Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society

Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) [19-04-2003]

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TTCS Official FAQ

Last updated : April 19th, 2003

Introduction

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society (TTCS)

How old is the Computer Society?

The Society began operations in August 1997.

Are there any fees to join the Society?

There are no membership fees at this time.

There is a fee of TT$20 (a contribution to the food bill) if you eat at one of our “Pizza Limes”™.

The Computer Society Management reserves the right to charge fees for any and all present and future services of the society.

Note: Any and all fees, including the pizza lime “contribution”, are subject to change without further notice.

How often do you have meetings?

We try to have at least 2 meetings per month. One Pizza Lime™ (usually the second Wednesday of the month) and one tech meeting (usually the third Saturday of the month).

What is a Pizza Lime™?

Pizza lime™ is the name given to our monthly discussion forum which is held at Pizza Hut, Roxy Roundabout, Port of Spain. We eat (pizza of course) and talk/exchange ideas on a variety of issues. Take a look at the Past Meetings pages for where you will find summaries of the topics covered at previous “limes”. Meetings begin at 6:00 PM and can end as late as 10:30 PM! For those who may be wondering, “lime”, in this context, does not refer to the citrus fruit. It is a Trini slang term for an informal social gathering.

What is a tech meeting?

The tech meeting is usually held once a month and at these meetings, we have computers on site to demonstrate a particular type of software, show a system tweak, play games etc. At these meetings, members can distribute/talk about shareware, freeware and open source software which may of use to others. Take a look at the Past Meetings pages for summaries of the topics covered at previous meetings. Meetings begin at 1:00 PM and end between 4:30 and 5:00 PM.

Is there a dress code for meetings?

Officially, the dress code is informal so casual to “business wear” is acceptable for most meetings. For example, the pizza limes are held on a weekday so it is not unusual to see attendees wearing anything from T-shirts and jeans to long-sleeves and ties and even suits since they just finished work and decided to drop by. Our tech meetings are normally held on weekends so members usually dress casual. Of course, if we were to have a more formal event we would expect a certain level of formal wear 🙂

What can I expect at one of your meetings?

  • Pizza Lime™: An informal gathering of folks who: work in local IT, are associated with IT or are simply interested in computers and modern technology. We discuss the details of what is going on at home and abroad and what impact those actions and new technologies would have on local computing and the local economy. Of course we also eat pizza! The meeting begins a 6:00 PM and food is ordered at 6:30 PM. We talk until the food arrives and then there is a pause as we eat. The official end of a meeting is usually between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Most attendees usually stay back and chat amongst themselves, sometimes as late as 10:30 PM!
  • Tech meeting: Once again, the people in attendance come from all walks of life: business professionals, high school students, folks who either work in local IT or are associated with IT, people who are interested in computers and modern technology. The discussion at this type of meeting is naturally more technical that at a pizza lime, but if you don’t understand something, just ask. Meetings begin at 1:00 PM and end between 4:30 and 5:00 PM.

Actual content varies from meeting to meeting, so take a look at the Past Meetings pages for summaries of the topics covered at previous tech meetings and pizza limes.

We strive to make these meetings as friendly and non-intimidating as possible for all attendees therefore in order that a pleasant experience can be had by all, we ask you to follow these simple rules:

  • Leave your ego at the door.
  • Our membership consists of a wide cross section of people who will certainly have opinions (on any number of topics) that are different to your own. Diversity of opinion is one of the strong points of these meetings. You can learn a lot from listening to an opinion that is different to your own but if your way is the only way then you may be better off elsewhere/not attending in the first place.
  • Attendees of our meetings come from different social/financial/educational backgrounds so if you are one of those persons who feel they must only associate with people of similar status to themselves then do not waste your time or our time, feed your insecuity elsewhere.
  • These meetings are about the exchange of information and ideas/solutions about computers and modern technology and the social issues surrounding them. This is not the forum for discussing controversial topics such as politics, religion, etc.
  • Criticise the concept/idea/solution NOT the person!
  • If you feel angry about something that has been said and your temper is at the point where you want to be verbally and/or physically abusive, do the wise thing: excuse yourself and leave the meeting (make sure you pay the $20 before you do!). Do not suffer needlessly.
  • Constructive criticism is welcome. When you grumble about something, support your viewpoint with relevant facts and counterpoints.
  • Respect the health of others. We do not advocate smoking at any of our meetings. The majority of members who attend the pizza lime do not smoke and the few smokers who do attend avoid smoking inside the building. If you attend the pizza lime and really need to smoke, please step outside. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted at any tech meeting.
  • Having strong opinions about a given matter is not an excuse to throw a temper tantrum or to be verbally and/or physically abusive to anyone who offers/supports a different view at any meeting.
  • Remember, you are in a public place and any type of abusive or disorderly behaviour can and will land you in trouble with the law.
  • This is not the forum for raw commercial promotion of goods and services. By all means talk about it but do not give us the hard sell. Remember: anyone (not just at these meetings but from the general public as well) who feels exploited or talked-down-to is someone who will most likely avoid purchasing the very same goods and services being promoted.

