Program Info

Any of our General Meeting business meetings and programs can be viewed on our YouTube website.  See our “Meetings” page for details.

April Program Meeting, 2:30 p.m. on the 21st

“Trustworthy Free Software”
w/John (Free-John) Kennedy
APCUG Speaker’s Bureau and Member of ECOTUC

For the April 21st program meeting, our own John Kennedy, will be sharing his presentation of “Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)”. Join John, and find out how you can be running software that you know isn’t hiding anything, and at no cost to you. Where money doesn’t have to speak and you still want quality software, learn about many alternative programs that you can get for free to do your computing tasks. Many of these programs are cross-platformed (meaning they have versions for Windows, Macs, and Linux) so it’s easy to share files with just about anyone.

………

We usually have a gathering time from 2:00-2:30 where members meet and greet fellow members, new members, and visitors both in-person and on-line.  Come join us.  Our presentation will start shortly after a welcome and any important announcements at 2:30 p.m. ET.  Following the Program/Presentation we will have our drawings for the Attendance Incentive prizes (remember, if you attend the Business Meeting, you will get a second ticket for the drawing).  Then we might have another short Social Time before we close up the church.  Visitors are welcome, just help them get hooked up with Zoom or bring them with you.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • This month’s meeting will be held BOTH via Zoom and in person at 12 Neal Ave, Neal Avenue United Methodist Church (Fellowship Hall), Newark, Ohio 43055. Masks are available but not required.
  • Attendance Incentives will be available for BOTH Zoom and in-person attendees.  Prizes will be awarded after the presentatioGostischan.
  • Attend the monthly Business Meeting (2nd Thursday, 5:00 using Zoom) and receive an additional Attendance Incentive ticket.  Have two chances to win.
  • No food will be served at the in-person meeting until we get a new Hospitality Chair.

Coming in May: “Internet Scams “presented by Adam Drake.

Coming in June: “Way We Listen to Music” presented by Ray Baxter.

Coming in July: “NOTHING”  No Picnic nor a presentation, enjoy your holiday month.

Coming in August: “Your Digital Legacy” presented by Joe Kissle.

Coming in September: “Stump the Techsperts ” questions submitted by the membership.

Coming in October: “Internet Security “presented by Bob Gostichia.

Coming in November: “TBD “presented by TBD.

Coming in December: “Holiday Potluck ” More details as we get closer.

Congratulations to the elected officers for 2024

President – Jim Amore
Vice-President/Program Chair – Adam Drake
Secretary – Nancy Grower
Treasurer- Sue Bixler

Trustee – David DeRolph (through 2024), chair
Trustee – Will Kern (through 2025)
Trustee – Jim Holton (through 2026)

If you are interested in filling the vacant positions of Teaching Program Chair, or Hospitality Chair, contact Jim Amore.

Handouts from the April presentation done by Mark Shulman on “Securing Your Files by Encrypting” Click here to download the PDF.

Handouts from the November presentation done by Lt. Kim Lopez on “Safety for Seniors”. Click here for the SAFE SHOPPING presentation, Emergency Information Refrigerator Card, SAFE SHOPPING handout (print back to back), and handout.

Handout from the September presentation done by Jere Minich on “Saving $$$ on Ink”.  Click here to download his PDF.

Handout from the May presentation done by Hewie Poplock on “Getting Better Search Results”.  Click here to download his PDF.

Remember, bring any empty ink or toner cartridges, and old birthday/holiday/etc.. cards for our different recycling programs.  These can be dropped off at any of our Repair Help Desks.

