Computer Booters News

Helen Seaton, Public Relations Director

The next meeting of Computer Booters will be on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, beginning at 1 p.m. This will be a virtual meeting on Zoom. Virtual meetings will continue until we can meet face-to-face again.

Barry Berger, a Computer Booters member, is a strong proponent of free and open-source programs that are very powerful and rival their high-priced competition. He will tell us about some of his favorite open-source programs. Barry was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. He attended Hofstra College, where he studied theater arts/lighting design. He worked for the international lighting manufacturer Lightolier for five years, during which time he became a member of the I.E.S. and continued to take classes in the latest lighting techniques and equipment. He then went on to manage the lighting division of L.B. Electric Supply, one of the larger privately-owned supply companies in New York. He stayed there for 35-plus years. Due to the nature of that job and his parents being interior designers, he had the opportunity to learn a lot of other disciplines, such as plumbing, carpentry, metal work, and more, in order to properly install and illuminate the many different jobs they handled.

Barry reminds us that we should check their reviews and pay attention to notes and warnings from your malware or antivirus program before downloading any programs.

At the beginning of the year, we began having monthly luncheons to discuss and get information about any technology-related questions we might have. The luncheons ceased when the pandemic hit. Beginning in September, we will be having “virtual luncheons” on Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month, beginning at 1 p.m. Members will be able to ask questions or discuss problems they might be having.

We are pleased to announce that Pat Nuss is our new newsletter editor. We will continue to have virtual Computer Booters meetings on Zoom on the first Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. until we can meet face-to-face again. Our club has many things to offer members, such as free technical assistance, information about new programs, how to use the programs, and access to talks and conferences on a variety of topics from the Association of Personal Computer User Group (APCUG). The APCUG classes are free and can be attended using your computer, tablet, or phone with the Zoom.us app. These classes are an exciting benefit for club members. More information and help are available in the newsletter and a new and improved website. Please have a look at the website at computerbooters.org. For more information, contact [email protected] or 480-895-2196.