how do people find MUGs?

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Jason Davies

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Nov 5, 2024, 6:32:57 AM11/5/24
to Sussex Mac User Group

Hi folks,

Despite being list admin for a while of this group, I've never actually lived in Sussex (haha). I joined because the London Mac User Group had become a feral wilderness and it was the nearest one.

I thought I might also try to join the Buckinghamshire one (if one exists) but have had no success finding one, nor even finding any group. All the supposed networks (like http://www.macusersuk.org/index.html) seem to be abandoned.

So I'm curious how people find groups (and maybe it's just my search algorithm being unhelpful – I don't use Facebook, either).

Cheers,

J

Anecdote mode:

While I was list admin I was contacted by the mafia I mean the people running the list above (I think it was) who had all kinds of demands about how the list and group should be run run. They insisted on membership fees, organised in-person meetings (monthly, I think), presentations to be organised by companies to offer discounts if you signed up there and then - far more than I had time to do.

Rather than say 'don't you have anything better to do?' I did put it to this group who thought membership fees would be the death-knell, and I certainly didn't have time to check people had paid their £2 a month and set up bank accounts etc for this. I told them we didn't want to do that and they threatened me repeatedly with expelling us from the official list of MUGs. I think there was a vague move to meeting in-person for those interested, which fizzled out.

I said they were welcome to run that stuff for us but I was only able to run the list (I became convinced none of them had jobs, and were happy to spend their entire lives doing this) and they seemed to back off. Now I suspect all those retired bullies are...less active, since the site is broken and looks like it was optimised for a Powerbook 150.

Cheers,

Jason

Paul R Owen

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Nov 5, 2024, 6:51:41 AM11/5/24
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Hi Jason,

Happy with this group, so don't need to find others. Sorry if that’s not very helpful.

Paul Owen.

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nick_p...@mac.com

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Nov 5, 2024, 6:54:43 AM11/5/24
to Sussex Macuser group
And SMUG sails serenely on, albeit at a reduced speed as we very slowly learn to work out the easier issues ourselves with the reassurance that there are kind and helpful people still attached to the group.
Very sorry Jason, but the screenshot is my best attempt (and it may be out of date of course).
Nick
Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 11.53.16.png
On 5 Nov 2024, at 11:32, 'Jason Davies' via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Sam - MacAmbulance

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Nov 5, 2024, 7:09:31 AM11/5/24
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Reddit might be a better place to look? There are lots of Mac-based communities there
_

Regards
Sam Mullen

+44 (0)7747778022
in...@macambulance.com
www.macambulance.com

MacAmbulance

MacAmbulance Ltd.

Providing Affordable Mac/PC Support and Web Development

MacAmbulance Ltd. is a registered company in England & Wales, registration number 8466597

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On 5 Nov 2024, at 11:32, 'Jason Davies' via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Virginia Routh

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Nov 5, 2024, 7:37:50 AM11/5/24
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I can’t imagine life without Sussex muggers.  I live in Dorset.  

On 5 Nov 2024, at 12:09, Sam - MacAmbulance <in...@macambulance.com> wrote:

Reddit might be a better place to look? There are lots of Mac-based communities there

Gillian Snoxall

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Nov 5, 2024, 7:56:35 AM11/5/24
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I live in Oxfordshire. When I need help SMUG is still my first choice.




On 5 Nov 2024, at 12:37, Virginia Routh <virgini...@gmail.com> wrote:



Tony Crooks

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Nov 5, 2024, 8:34:51 AM11/5/24
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Ditto! I live in Devon


Regards,

Tony
Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 5, 2024, at 12:37 PM, Virginia Routh <virgini...@gmail.com> wrote:



Jason Davies

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Nov 5, 2024, 9:35:43 AM11/5/24
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lol it was a good find, wasn’t it;) The lovely culture here is partly why I rebuffed them when they wanted to dictate how we did things;)

