"I joined because of the Special Interest Groups. There are many to choose from, and I have attended several over the last few years. I almost always walk away with something useful each time I attend. Frequently references to sources of information such as books, websites, handouts, and other publications are provided and these have been very useful. Also, other members have also been good sources for tips and tricks.

I feel I get a lot of "Bang for my Buck" for being a member of the NTPCUG."

--Randy Hogan

"I joined NTPCUG to learn tips and tricks that I can use in the workplace. Many employers won't assist with training so it has been an excellent venue to ask "How do I do that?" One of the unexpected benefits was impressing a visitor so much they hired me to do a short-term consulting project.

"Gil Brand's group that refurbishes computers for Texas Center for the Physically Impaired has been a great resource for my friends and clients to drop off their unwanted computers."

--Sharon Dorsey

"I recently got involved with the User Group to learn Microsoft C# programming, and to get help in passing certification exams. Thanks to Tom Perkins and the certification
SIG study group, I did exactly that, and am on the road to learning more. An added benefit of involvement with the group is that you learn a lot more than just what the topic of the day is. There is a lot of collective experience in our community that is shared when we get together. And that shared knowledge, ultimately, is where our user group has its greatest value, I believe.

The group helps me "calibrate" what I know against what others know and to keep up with what is new. I sometimes go down a learning path and get sidetracked when something mystifies me. Although it's great to have online material and books, what do you do when there is a question? It's good to just have a chance to ask someone (or a
group) and get quick resolution on such issues. Then there is always that problem of "knowing something that just ain't so." We sometimes think we have the right understanding on something, only to find out we were wrong. By having others to interact with, we can discover such faulty knowledge and assumptions. This is hard to do on our own. We also learn useful things we didn't even know we didn't know. How often has that happened!"

-- Chris Morgan