CFOG's PIP, May 1989, Volume 8 No. 2, Whole No. 70, page 17

The Future of ChiKUG

by James B. Smith

[The following article by James B. Smith, president of ChiKUG, appeared in the February 1989 issue of the CommuniKay, newsletter of the Chicagoland Kaypro Users Group, ChiKUG. Does it have some meaning for CFOG? -- bhc]

Over the past 4 years we have seen a fairly steady drop in CHIKUG membership and meeting attendance. From a peak of over a hundred in membership and attendance we had in 1984, we are down to less than a dozen. The February meeting was down to 4 people. DEEPSIGS [weeknight dinner get-togethers] have had as few as 2 people.

The reason for this is quite simply that our original raison to provide mutual help for users of Kaypro computers has become irrelevant with the overwhelming ascendancy of IBM-compatible computers. The Kaypros being made today are not functionally different from several hundred or so clones on the market, and there are plenty of books, magazines, classes, dealers, hot lines, and consultants to support these. The IBM-compatible world is so rich with a diversity of choices of hardware and software it is probably beyond the capability of a small group to support a significant fraction of what is available. The surviving CP/M Kaypros have a lot of useful life left, but they frequently sit unused in a closet when the owner discovers something more productive. Engineers have a slogan: The better is.the enemy of the good. In this situation, IBM-compatible are better for almost all uses, but they have driven out the good, but adequate.

All of this calls into question whether the club should change its mode of operation for the coming club year. The discussion at the board meeting seemed to conclude our original purpose of self-help is behind us, but we like to get together to talk computers.

To me, this suggest that we can dispense with the monthly meeting and meet less regularly at DEEPSIGs.