Cheers,

J

Jason Davies

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Nov 5, 2024, 12:49:21 PM11/5/24
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PS I should clarify this was because I have some old kit that might interest people, which I'm not interested in posting...not planning to leave any time soon;)

Stephen Watson

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Nov 5, 2024, 4:55:14 PM11/5/24
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And I’m now in coastal, ruralish Essex. Apart from Sam, is anyone still in Sussex? 😀

Stephen

You meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it. ~ Carl Jung

On 5 Nov 2024, at 11:54, nick_public1 via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

And SMUG sails serenely on, albeit at a reduced speed as we very slowly learn to work out the easier issues ourselves with the reassurance that there are kind and helpful people still attached to the group.
Very sorry Jason, but the screenshot is my best attempt (and it may be out of date of course).
Nick

<Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 11.53.16.png>

On 5 Nov 2024, at 11:32, 'Jason Davies' via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi folks,

Despite being list admin for a while of this group, I've never actually lived in Sussex (haha). I joined because the London Mac User Group had become a feral wilderness and it was the nearest one.

I thought I might also try to join the Buckinghamshire one (if one exists) but have had no success finding one, nor even finding any group. All the supposed networks (like http://www.macusersuk.org/index.html) seem to be abandoned.

So I'm curious how people find groups (and maybe it's just my search algorithm being unhelpful – I don't use Facebook, either).

Cheers,

J

Anecdote mode:

While I was list admin I was contacted by the mafia I mean the people running the list above (I think it was) who had all kinds of demands about how the list and group should be run run. They insisted on membership fees, organised in-person meetings (monthly, I think), presentations to be organised by companies to offer discounts if you signed up there and then - far more than I had time to do.

Rather than say 'don't you have anything better to do?' I did put it to this group who thought membership fees would be the death-knell, and I certainly didn't have time to check people had paid their £2 a month and set up bank accounts etc for this. I told them we didn't want to do that and they threatened me repeatedly with expelling us from the official list of MUGs. I think there was a vague move to meeting in-person for those interested, which fizzled out.

I said they were welcome to run that stuff for us but I was only able to run the list (I became convinced none of them had jobs, and were happy to spend their entire lives doing this) and they seemed to back off. Now I suspect all those retired bullies are...less active, since the site is broken and looks like it was optimised for a Powerbook 150.

Cheers,

Jason


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Sam - MacAmbulance

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Nov 5, 2024, 5:58:15 PM11/5/24
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Just me keepin’ it real in Brighton

_

Regards
Sam Mullen

+44 (0)7747778022
in...@macambulance.com
www.macambulance.com

MacAmbulance

MacAmbulance Ltd.

Providing Affordable Mac/PC Support and Web Development

MacAmbulance Ltd. is a registered company in England & Wales, registration number 8466597

This email is intended solely for the addressed recipients and may contain privileged or confidential information.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Steve Clen-Murphy

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Nov 6, 2024, 1:46:28 AM11/6/24
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I have been a member for probably 20 years still living the Sussex dream late of Ringmer now Bexhill. But more of a lurker really.

Steve

Paul R Owen

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Nov 6, 2024, 2:02:45 AM11/6/24
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I’m the other side of Brighton in East Preston. 

Paul Owen. 
Sent from my iPhone

On 6 Nov 2024, at 06:46, Steve Clen-Murphy <sclen...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have been a member for probably 20 years still living the Sussex dream late of Ringmer now Bexhill. But more of a lurker really.

andrew lancaster

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Nov 6, 2024, 2:25:23 AM11/6/24
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Yes, Stephen, I am still in Sussex! West Sussex, near Horsham 

Andrew. 
Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 6, 2024, at 7:02 AM, 'Paul R Owen' via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I’m the other side of Brighton in East Preston. 

