BMUG: the end of an era
BMUG: the end of an era
BMUG's bankruptcy filing has gone through, representing the end of an era. A group called PlanetMug has picked up the assets and is continuing BMUG's BBS. The PlanetMug folks have graciously offered to keep BMUG's web site alive to host a one page 'eternal flame' memorial to BMUG. Anyone interested in submitting a design for the memorial page (we'll provide the copy) should submit an 800 x 600 jpeg to bmug@songwriter.com.
Margin Notes: BMUG holds a special place in my Macintosh memories. I attended BMUG meetings in the Physics auditorium on the Berkeley campus as far back as 1986. But because I only visited Berkeley occasionally, I could only attend a few meetings a year. Still, the insider information and helpful tips I picked up at each meeting would be more than enough to carry me through the next few months of drought. Plus, it was always fun to watch the grillings given to vendor reps brave enough to show their wares at a BMUG meeting. BMUG set the standard for the critical scrutiny of computer products. If a BMUG meeting gave you its unofficial seal of approval, you knew you had a great product.
I also eagerly awaited each new semi-annual issue of the BMUG Newsletter, with its floppy disk full of software. At a time when there was no Web to easily access updates and shareware, and when a modem speed of 300 baud was the standard, BMUG's floppy disks (and later their CDs) were the fastest route between you and the latest greatest Mac software. And while the Newsletter itself contained a wealth of informative articles, ranging from beginner's tips to advice for programmers (each issue was more a book than a newsletter), the first place I always checked out was the Choice Products list at the back. Here, BMUG gave their recommendations on Mac hardware, software, books (including my own Sad Macs!), magazines and everything else Macintosh. Before I purchased anything for my Mac, I always checked BMUG first.
They even provided free advice over the telephone. This was especially welcome for its many members outside the Berkeley area. BMUG, despite its Berkeley origin, was truly a national organization. They also had a booth at Macworld Expos, where they sold disks, subscriptions, and most importantly, their latest Macworld Expo BMUG t-shirt. A trip to the Expo was not complete until you got one.
As BMUG was fond of saying, they were "in the business of giving away information." Here's hoping that BMUG's Mac-centric free-wheeling spirit will not be forgotten.