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Apple User Group?http://orgs.unt.edu/appleBy Stormy Shippy, North Texas Apple User Group, CITC Helpdesk ConsultantVery subtly last year, a new campus organization open to all students, faculty, and staff was brought to life. The North Texas Apple User Group (NTAUG) had small and humble beginnings, but going into the start of the second year, the group is flourishing while new and exciting doors continue to open up. It is quite possible that this is the first time you have even heard of NTAUG. Most of the promotion for the group came by word of mouth last year, and only during the last few months have we begun to ramp up our efforts to introduce the group to the campus at large. Now that you know there is an organization called NTAUG on campus, you are surely wondering what the group is about…
What does the “Apple” in North Texas Apple User Group have to do with anything if the group is about technology and open to everyone? Well, I believe that Apple strives to create an educational environment built around technology that sets standards and paves the way for other technology companies. While doing so, Apple keeps everything accessible to each person regardless of his or her knowledge and experience. It may seem too much to ask from a large corporation these days, but by following Apple all these years it makes me wonder how they continue to “Think Different.” So while the group was founded around the Apple platform, the ease and ability to incorporate other technology into the mix has enabled us to become much larger and focused on more facets than just Apple. By branching out like this, the group benefits the University as a whole and opens doors that may have been closed beforehand. The monthly meeting is the core of the group. This is where we come together to get to know everyone. If you come to a meeting with a question or idea, someone else in the group is bound to know the answer or help you shape out the idea into something practical. At every meeting, food and drinks will be provided to get the night started and set the casual tone. Depending on the meeting, there will be a creative main presentation from either a member, professor, industry representative, or others on a wide variety of subjects. Maybe a member has found out 10 perfect tips on how to streamline the use of a popular application or device. A professor might be using digital technology to enhance the classroom experience for his/her students and wants to share the success with the rest of the UNT community. Sometimes particular companies may announce a great new product or application that they want to demonstrate to the group and they will send in a speaker. As you can see, the group opens up great opportunities that anyone can benefit from. I genuinely encourage you to attend one of our meetings or events that are held throughout the year. The least that will happen is that you will meet new friends that share the same interests as you. Who knows, you may even end up experiencing the joy that comes with teaching others what you love. Our next meeting will be Monday, October 4th , at 7:00 p.m. in Terrill Hall room 120. Stay Informed:
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