Michael Simpson

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Nov 6, 2024, 3:03:33 AM11/6/24
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Hi folks,
Been a member since 2003 I think that’s 21 years and your the only group with positive info live in Dundee, that’s in Scotland and don’t know how I’d manage without Sam and rest of the regular participants.
Michael S
Sent from my iPhone 8

On 6 Nov 2024, at 6:46 am, Steve Clen-Murphy <sclen...@gmail.com> wrote:

 I have been a member for probably 20 years still living the Sussex dream late of Ringmer now Bexhill. But more of a lurker really.

Jason Kitcat

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Nov 6, 2024, 3:44:17 AM11/6/24
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I’m in Tunbridge Wells now. The Sussex border used to run through the town but it’s just south of us now. So near enough?!

All the best, Jason 

On 6 Nov 2024, at 07:25, 'andrew lancaster' via Sussex Mac User Group <sm...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Yes, Stephen, I am still in Sussex! West Sussex, near Horsham 

Phil Ward

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Nov 6, 2024, 4:21:38 AM11/6/24
to SMUG
I’m still in Brighton, so one of, it seems, the few definitely Sussex based members of SMUG!

And speaking of members, I had a helpful off-list email yesterday from a guy called Cliff Wootton about my NAS storage question. He says he gets the SMUG emails he can’t post to the Group ‘cause Google says he’s not a member. Who’s admin at the moment? Can they check his membership status?

Phil

nick_p...@mac.com

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Nov 6, 2024, 5:27:14 AM11/6/24
to Sussex Macuser group
I’ve been 18 miles west of Stonehenge in Wiltshire since the end of 2007 😎
Nick

philippe chandless

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Nov 6, 2024, 5:37:50 AM11/6/24
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I've been following the group for longer than I can remember. I used to live in Selmeston (between Lewes and Eastbourne) but I moved to the French Alps 14 years ago. This is still the best and nicest group for Mac information and problem solving I've come across. Long may it last.

Philippe

Jason Davies

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Nov 6, 2024, 5:46:33 AM11/6/24
to 'Jason Kitcat' via Sussex Mac User Group

Ah, I grew up there so maybe I have lived in Sussex...

Good to see there's still a Jason in the town, important tradition.

Cheers,

J

On 6 Nov 2024, at 8:44, 'Jason Kitcat' via Sussex Mac User Group wrote:

I’m in Tunbridge Wells now. The Sussex border used to run through the town but it’s just south of us now. So near enough?!

All the best, Jason

Cheers,

Jason

Jason Davies

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Nov 6, 2024, 6:09:36 AM11/6/24
to 'Phil Ward' via Sussex Mac User Group
On 6 Nov 2024, at 9:21, 'Phil Ward' via Sussex Mac User Group wrote:

> And speaking of members, I had a helpful off-list email yesterday from a guy called Cliff Wootton about my NAS storage question. He says he gets the SMUG emails he can’t post to the Group ‘cause Google says he’s not a member. Who’s admin at the moment? Can they check his membership status?

Adam...<furrows brow>. He has a surname. He has said he only pops in from time to time these days.

When he does, maybe we should see if someone more active can share the access/rights. I 'retired' because I was really busy though it's not so bad now, but also because one person shouldn't do it indefinitely. I had banned three people by that point (it is occasionally necessary, unfortunately) and decided it was time to get a reality check on my unbridled power...

Cheers,

Jason

Cliff Wootton

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Nov 18, 2024, 12:31:33 PM11/18/24
to Sussex Mac User Group
Huge thanks to Sam for taking on the responsibility for Admin. Looks like it's all working nicely now.

Definitely worth a hundred thousand coolness points for that Sam.

Phil Ward

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Nov 19, 2024, 5:23:42 AM11/19/24
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Yes, thanks Sam.

P
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Derek

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Nov 20, 2024, 5:22:31 AM11/20/24
to Sussex Mac User Group

Thanks to Sam, I'm back in the Group – so hello to all Smuggers (are you still called that?)
I somehow got locked out – not because of naughty behaviour, I hasten to add!
Derek

Sam - MacAmbulance

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Nov 20, 2024, 5:25:18 AM11/20/24
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Welcome back Derek!

