PA NERD HERD NEWS

Feb 2014, Issue #18
Circulation 974, 256 Past Meetups

Welcome to our newsletter. We will try to publish one every month or whenever I get around to it. The goal of this newsletter is to help you get the most out of your membership in our group! This group is about fun. There is no charge to join but some events may have a cost associated with them. Everyone is welcome.

HERE ARE THE EVENTS CURRENTLY LISTED ON OUR MEETUP SITE!

By time I copy, format and send out the newsletter some of the items listed are always obsolete. Therefor I am just going to provide a link to the latest and greatest and see how that works out!

http://www.meetup.com/panerds/

AND MORE COMING SOON….

INTERNET VIDEOS OF THE MONTH

A rational voice about radiation on the West Coast. Hint: you don’t need lead lined underwear.

http://fairewinds.org/media/fairewinds-videos/west-coast-radiation-exposure-risks

Understanding weight gain/loss. Spoiler alert: real science here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceFyF9px20Y

FROM FEARLESS LEADER, PETE

Last month in January the Federal Court of Appeals ruled against the FCC on the issue of Net Neutrality. This action was prompted by Verizon Communications who basically wants to be able to charge for access to THEIR Internet customers. Isn’t it nice to know you are the property of Verizon? The ruling is interesting in that the court ruled that the FCC DOES NOT have the authority to prohibit Internet service providers from selectively blocking or slowing web traffic and applications but it does have some authority to regulate broadband.

What does this all mean? No one knows and hopefully it won’t damage anything but it is easy to see where service providers may want to charge Internet video providers for bandwidth even if the provider is not on their service. That is double dipping since the service provider customer is already paying for bandwidth but large companies know no limits to greed. Glad I sold my Verizon stock. Don’t invest in companies like Hulu or Roku until this is resolved.

THE RULES OF NERD HERD ETIQUETTE

The rule of etiquette as far as Nerd Herd goes are fairly simple and common sense.

Rule#1. Reserving space at an event is easy to do as is telling us you changed your mind. If you did not sign up for an event then there is no need to tell us you are not going. If you did sign up for an event and cannot attend then change your reservation to NOT GOING. Event Leaders put a lot of effort into making events and it is insulting to take up space and then be a no show, especially for events with limited space and a waiting list. Of course things happen and everyone understands but when you can change your reservation if you won’t be showing up!

Rule #2. We are not a babysitting service and we do not take responsibility for your children. I don’t even know why I need to mention this except about once every few years someone tries this. It is common sense. Would you drop your kid off with a bunch of strangers or at the mall? Of course not that would be child abuse. If you are bringing your child to one of our age appropriate events that’s fine as long as you are there. We are not trained to deal with children and we won’t know what to do if there is a problem.

Rule #3. If you are the only person having fun something is wrong. This is very rarely a problem but you are in control of your actions. If you are out of control we may ban you from the group or call the police depending upon how out of control you are. Showing up when you decide to mix pharmaceuticals with alcohol and a double helping of Rocky Road Ice Cream topped with Snickers means that you may think you are the life of the party but the party doesn’t.

Rule #4. This rule is NOT for 99.9% of the people who attend. Please be clean and don’t wear perfume. Enough said about being clean. Perfume is because while most members will enjoy it a few have chemical sensitivities and may get ill. If we are doing things outside then insects don’t know the difference between perfume and flowers. Eek!

NAVIGATING NERD HERD MEETUP HOME PAGES

Here are a few things that will make your membership more rewarding!

1. Login and look at the home page every week. At the bottom of the listed UPCOMING events don't forget to press the link that reads "MORE MEETUPS". Not all of the meetups are listed and this allows you to find the other scheduled events.
2. Create your own meetup event! Yes, you have the power to create events. All you have to do is to contact any of the Organizers listed on the site with the event title, description, date/time and location.
3. Don't forget to look under Recent Meetups to see what you missed! If you really wanted to attend something that you missed then maybe others will too and you can just recreate the event. Please do not duplicate an event that already exists.
4. The Discussions Board (button near the top of the home page) can be a fun place to discuss events or even just talk to other members about topics of group interest. Don't forget to look under MORE and PHOTOS for other fun things to see.
5. Don't forget you can contact Meetup, me or any member of the Leadership Team if you have a problem that we can help with.
6. You do not have to respond NO to any meetup unless you first responded YES and changed your mind. You can just ignore any event that you are not interested in.

HOW TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS FOR MEETINGS

You may be scratching your head and doing a pixel by pixel search on the Meetup page for our Suggest a Meetup link.  You could have sworn you saw it somewhere... Well, stop looking.  It's gone.

Why, you ask?  Do the organizers hate suggestions? Nothing could be further from the truth.  We love suggestions.  We hunger for suggestions.  If there was a cheerleader squad made up on suggestions, we'd want to sneak into their dressing room.

However, the problem with Meetup's suggestion feature is that you can put up a suggestion... and it can become a meetup event... but it doesn't require a time or a place.  So unless someone is willing to step up and figure out those small but important details, it sits there, and sits there, and sits there.  Maybe even a few more people sign up for the event that may happen someday, someplace and somehow.

So rather than have lots of unrealized meetups listed on the page, we took away that link.  However, if you have a suggestion... please contact Pete or Kyle.  Even if we aren't able to host it, if you're willing and have a time and place... we can set it up for you and even make you that event host.  Have so many suggestions they're spilling out of your head like a slo-mo scene from Scanners?  Pete will be happy to make you an event organizer so you can hosts lots of them. So yes, the suggestion link is gone.  But we still want your suggestions.  So email us... we like that.  It will make our day.

PLANNING A NERD HERD MEETUP EVENT

Are you the host or hostess with the most? Prove it! Talk to one of the leadership members about setting up an NH event of your very own. Kyle and I are always open to ideas. Here is what you need to have your very own event: Have a leader (you) and an idea for an event, have a place for the event along with a date and time. As long as the event fits in with the NH we should schedule it, you will be recognized as the leader of that event and most of all you will have some great fun doing something you want to do with people you like. Here are a few common sense rules that you should consider when creating an event. Most people work on weekdays so anything that is late at night on a weekday may not be well attended. These meetings are open to the public so while you may like everyone that shows up you don’t know them and it’s not a good idea to have meetups in your home. Public venues are always best.

As we move into the winter doldrums there always appears to be less things to do but that's not true.  What is true is that we need more people to get involved in setting up events.  Hold a book discussion group at a local bookstore (if you still have one), have a special Dr. Who event at an English Pub (yes we have them in the area), get an ice skating group together, anything that belongs.  Don't forget to ask other meetup groups that are doing things we would be interested in to cross-list with us.  In short, help us spread the wealth of fun the winter season really is by getting involved.  I promise that if you get more involved I can keep the Nerd Herd Demonstrators away from where you live!

LOOKING FOR MEETING SPACE

The problem with doing things with your physical body instead of your astral or virtual bodies is that you need a physical place to hold the meeting! Lots of you belong to multiple meetups and/or know of great places that let us have meeting space for little or nothing. Most restaurants let you have meetings at tables as long as you are eating. Some restaurants actually have party rooms you can have for free if you have a minimum number of people. Libraries, township recreation halls, VFW(s), volunteer firehouses and other traditional organizations with halls generally rent them at very low to no charge. I strongly suggest you do not hold events in your home for security and liability reasons.

Thanks for being a member,

Pete & Kyle and the rest of the Nerd Herd Leadership Team