2024
The program for the March meeting was titled: “Versatility of Smart Phones”.
The program for the February meeting was titled: “Being the IT Hero”.
The program for the January meeting was titled: “Virtual Computing”.
2023
There were no programs for either November or December due to all the holidays.  We will be back in January with a new year of programs.
The program for the October meeting was titled: “Cybersecurity from A to Z”.
The program for the September meeting was titled: “Securing your Communications, Events, Files, and On-line Activities with Proton”.
The program for the August meeting was titled: “VPNs for Y O U”.
The program for the July meeting was titled: No meeting and no picnic.
The program for the June meeting was titled: “ABCs and XYZs of AI (Artifical Intelligence)”.
The program for the May meeting was titled: “On-Line Safety is not just for Seniors”.
The program for the April meeting was titled: “Encryption Software”.
The program for the March meeting was titled: “Backing Up Your Computer”.
The program for the February meeting was titled: “Chromebooks, What are they, what can they do, and why should I get one?”The program for the January meeting was titled: “Accessibility — Help! Can’t See, Can’t Hear, Can’t Touch”.
2022
The November and December meetings were combined and met the first Sunday in December for our annual holiday potluck and election of officers.The program for the October meeting was titled: “Cyber-Safety in the Digital Age”.
The program for the September meeting was titled: “Adding a Network Attached Storage (NAS) Device to Your Router”.
The program for the August meeting was titled: no program due to lengthy business meeting and storms overhead.
The program for the July meeting was titled: “Annual Picnic”.
The program for the June meeting was titled: “Touring the Web”.
The program for the May meeting was titled: “All About Genealogy”.
The program for the April meeting was titled: “Apple, Find My ….. , Air Tags, and Bluetooth Technology”.
The program for the March meeting was titled: “Every Lost Your Smartphone?”.
The program for the February meeting was titled: “Cutting the Cord, Watching TV without Cable (legally)”.
The program for the January meeting was titled: “My Favorite iOS (iPad, iPhone) Apps”.
2021
The program for the December meeting was titled: “My Favorite Android Apps”.   Watch it here.  (link coming soon)
The program for the November meeting was titled: “Safety for Seniors”.  Watch it here.
The program for the October meeting was titled: “Is Cyber-Security Really Important?”. Watch it here.
The program for the September meeting was titled: “How to save $$$ on Ink”. Watch it here.
The program for the August meeting was titled: “All Things Zoom”. Watch it here.
The program for the July meeting was titled: “Keeping your Internet Communications Private and Secure”. Watch it here.
The program for the June meeting was titled: “PayPal and using PayPal to pay for your dues”. Watch it here.
The program for the May meeting was titled: “Getting Better Search Results”. Watch it here.
The program for the April meeting was an impromptu presentation on  “AnyDesk, Remote Access”. Watch it here.
The program for the March meeting was titled: “The Cloud Is Here – Don’t Get Left Behind”. Watch it here.
The program for the February meeting was titled: “Your Digital Legacy.” Watch it here.
The program for the January meeting was titled: “Google Accounts, Google Brand Accounts, and YouTube Channels”. Watch it here.
2020
The program for the December meeting was titled: “Chromebooks for Geeks”.
The program for the November meeting was titled: “Saving Your Life with Wearable Technology, Part 2”.
The program for the October meeting was titled: “Staying Safe and Secure”.
The program for the September meeting was titled: “How Technology Has Changed the Way We Listen to Music”.
The program for the August meeting was titled: “Saving Your Life with Wearable Technology, Part 1”.
The program for the July meeting was titled: “Solving Your Password Management Problems”.
The program for the June meeting was titled: “Building a SMART Mirror”.
The program for the May meeting was titled “Digital Photography using a Smartphone”.
The program for the April meeting was titled “An Introduction to Virtual Conferencing over the Internet”. We looked at two different tools: Zoom and Jitsi.
The were no meetings or programs for the first quarter due to the COVID-19 virus.
2019
The November and December meetings were combined and met the first Sunday in December for our annual holiday potluck and election of officers.
The program for the September meeting was titled “What Does THIS Button Do”. Program on smartphones for beginners.
The program for the August meeting was titled “3-D Printing and Demo”.
The program for the July meeting did not happen, instead we had our  “Annual Summer Cookout and Potluck”.
The program for the June meeting was titled “Blocking Ads from Inside Your Network”.
The program for the May meeting was titled “Discussing of Basics of Network Connectivity”.
The program for the April meeting was titled “Microsoft actually listens, here’s what changes they are making”.
The program for the March meeting was titled “Scram Scams, Poof Spoofs, and I’m not going Phishing Today”.
The program for the February meeting was titled “Bixlers Share Hawaii Pics And Photo Tips”.
The program for the January meeting was postponed till March due to pour weather conditions.
2018
The program for the November was combined with December’s meeting and was the annual Holiday Potluck and Elections of Officers.
The program for the October meeting was titled “If it’s Connected, it needs to be Protected”.
The program for the September meeting was titled “Your Digital Afterlife”.
The program for the July meeting/picnic was titled “Eat and Greet, enjoy the food and conversations with other members”.
The program for the June meeting was titled “Passwords and Password Managers”.
The program for the May meeting was titled “Cutting the Cord, without cutting it off”.
The program for the April meeting was titled “Browsers and Brow-Beating”. Link to the presentation’s
The program for the March meeting was titled “Chromebooks”. Link to the presentation’s pdf .
The program for the February meeting was titled ”          “.
The program for the January meeting was titled “Data Privacy”.
2017
The activity for the November/December meetings was our   “Annual Holiday Potluck and Elections of Officers”.
The program for the October meeting was titled “Staying Safe Online, Preventing Ransomware, and Identity Theft”.
The program for the September meeting was titled “Software that’s FREE, for you and me“.
The program for the August meeting was titled  “Microsoft Deserves a Turn: Reviewing web apps from MS” (because we did a big program on Google Apps).
The program for the July meeting was titled  “Annual ECOTUC/LCCS  Summer Picnic”.
The program for the June meeting was canceled at the last minute due to illness of the presenter.
The program for the May meeting was titled “Crypto-Viruses”.
The program for the April meeting was titled “Your Cellphone Is Your Friend”.
The program for the March meeting was titled “Feel Safe Again As We Go Back To The Future”.
The program for the February meeting was titled “Ken, Sue and Stacie’s Vacation to Oregon & Washington-Tips for Capturing Memories”.
The program for the January meeting was titled “Click it; Sort it; Transfer it; Save it; Access it Immediately“.
2016
The program for the combined November/December meeting was actually our Social Time at the annual potluck and elections of officers.
The program for the October meeting was titled “On-Line Shopping“.
The program for the September meeting was titled “Happy Anniversary Windows 10: What’s New With You?“.
The program for the August meeting was titled “GPS Navigation for you and your car”, and “Home Security Cameras that connect to your tablet or phone”.
The program for the July meeting was titled “Had a Great Time at the Picnic, sorry you weren’t there“.
The program for the June meeting was titled “Technology From A Different Perspective“.
The program for the May meeting was titled “Being Smarter with Android Smartphones”.
The program for the April meeting was titled “Being Smart with Android Smartphones”.
The program for the March meeting was titled “Selling Items on the Internet, with focus on Craig’s List”.
The program for the February meeting was titled “Amateur Radio and the 21st Century”.
The program for the January meeting was titled “Accessing and Using Governmental Websites”.
2015
The program for November/December was our annual Holiday Potluck and election of officers.  Everyone had a good time and the food was also good.
The program for our October meeting was titled “Tying Up Loose Ends”.
The program for our September meeting was titled “Windows 10: Taking It For A Test Drive”.
The program for our August meeting was titled “Windows 10: What’s all the hype, what’s the rush, what’s the buzz – tell me what’s a happening”.

