In addition to this evenings program, we will have our annual business meeting where you will be able to vote for your slate of officers for the next year. Please come and exercise your right to choose your board and help plan for the future of the computer club.

This year's Announcement:

Get ready for a most interesting evening as we share those “gold nuggets” that we computer nerds have found over the years. You may not know it, but there are many, many useful and practical software applications that are absolutely free, just for the download. Want to buy a new computer but don’t what is free and what isn’t? No problem, come with us as we explore this topic and the goldmines we have found.

If you have any “gold nuggets” of your own, we encourage you to share them with us before May 11th and we will accumulate the results and share them during the general meeting.

We have made it very easy for you to share this information, as we have an online survey on PortLudlowToday.com. You will need to register first to respond to the survey so that we know you are part of the Port Ludlow Community. You will see a “register” button in the upper left hand corner of the homepage. Once you click on that button, you will be asked for the “community password”. Type in “portludlowtoday” and hit go. That will take you to a common “terms of service agreement” which you will have to accept in order to register. That will then take you to a registration page where you are asked for contact information. Your user name can be anything you like, but most people just use there first name and last name with no space between them. Create your own unique password and provide your address and phone number. Once you have completed “Your Profile”, you are asked if you want your contact information in the community phone directory. You can always change your profile and your password.

Once you have logged in, there are a number of ways to get to the computer club. You can click on the Activities and Amenities button, then on the Clubs & Organizations button, then the Special Interest Clubs, and then finally on the Computer Club. Another way to find the page is to type in “computer club” in the “Site Search” area just below the registration/log in area. That’s all there is to it.

The club is beginning to utilize more of the interactive capabilities of PortLudlowToday and we will keep you advised as we move down this path. We will also be keeping the club calendar on this site as well as the club website (www.pl-cc.com/calendar.html). You will also find some RSS feeds (constantly changing updated information on computer vulnerabilities for the PC as well as the MAC). There is also a message board that will allow for continued discussion of a topic that may have come up in a recent meeting.

So, think about those free software programs and let us know what your favorites are. The information will be compiled and shared at our next general meeting on May 11th! I bet you will find a gold nugget if you come!

P.S. (From the PLCC Web Guy) Of course, you also can find "Port Ludlow Today" (PLT) and its Computer Club items directly from the Home Page of our Club Web Site (under "Digital Village" in the lower right corner. Click: www.pl-cc.com/home.html)