[MLB-WIRELESS] APANA Melbourne City hub closing down...

[Ash Nallawalla]

> From: Peter Long

> I doubt if any organisation could afford $300 per month just 
> to reserve a meeting room.  

> --- Donovan Baarda <abo at minkirri.apana.org.au> wrote:

> > APANA Melbourne is shrinking, 
> > but melbwireless is growing. If melbwireless ever wanted a 
> > member-neutral hub/office space, at just under $300/month including 
> > electricity etc, it is a pretty good deal.
> > Ross House has extra facilities like meeting rooms etc that 
> > APANA has used extensively in the past.

Not speaking officially for the Melbourne PC User Group here (I am its VP), but
thinking aloud as a past APANA Melb committee member and one-time Melb Wireless
member.  In 1994, Melb PC and APANA agreed to split the cost of its 64 kBit/s ISDN
link to Connect and we got free knowhow and hosting in Andrew "werple" Herbert's
bedroom for a year. :-)  We parted amicably in 1995 to our own premises and
several APANA legends went on to start up successful ISPs.  Ours is volunteer-run
and has over 6000 subscribers.  Was voted Best ISP by Computer Choice last year.
Unfortunately, we are moving it to two packed cabinets in the AAPT colo room in
Burnley, else we could have looked at helping APANA.

In October we are moving out of our Dorcas St rented building to the Chadstone
Shopping Centre where we will be renting 1000 m2 which is more space than we need.
There will be a 170-seat SIG room that can be split into two, a smaller SIG room,
network gaming room etc.  Our SIGs won't need all the space all the time, so there
will be opportunities for other computer-related bodies to rent space or come to
some other acceptable no-fee arrangement.

I don't know Melb Wireless' current subs, but two years ago it was $5/yr plus gold
coin donations at meetings and BBQs.  By comparison, our subs are $55 max (cheaper
for pensioners/students).  This is why it is impossible to suggest to other groups
to become a SIG within Melb PC, although some do from time to time.  Many of our
members belong to other groups and equally there is no attraction for Melb PC to
absorb every group in the city.

However, if Melb Wireless or APANA or any other computing group needs
meeting/training space, they can contact me offline.

Ash





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