computer users groups: then and now....?

[Quantum Mechanic]

For years we had a very active Atari club in my area called A.C.C.E.S.S. (Atari Computer Club Encompassing Suburban Sacramento). Google that name (abbreviated and spelled out) and you'll find many links to club newsletter articles that were reprinted in various forums and online references like Z*Mag.

 

I spent several years as an officer and running the Modem*SIG (telecommunications special interest group).

[gilsaluki]

 

I was the Vice-President of AAAUA for many years back in the day. We had a great group of people from young to old. We even held many of our meetings in the Federated Store (owned by Atari at the time).

 

AAAUA John.JPG

Oh yes, John, I remember you (never met you) . I never got to get down to S.A. for a real live meeting. I always enjoyed the newsletter and the Christmas party pics. You guys rocked. Atari-ville and all. I recall you left and went somewhere, New York, somewhere. When did AAAUA actually fold? I think I have newsletters from mid-1999. By then they were only a few pages. Wish AAAUA was still around. I imagine we have lost a few of the more elderly folks. I think Thelma S. is gone. She was a great resource and helped me tremendously.

[cx2k]

Oh yes, John, I remember you (never met you) . I never got to get down to S.A. for a real live meeting. I always enjoyed the newsletter and the Christmas party pics. You guys rocked. Atari-ville and all. I recall you left and went somewhere, New York, somewhere. When did AAAUA actually fold? I think I have newsletters from mid-1999. By then they were only a few pages. Wish AAAUA was still around. I imagine we have lost a few of the more elderly folks. I think Thelma S. is gone. She was a great resource and helped me tremendously.

 

We had a lot of fun at the meetings and parties. There was no place like Atari-ville. Floyd Blunk was the master of software rentals. I did move back to NY and was recruited by a local group here called the Ol' Hackers. Unfortunately, both groups consisted of older people and lacked a lot of youth. Not sure when AAAUA folded but they went on for years althought like most groups, things shifted when the ST came out and then gradually died off. Alvin Sherrill was the President, Thelma was a sweetheart and Janet Blocker was another mainstay. Al moved to Florida but I'd be surprised if he was still around. Same for Thelma and the others.

 

If you're on facebook, I set up a group that has some former AAAUA members on it (a lot of BBS people too). Check it out here..

https://www.facebook.com/groups/226325392185/

 

John

[gilsaluki]

I remember all those names. Even being a subscribing member, I wrote several articles for the newsletter, reviews of software, easy power supply fixes, etc. Had a lot of fun and the members there in S.A. treated their subscribing members well. Ed Hall was a subscriber as well, you know he wrote a lot of articles.

[blakespot]

I belonged to P.A.C.E., the Peninsula Atari Computer Enthusiasts covering the Virginia peninsula (south east Virginia) in 1986-88 or so. One of the places we would meet at night was this Lutheran school in Hampton, VA. I just got in contact with someone there who was able to provide me with photos of the Atari 8-bit lab we would do our meetings in from that period. I am going to write it up on my blog, soon.

 

I talk a little about that group and others in my blog post from a few years ago.

 

http://www.bytecellar.com/2014/02/11/computer-users-groups-of-my-past/

 

 

 

 

bp

[undrwrld]

On 1/18/2015 at 10:40 PM, Drummerboy said:

Where can I get a copy of "The Thinker"??

 

 

Back in the 80s, i was "Club Atari, Costa Rica" member. Was an Atari 8Bit Computers Users Club. Had many own software developers. I thinks is hard to recover something, but i know a guy maybe could have some disks.

 

 

 

 

A friend of mine, made a Intelligence Artificial, program, called "The Thinker". You can talk with your Atari 8bit, about anything, the computer learned about you, and if you used many times, the computer trust most in you. Was interesting and worked very good.

 

 

[_The Doctor__]

were you posting the disk image or bumping the thread because you are looking for the same disk image?

[www.atarimania.com]

Was the programmer J. Asch by any chance?

 

Last year, we added an entry to our database based on a pirate list and the title was originally noted as Al the Thinker. Now I understand it should actually be AI - The Thinker (as in artificial intelligence).

 

To make a long story short, if it's that very game, we don't have it but it's definitely "out there".

[www.atarimania.com]

On 1/19/2015 at 7:40 AM, Drummerboy said:

A friend of mine, made a Intelligence Artificial, program, called "The Thinker". You can talk with your Atari 8bit, about anything, the computer learned about you, and if you used many times, the computer trust most in you. Was interesting and worked very good.

 

 

A bit late for sure but we're happy to report we just found this rare game: Al_the_Thinker.zip