Do I have to use computers to be a TTCS member? Do I have to be an IT professional to attend one of your meetings? Do I have to be a computer science student to be a member of TTCS/attend one of your meetings? Do I have to have any special academic qualifications to be a member of your group? Do I have to be employed with an IT company to be a TTCS member?

No. The Computer Society welcomes everyone interested in computers and related technologies: from the non-user now looking to get involved with computers to the person who just bought their first machine; from the novice to the hard-core power user; from the high-school student now doing computer related courses for O and A levels to the IT professional with the university degree; from the person now starting a basic computer literacy course to the office worker who is experienced with productivity suites. All we ask is that you are familiar with technology and are willing to converse with the rest of us.

Can I attend your meetings even though I am a member of another IT group?

Yes. We welcome attendees from all aspects of the local IT arena. Just remember, our business may be conducte
d in a manner that is different to the way your group conducts its business.

Do I have to eat pizza at the Pizza Lime™?

No. You can order any other food offered by Pizza Hut. Please note that what ever alternative food you order is billed separately and you will be required to pay Pizza Hut directly.

The Society will not pay the bill for you

Can I get a beer at a pizza lime? Can I smoke at a pizza lime or tech meeting?

If you order beer at a pizza lime you will be billed separately and you will be required to pay Pizza Hut directly.

The Society will not pay the bill for you.

We do not advocate smoking at any of our meetings. The majority of members who attend the pizza lime do not smoke and the few smokers who do attend avoid smoking inside the building. If you attend the pizza lime and really need to smoke, please step outside.

Alcohol and smoking are not permitted at any tech meeting.

Can I bring my computer to a tech meeting?

Yes. We would appreciate it if you tell us of your intention a few days in advance so that arrangements can be made to accommodate your machine.

Can I bring my computer to a Pizza Lime™?

Only if it is a laptop. We would appreciate it if you tell us of your intention a few days in advance. There simply is no space to accommodate/time to set up a full-fledged desktop system in the eating area that we use at Pizza Hut.

What sort of storage media do you support?

We support: 1.44Mb floppy disks, 100MB Zip disks, CD-ROM, DVD-R and CD-R.

Are you a windows-only computer group?

No. We only focus on windows because most members use one or more of its many flavours (e.g. Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000, XP), however we have done meetings which focused on other operating systems (e.g. BeOS, DOS, Linux and Mac OS X).

Can I make a presentation at a tech meeting?

Yes. Please email ttcs@opus.co.tt with the relevant details. You should be well-versed in the topic of your choice and will be expected to answer non-standard questions.

Can my company promote a tech related product or service at one of your meetings?

Yes. contact us with the relevant details. We encourage companies to provide more than just the usual “public relations”/”press kit” package. Our members want real information not just a sales pitch. Your company representative should be well versed in the product line or service and will be expected to answer non-standard questions.

Can you give me a copy of your e-mail list so my company can promote products/services to your members?

NO. We do not sell/lease/give-away or in any other way disclose members’ personal information to any third party. If you really want to promote your products/services, email ttcs@opus.co.tt with the relevant details. We can then arrange for you to make your presentation at either a pizza lime or a tech meeting (whichever is more appropriate). REMEMBER: Our members want real information not just a sales pitch. Your company representative should be well versed in the product line or service and will be expected to answer non-standard questions.

Are there any other computer groups in the country?

Yes. This URL provides a list of the computer groups that are currently in operation:

http://community.wow.net/presario/list

Do you have a Discussion List?

Yes we do. It is used to discuss any TTCS matters and activities and computer related material/issues in Trinidad and Tobago.

  • To join the TTCS discussion list: send a email to ttcs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
  • You can view the public message archive of this discussion list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ttcs

CAUTION: This is an unmoderated list that is open to the public for two-way email (when someone posts to the list, every subscribed to the list receives it) thus there is the potential to be spammed.

Is your Announce List the same as your Discussion List?Will I be spammed if I subscribe to your e-mail Announce List?

