcomers and old friends. Continue to follow this discussion online at the Forum. Membership Chairman Bob Carraway will update our brochure, that was first written about 1987, as a new member information sheet. He will also be collecting more personal information as his term continues. He would especially like to have your correct, current name, email, address, and phone. Write him at membership@pc3.org and update your profile at Constant Contact (our mailing service) by clicking the link at the very bottom of this newsletter. Nominating Chair Ted Hessberg announced that he has a candidate for all of the elected positions in the club. But don't let that keep you from throwing your hat in. The Board always needs some new blood to keep things interesting. If you're interested in any of the Board positions, contact Ted at nominating_chair@pc3.org. If you don't know what positions may be available, check out the current officers' list at http://pc3.org/officers.shtml. Although there were no meetings in December, our SIGs are perking. The MSOffice and Digital Photography SIGs are about to overflow their space at CompUSA. Come early for a good seat. Better still, come to the Internet SIG, and give Paul your good ideas for topics. If you need to join to have an opportunity for all our fun, subscription is only $5 and you can pay at any meeting or mail it to PCCC Treasurer, Pam Wales, 15214 Millview Trace Lane, Mint Hill, NC 28277, treasurer@pc3.org. Submitted by Bill Barnes December Treasurers Report Beginning Balance............................$3204.51 Income (From PartyTickets ....................60.00 Expenses (Party).................................712.00 Current Balance...............................$2552.51 Submitted By Pam Wales Join the Forum! »

	PCCC Service Project
Bill Barnes, PCCC Service Project to fill our thoughts in February and March. As this goes to press (don't you know all fine magazines are printed on a "web"), Dewey Williams, Ted Hessberg, and I are building our prototype computer that we will donate to a good organization. We are installing and testing all the software to be sure everything works on this one computer. When we're finished, it's up to you. Here's where you can help out: Loren Dobosoy has volunteered to store the computers while we're working on them, but we need people to help haul them. Three to five people (bring your teenagers - they can help, too) need to pick them up from the donor on a Saturday in January. At the February meeting, everyone will work to clean them up and get all the hardware together. Bring your dust rags and we'll spread them out at Piedmont Gas. One team will also be copying the hard drives so we have identical machines to simplify support. After elections at the March meeting we will finish putting all the pieces together and pack them up for delivery. Don't be concerned if you're short on technical skills. We'll have plenty of support and there will be something for everyone to do. If you've upgraded your hardware or got goodies like an LCD monitor for Christmas, here are some things we could use. Do not go out and buy anything for this project; we don't know exactly what we may need. CD-ROMs - If you got a new DVD-burner, we'll give your old CD drive a good home. Modems - We'll be able to use ISA, PCI, external (with cables) modems. Please be sure if they're not a major brand that you bring the drivers. You can probably go to the manufacturer's web site and download the latest drivers to a floppy disc. RAM - We need standard 168-pin PC- 100 (or possibly PC-66)memory in any size up to 128MB. Monitors - That new LCD looks nice on your desk. Would you like to donate your old CRT? Please contact me about any specific items you're donating: If you are able to help haul computers, either on a Saturday, or before and after the meetings. Also write me if you have hardware to donate. Please contact me at Bill@pc3.org or 704-607-6461. There's something here for everyone to do to help and possibly to learn. Write Bill »

	PC3 Sports Full Slate
Ted Hessberg Elections are coming on March 11, 2004. As you can see below, we have a full slate of nominees for the elected positions and still are in need of an Assistant Treasurer. Also, please note the number of positions filled by your fellow members. It is our desire to spread the responsibilities of running a club over the members. Note, that although Bill Barnes never complains, he fills three slots. I suspect he might welcome some assistance. And I still am accepting nominees. The current slate of nominees is as follows: Office..........................Nominee President...................Richard Kinkel Vice President.............Bill Barnes Secretary...................Patrick Rogers Treasurer ...................Pam Wales Newsletter Editor.........Keith Wales Please contact me, to nominate someone for any position. Nominees will be accepted and qualified right up to the March 11th, elections. Traditionally, other Board members are needed to run the club. These Board members include: Office.....................................Designee Membership..........................Bob Carraway Webmaster...........................Dewey Williams Assistant Treasurer.................TBA Forum Director.......................Virginia Host SIG Director............................Bill Barnes Database/PigSig/Word...............Bill Barnes Digital Photography...................Richard Kinkel Internet Sig.............................Paul Reiss Club members interested in assisting as a board member should also contact Ted Hessberg. To contact Ted use the link below. Nominate a Friend »

	Web Potpourri
Clean Up Your Email Forwardings Dr. Paul Reiss, Internet SIG Director Are you tired of getting emails that have been forwarded several times and are full of those forwarding arrows (greater-than symbols)? Well, so are the people you forward items to. Sometimes there are so many that they disrupt lines and they can even fragment paragraphs. There is a way that you can easily clean up emails that you want to forward. It's eClean2000 and it's FREE. The program's author, John Decker wanted to straighten up emails easily, too. It will also reconstruct paragraphs as well as do a mass search and replace. That's handy for us just so-so typists who would like to replace a long, difficult to type word or phrase with an easy to type, short nonsense string and then replace it in the whole document all at once. It will also by default not recombine lines that start with a number or end with punctuation. Here are step-by-step instructions for easily ecleaning the emails you want to forward to your list of correspondence. First, download the free program. Click on the link "eClean" below and select Download. I suggest you save the download to your desktop. That way you'll know where it is. Once you've got the file, close your browser/Internet connection and any other programs you've got running; always a good idea when installing a new program. Then, just find the icon for eClean and double-click on it. That will start the installation. Just follow the onscreen prompts. If you choose the option to have the program's icon on the task bar, it will be quickly available when needed. Practice on the sample files the program offers. Now you are ready to clean up your emails. Open the offensive email. Click and drag the mouse to highlight the content you want to forward. Then copy it; typing Ctrl-C is the easiest for me. That puts it in a special place in memory called the clipboard. Right click the eClean icon on the task bar, choose "Clean clipboard contents" and then OK in the resulting dialog screen. A progress bar appears momentarily and you are done. Open a new email, paste, I like Ctrl-V, the cleaned material into its body and there you go. With just a drag and copy, a right click, a left click and a paste you have cleaned up a cluttered email. Your correspondents will enjoy not having to scroll through several address blocks and having to read past all those '>' signs. Send me your favorite sites and you to could be in the spotlight next month. Get "eClean" »

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