Re: Help Talking an Online Group Into Becoming a MUG
Re: Help Talking an Online Group Into Becoming a MUG
- Subject: Re: Help Talking an Online Group Into Becoming a MUG
- From: Amaya Gergoff <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 13:27:31 +0200
As a Regional Liaison for MUGs (Central and South America), I can
tell you what I have saw in these many years, 4 as RLT, and 7 as
President of my group.
Apple will not get in between you and your mug, members, post or
activities, we have ever dream about it in a positive way, it doesn't
happen as you make like or not like.
Apple since a long time has these relationship with groups where
there is not real contact, unless you look for it, it is really
unusual that they come to you first. But they are still there making
support, and that is important.
What that means, so far my experience told me, that become an UG on
the Apple locator have some benefits like they mention at you,
discounts, relationship with vendors outside Australia, relationship
with Apple Australia, as far as I know one of the best outside US, etc.
So far Apple just ask for a few things in terms a group could become
a group at the Apple locator, because this will be an exposure way to
be seen by those who may be looking for you.
For become a UG, they ask you to have 25 members minimun on your
group, this asure you quorum at your regular meetings but also asure
not just Apple but all vendors that support UG, that many will take
advantage of their products benefits offers, and they will continue
support UG.
In case you prefer for a while stay on an online base, you would need
100 members.
Among that, they ask for 3 persons for contact in case they need to
contact, on of them has the importan roll of being ambassador, this
person would be the key one to have access to the Apple Sales Web and
take advantage of material for demoing products at the metting, as
gain a Free .Mac account for the group if you like, request the
mailbox packages that sometimes content a NFR Apple SW for demoing,
as well as for third party companies that offers same things.
What else, a website, those days it is very hard not to think on some
groups or associations without one, to keep informed their members.
And the days you have your regular meeting. Pretty much that it is
all you would need.
Base on that Apple would place your group at the Locator, and your
group would be shown to others, users or vendors.
My groups has never being ask to make things on a fix direction by
Apple, we are just aware that Apple ask you to not use their logos
and icons (trademarks) without permission. In our case we have to
translate the material for our meetings, those we find at the ASW.
And we even have asked for Apple merchandise for events.
Our discussion list is open to members and no members, you just have
to be subscribed, and the rule we try to keep out of the topics,
apart of off topics things not related to Apple circus, are piracy or
kind of requests, but because we wanted that way.
We have talked good or bad of Apple ways to do things, we have talked
about what we liked or not about products, decisions, etc. but at the
end what you are doing is giving our members the possibility to known
the facts and experiences so they can make their decisions not just
because what it is said on the box, but what it is all about.
So my point of view is, it is pretty good to be at the locator, but
of course you can see what others have to say, and I would like
someone of the AppleWorks group talk here, since they are a very
large group and in terms of numbers maybe they are more attracted to
Apple to gave them a guideline if you want to think.
Amaya Gergoff
Apple Regional Liaison for Central and South America MUGs
On May 12, 2005, at 1:16 AM, Michael Horton wrote:
The main reason repeatedly put forward on their forums for not
becoming a
MUG is their fear of loosing independence if they became officially
recognised. They are terrified that Apple will request them to censor
threads on forums if they are unflattering to Apple or any of its
products
(95%+ are positive), crack down on any bad language (about 1 post/
thousand)
or in some other way try and change what they have created (they are
currently very well moderated). I have tried to allay their fears and
convince them that Apple isn't going to try and impose its will on
their
group. They are a real community who love the way things are now
and as such
are scared of change. Basically they would like to believe me but
they would
much prefer to see something in writing & hear from other MUG's on
these
issues.
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