No. Our Announce list is one-way: from us to you. It is used to inform members of upcoming Society events as well as other topics we feel may be of interest to them.

What is the purpose of this group?

  • To be an informal forum where technology and related social issues can be discussed.
  • To share information about computers and related technologies.
  • To keep current with the events in the local IT industry.
  • To bring together people from diverse backgrounds in order to foster a community where home users, business people, the general public and all classes of IT workers can share experiences and generally improve the quality of the experience they have while using modern technology.

Why should I join your group?What’s in it for me?

This is a difficult question to answer since everyone has their own reasons for joining any sort of group. The best way to answer this would be to use this phrase: “you reap what you sow”. Take a look at the Past Meetings pages. Would you like to be involved in these sorts of activities and events? Would you like to share your experiances and knowledge with fellow computer users and technology enthusiasts? If you are willing to give your time and the occasional financial contribution (i.e. money, when necessary) to help a dynamic local group, then the TTCS extends a welcome to you. We hope that you will be an active participant in our various endevours and will appreciate all that we have to offer. However, if you are one of those leech types who only do things for fame and the almighty dollar then you are out of luck: this is definitely not the group for you.

Who manages the TTCS?

There is no formal management structure to the TTCS, that is, we do not have an elected president, vice president, secretary, treasurer etc. Everyone who assists in the regular operations is a volunteer and has equal responsibility for both success and failure of all Society activities. You can think of it as an “Open Source” approach: people from diverse backgrounds coming together for a common cause with an informal command and control structure to oversee all activities.

How do I join the TTCS?

It is a 2 step process:

  • First, sign up on our TTCS Announce mailing list. This list is used to inform members about upcoming meetings and other Society activities. The list archive is located at: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ttcs_announce
    • To subscribe, send a blank email message to: ttcs_announce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
    • Unsubscribe: ttcs_announce-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    • This is a 1 way list (only the list-owner can send messsages).
  • Second, attend as many meetings as possible and help the Society in whatever way you can.

Refer to these links for further information:

Does the Society require assistance/help with anything?

YES. We need peop
le to: assist management, to make presentations at tech meetings, to organise additional venues for tech meetings, to contribute material to the “Tech Articles”, to help with website maintainence/design, etc. Please email us: ttcs@opus.co.tt if you feel you have a special skill/service which you think maybe of use to us. Have an idea that may help the TTCS? then don’t be shy, contact us with the relevant details! Please remember: if your skill/service/idea etc is accepted, you will be expected to follow through and actually “deliver the goods”. If you volunteer to do something, we expect you to pull your share of the workload and when necessary, accept responsibility for your screw-ups.

Is there an age limit/age restriction for members?

No, however:

  • If you are under 18 years old and wish to sign-up on our mailing list(s): Let your parent(s), guardian or other responsible adult know that you want to subscribe to them. Parents: The TTCS Announce List is used to inform members about upcoming meetings and other Society activities. It is a one way list (from TTCS management to the subscriber) thus it should be relatively “safe” that is, no “mature content”. The TTCS Discussion List is an unmoderated list that is open to the public for two-way email (when someone posts to the list, every subscribed to the list receives it) to discuss any TTCS matters and activities and computer related material/issues in Trinidad and Tobago. Because it is not moderated, your child(ren) could be/maybe exposed to “mature content”.
  • If you are under 18 years old and wish to attend a meeting: Let your parent(s), guardian or other responsible adult know that you want to go to a meeting and get them to accompany you to these meetings. Parents: The majority of members/people who attend our meetings (both the Pizza Lime™ and the tech meetings) are over the age of 18 thus if your child(ren) attend these meetings they could be/maybe exposed to “mature content”.

Is the TTCS related to the SCU (Society of Computer Users)?

Indirectly. The TTCS is an independant, new organisation created by ex-members of the defunct SCU. It is not a “recylced”, “rehashed”, “re-branded” version of the Society of Computer Users. For anyone who maybe wondering, the Society of Computer Users (SCU) ceased operations in early 1996. Further information about the SCU can be found at our Society of Computer Users

Does membership in the Computer Society entitle me to discounts at local retailers?

No.

What is your privacy policy?

We do not sell/lease/give-away or in any other way disclose members’ personal information to any third party.

Need more information about the TTCS?

There are several pages on this site that can provide you with even more info about the TTCS:

Do you have questions/comments/suggestions about the TTCS?

If you have questions/comments/suggestions about the operation, structure, etc of the TTCS, here are your options for contacting the TTCS management:

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