Fifth Friday – Focus and Fun

There is a Fifth Friday in October.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a topic or does anyone wish to volunteer to be a presenter?  We haven’t had one for a while as no one has made any suggestions or no one has volunteered to be the presenter.  E-mail us at our club address ecotu.club@gmail.com if you have any suggestions or what to present.

With Microsoft pushing out the new Windows 11 in October, maybe there is someone that could do a presentation on the new features of Windows 11 or give us a tour on using Windows 11?  If you could, or know someone that could; please have them contact our Program Chair or email us at ecotu.club@gmail.com.

For the “kick-off” FF in July 2016, we had a presentation on the new Windows 10-Anniversary Update; and in September we had a great turn-out for a panel presentation on “Backing up your data files”.
For our December 2016 FF, our theme was “Look, Up in the Sky.  Is it a plane?  Is it a bird? Is it Superman?  No it’s “the cloud“.  

For our March 2017 FF, our theme was “Picture This”.

For our June FF, our topic was “Google It, There’s more to it”.

For our September 2017 FF, our theme was “Windows 10, Updated again, and again, and …..!”

For our December 2017 FF, our theme was “Picture This, Too…. Putting It All In Focus for Better Results”.

For our March 2018 FF, our theme was “Back to the Clouds”.

For our June 2018 FF, our theme was “Beefing Up Your Browsers”.

These programs are basically for members as it’s one of the benefits of membership. But if you have a friend or family member that isn’t a member, bring they and have them get signed up as a member before the program. The $24 or other amount (depends on when they join) they spend on attending just one of our Focus and Fun Friday’s. will be money well spent. And along with just one program, they would also have access to future Fifth Friday programs, and all our other member benefits that make our membership dues come out to just about 6 ½ cents a day for all that we offer.

Contact us:  ecotu.club@gmail.com