Date   : Wed, 23 May 2001 21:04:33 +0100
From   : "Kevin Etheridge" <kevin.etheridge@...>
Subject: EUG Electron User Group

Hi there, firstly, thanks to those who have replied direct to this
email, and those who have emailed direct to (the) Dave Edwards ref. EUG.

Whilst Dave is gratified that people have emailed him maintaining their
support for EUG, it is submissions, not subscriptions or emails that are
going to keep EUG alive. Dave has commented and stated that he will
enhance his own website and run EUG on an infrequent basis from this -
not his choice, but more what he has been forced into. This is one of
the last, if not the last group that still promotes the Acorn machines
via their original media - floppy 5.25 or 3.5 DFS or ADFS disc, with
articles, games and submissions written on the original machine(s).

Isobel (from BBC Lives) replied to one of my missives about EUG
regarding the proliferation of Acorn on the WWW and the emulation
availible for same - she confesses to possessing no original Acorn
machine - fine, her and many others choice/preference, but whilst Acorn
is not forgotten and is being 'enhanced' by inclusion on the WWW, what
happens to the original media, the good old Beeb's and electrons. The
BBC micro celebrated (will) it's 20th anniversary this year ! The fact
that this is being remembered must mean something. The 80's retro micros
set a standard that is still remembered today - ask programmers and
operators in IT or DP departments today, and the majority will tell you
they cut their teeth on and and still fondly remember their good old
'micro' from the 80's (whichever it may be). Ok, so these machines are
(getting) outdated, but do we cast them aside and forget them, and
choose not to have anything to do with them ? What would have happened
if this attitude was adopted by the manx people on the isle of man - the
original Manx language was spoken by only one person, on his death, it
would be gone, remembered only as just that - a memory. So it's not used
by the general populace on a regular basis - but it was and is a part of
those peoples heritage. Stretching a point slightly, but the Acorn
series of computers is part of OUR heritage. Britain lead the world and
was at the forefront of the affordable, home based computer for joe
public in the early / mid 80's ; the fact that the machines in majority
are still working today and are still supported (for how much longer ?)
is testement to the fact that they are still a force to be reckoned with
. Superior Software are still selling software for these machines, to
name but one - there ARE others. Just because these machines are not
used by the majority of the populace does not diminish their worth. I
would not be without my PC and the web now, BUT, I still use my beeb. I
am one of (many?) who cannot download disk images or PC Beeb converted
games due to the processor in my PC. I used to be able to on another PC
which has since 'gone west' and needs a new motherboard/HDD etc - yes ,
a P100...but I know I'm not alone - the continued existance of EUG
testified to this. The production and continuation of EUG is dependant
on people's use and remembrance and desire to use the Acorn micros - a
demand that is still there, only waning. Can we afford to let EUG go the
same way as the snow leopard or siberian tigers ? Are we destined to
start worrying about the beeb once the last newsgroup has folded or the
last enquiry about old games at Superior ceases, or much later when
nothing can be done to revive the interest. At least thanks to Michael
Crichton we could see the snow leopard again - what happens when
interest wanes enough that the last FDD is junked, and the only
surviving Beeb is in a museum with no PSU ???    Gone !!!!!!! - yes,
probably an over dramatic comparison, but how about this - EUG now as
the last original media group, what next.........Chris Richardson
decides that 8BS has had it's day , WWW or not......then 'The BBC Lives'
falls by the wayside through disinterest.........What next ? EUG cannot
be allowed to just fade away like this. This is the last original media
group for the Acorn 8-bit micro's - can we really let it cease ??? 

thanks for listening (reading).

kevin