_

Regards
Sam Mullen

+44 (0)7747778022
in...@macambulance.com
www.macambulance.com

MacAmbulance

MacAmbulance Ltd.

Providing Affordable Mac/PC Support and Web Development

MacAmbulance Ltd. is a registered company in England & Wales, registration number 8466597

This email is intended solely for the addressed recipients and may contain privileged or confidential information.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

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Derek Cross

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Nov 20, 2024, 5:33:46 AM11/20/24
to Paul R Owen
👍🏻

Adam Pymble

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Nov 20, 2024, 11:46:01 PM11/20/24
to Sussex Mac User Group
Late to this thread party and many thanks Sam.

Long departed Sussex and now in London, Crouch End (where? up above Finsbury Park, near Highgate) but parents and outlaws still in Eastbourne so we retain ancestral ties ;)

V grateful for you all on here!
Message has been deleted

Tilly

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Nov 22, 2024, 12:19:11 AM11/22/24
to Sussex Mac User Group
Like others I am a long-standing member (and remember in-person meetings in Brighton when Jason Kitkat was in charge and I lived in Worthing) but have lived in Warwickshire since 2001. It's still the place to go for Mac-related queries - I've always had helpfulness and kindness on the group even when my queries were naive and probably irritating. Still a Mac fan too but my 2012 Macbook Pro is going strong (handling all the recent years of videoconferencing superbly) so haven't bought any new kit in a while apart from my iPhone8 and an Apple watch. 
Tilly

Gillian Snoxall

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Nov 22, 2024, 2:35:49 AM11/22/24
to Sussex Mac Users Group
Who are you?

Derek and I used to come to the meetings in Brighton, with Jason Kitkat at the helm. A very happy (and hepful) time!

SMUG is still our favourite “go to” for solving problems, though sometimes I go to Oxford Mac-User Group ( membe...@oxmug.org ) which is nearer to our home in Wallingford. They have a very knowledgeable Sam but he is called Ewen!

Gilly Snoxall

Jo Glapinski

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Nov 22, 2024, 3:06:48 AM11/22/24
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Hi All!

 

Please can you let me know how do you know that you are a member? And, where do you find all this group’s information?

 

Thank you

 

Jo

 

Jo  Glapinski

                                                                                                                                                               

Tel: +44 (0) 1428 707453

Mob: +44 (0) 7971 42167

Email: jo.gla...@baze.co.uk

 

 

Adam Field

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Nov 22, 2024, 4:18:30 AM11/22/24
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Sam now also has Admin access. I do pop in from time to time :D

Adam Field CertHE Cert. Legal Studies (Open) Dip. Eng. Law (Open) This message was sent from a mobile device so please excuse any punctuation or spelling mistakes.

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Sam - MacAmbulance

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Nov 22, 2024, 5:10:23 AM11/22/24
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Hi Jo

You’re a member as you’re receiving these emails from google groups. More info here : https://groups.google.com/g/smug

_

Regards
Sam Mullen

+44 (0)7747778022
in...@macambulance.com
www.macambulance.com

MacAmbulance

MacAmbulance Ltd.

Providing Affordable Mac/PC Support and Web Development

MacAmbulance Ltd. is a registered company in England & Wales, registration number 8466597

This email is intended solely for the addressed recipients and may contain privileged or confidential information.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Jo Glapinski

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Nov 22, 2024, 8:54:51 AM11/22/24
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Thank you! I thought I was 😊

Steve Davies

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Nov 24, 2024, 8:09:18 AM11/24/24
to MUG Sussex
I was looking for a local MUG but there was little doing at the time but for some reason this group caught my I and despite living in Cheshire I thought it would be worth making contact.
I signed up on Aug 10th 2010.
Since joining I have enjoyed many of the posts on here and have been “Saved” on more than one occasion by peoples advice and guidance.
Long may it continue,

Steve.



Sent from my phone


On 22 Nov 2024, at 09:18, Adam Field <adam...@gmail.com> wrote:


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