Nonprofit/Volunteer Background

• I am the honorary Reviews Editor of PC Update, the 64-page, colour magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, which has 10,000 members. I only look after reviews.

• I was the Vice President of Melbourne PC User Group during 1995 and 2005; I am now a committee member.

• I founded the Melbourne PC User Group’s Internet Service, which has about 5000 subscribers. It started on my home PC with 300 users but now lives in a data centre run by AAPT. In 2003 and 2004, it was rated by Computer Choice as the Best ISP in Australia, ahead of commercial rivals. There is a lot to be said for volunteer-run nonprofits!

• I have used the Internet since 1987, when it was possible to skim through all the 700-odd newsgroups available to us at Deakin University. Thanks to Google, here is “proof” by way of an early news post (1988).

• I started a mutual-help job search network. In 1998 I wrote an article about job hunting, which led to the formation of this network.

• I was the Vice-President of The Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), headquartered in Washington, DC and Chairman of its Board of Advisors, among other roles 1990-present. In 2006 I am a Director. My list of user groups is one of the oldest directories on the Internet.

• I have conducted formal, Strategic Planning workshops in Dallas (twice) and Melbourne for nonprofit bodies.

• I was awarded an honorary Life Membership by the Melbourne PC User Group for services rendered, which includes serving in many capacities on its board, including Vice-President.

Genealogy

• I dabble in genealogy and like to research challenging ancestors (mainly on my wife’s side). One such individual was Simon Guptill, born somewhere in the US in 1855 and died prematurely in NZ in 1890, leaving no clues as to his past. I am seeking to unravel that mystery. The most intriguing theory is that the Guptill fisherfolk of Grand Manan Island, NB (Canada) sometimes maintained a second “family” on the Maine side and our Simon may be one of them.

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