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The London Conference - Computer Sessions

ICUFR Conference Computer Sessions

Saturday, September 30, 2000 by Doug Grierson


The Conference on Saturday, a wonderful sunny day, commenced with Registration at the University College London. Around 40 were present for the lectures and presentations in the Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre at the UCL following the opening welcome by our ICUFR Chairman Roger Siddle.

The sessions:

1.
Jeff Goodley - The Mobile Revolution, Mobile communications, voice - E-mail and text messaging on the move.

Jeff Goodley PP of Holbeach Rotary Club Lincolnshire, gave an excellent informative presentation highlighted with screen displays. He explained the future of mobile communications and access to the internet. 'Star Trek' type phones would appear to be not that far away. Some practical demonstrations of current usage were carried out by sending SMS messages and Emails via PDA and infra red phone connections. Doug Grierson acted as 'stooge' to send messages via IR on a Psion Revo Plus PDA and WAP phone to Jeff's WAP phone.

2.
Steve Mecca - Opportunities and Problems Associated with Use of the Internet by Service Organizations

Steve is DICO of D7950, Web address https://rotary7950.org and President of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, Rhode Island Web address https://www.jamestownri.com./rotary
Steve presented the advantages and the problems of using Email and Webpages to communicate information. He highlighted many disadvantages where Rotarians were not using the internet to communicate, time and cost were prime. One advantage of using the internet was shown by advertising a bike race on the web which now produces 45% of the entrants from that means. Another was the potential saving of $50,000 pa by using the interent rather than using 'snailmail' to send 3000 Rotarians a weekly newsletter.

3.
Bob Dunkley - The role of IT Task Force Co-ordinator

Bob is IT Task Force Co-ordinator for RI Zone 17 and webmaster for D1040 Bob gave a presentation of the work he has to carry out as IT Task Force Co-ordinator using PDF files available from: RI President Frank Devlyn's site https://www.frankdevlyn.org. He made available printouts of the files he used. Despite a few glitches with the podium equipment (it had to happen to an IT Task Force Co-ordinator), he was able to complete an informative presentation.

4.
Roger Serpell -Club Web Site, Why Bother? A guide to good web-page design.

Roger is PP and IT officer of the Rotary Club of Kew Gardens D 1140, web page https://www.kewrotary.org gave a practical presentation of setting up a club web page. The emphasis of keeping a style, without huge graphics slowing things down and midi files constantly playing which turn people away. Roger's practical approach was quite refreshing and enthusiastic and he also had a diskette available of a practical Rotary Club website for a small donation for Rotary Charity. Almost all present took advatage of this

Lunch Break:


5.
Frank Knowles - Internet Service Providers & Hosting your Web Site

Frank is CICO of The Rotary Club of High Wycombe https://www.magic-carpet.co.uk/rotaryclub/ He is also Director of his own ISP company Magic Carpet. His presentation covered ISP's, how to choose one, whether or not to use a so called 'Free Service' and where to host the Club's website. The latter involved registering a unique club web address and then where it should be hosted.

6. |Doug Grierson - Using Adobe Photoshop to restore and enhance old Photographs

Doug, PP of The Rotary Club of Gravesend & Meopham D1120, unfortunately had a problem connecting a Mac Powerbook to the University Podium equipment. This was to be used to display and demonstrate some restoration techniques. However Doug brought a large number of examples of completed work to explain what could be done. There was great interest shown by the many questions.

7
Grahame Leon Smith - Introducing Rotarians-Online and Free Computers for Schools

Grahame is PP of Yiewsley & West Drayton Rotary Club D1090 and now member of The Rotary Club of Egham D1140. He gave a presentation of "Free Computers for Education' a charity which he established in 1997. The charity collects and reburbishes unwanted PC's from industry. These are donated with local Rotary Club help to needy schools. In 1999 over 1000 were collected and 50% went to schools in third world countries.
Grahame also presented 'Rotarians-Online' a project set up this year to get all 1.2 million Rotarians on line with free' Rotary' Email addresses. ( details https://www.rotarians-online.org )



The sessions were finished with speakers from the floor offering advice, suggestions and experiences of using IT for the betterment of Rotary Communications.

All the speakers were of high standard and the quality of the presentations improves with each year. Powerpoint was used extensively by the speakers and the sessions were well attended and all informative. Thanks goes out to all who took part to make it a success.

   

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