Membership Has Privileges

Traveling this summer?

Home is where your e-knowledge is. You have all you need, right? Everything about your e-setup is cozy and easy to use. You know your smartphone’s tricks like the back of the hand that’s always holding it, right?

And you seldom have to use an e-map at home. After all, when BFF says to meet by the Dolphin Fountain, you know exactly how to get there. But what happens when your travel buddy says “I’m just past the gelato stand” and you can’t find the stand or them? Here’s the secret map setting to use.

But then you get on your plane to Timbuktu* and you have to set your phone to airplane mode. Let’s face it: it’s a looong flight and your companion wants to listen to their podcasts or watch that classic movie they’ve always meant to watch… can they, in airplane mode? Yup. We’ve prepared a printable summary of what airplane mode can do for you to tuck into your carryon. It’s from the STUG Monitor, a members-only benefit. Want to subscribe?

* Why do we say Timbuktu when we mean strange, far-off place? I wondered too.

Do you like to learn… or teach?

I’d been running my business on WordPress for years and felt comfortable with all its ins and outs. So when the call went out for a WordPress instructor I raised my hand. “I can do that.” Like I said, I was at ease with that piece of software.

I thought.

When I volunteered to teach a class, oh boy did I learn! I ended up learning as much as my students did. It was such a rewarding experience that I did another class.

If you like to learn, and/or like to teach, STUG has a place you can do so! Since 1982, the Sarasota Technology Users Group (STUG) has been a completely volunteer organization.

Many of us have learned the quickest way to become proficient in something is to teach it to others. We are always open to new topics, speakers and instructors. Get in touch with our President, Jim Cerny, at jimcerny123@gmail.com or Education Czar Bill Crowe at wtcrowe@verizon.net or 941-441-5158.

More comfortable doing research and writing on uses or aspects of current technology? We’d love to expand the Monitor with your articles if you have a love of and flair for writing. Contact Jim with your ideas.

Refurbish Group Manager Mike Hutchinson is always looking for volunteers. Think you’d like to help? This aspect of STUG is a blessing to our entire community. Learn more at https://refurbproject.org/

We hope your brain’s tick-tocking right now with something you can do to make STUG ever bigger, better, and more valuable to all of us. Remember, skill levels of our members range from “I don’t know how to turn the ‘thing’ on” to “let me show you how to disassemble and reassemble this device blindfolded, in a closet, in 27 seconds”. If you have any questions, ideas, suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at STUG.

The truth is we’re all still learning. And volunteering with STUG is a great way to learn!

What’s your Learning Style?

Educators have said that each of us has a preferred learning style… by watching, reading, listening, or doing.

Well, lucky for those of who want to Get More out of your Screen time™ STUG now offers it all!

Visit our YouTube channel to see our recordings of our monthly presentations, general classes, and informational sessions. There, of course, you can watch our videos… but do you know you can also click on timestamps to take you directly to each topic in the video? Click “more” in the description below the video to get to this:

And if you go further down that “more” screen, you’ll come to cute little graphics telling you the same thing in cartoony pictures, and then… my favorite, you can even read the transcript for the entire video!

And now we’re proud to present the “doing” style of learning: our Face-to-Face Help Desk at our Refurb headquarters! Hours vary; call ahead 941-539-7401.

Of course, there are more ways that STUG volunteers help you to Get More out of your Screen time™ such as our Saturday morning 2-hour classes focusing on iPhones and iPads, and our monthly newsletter, The Monitor… but those are benefits for members only… so scoot over to our online payment page to join us, for less than 50¢ a week!

Face-to-Face Help is Back!

Remember back before the pandemic, when we met once a month at the school and there was always the Help Desk for some face-to-face assistance with some problem you had?

Members-Helping-Members is nice but it’s hard to find the telephone/ texting time to work with other members. And our archive of past monthly meetings, sometimes with video, slide deck, and/or PDF is invaluable but your question might still not be specifically addressed. There’s the resource list we recently added here on the blog… but darn it, you still might need a real person to help

Well, It’s Back!

The Help Desk is better than ever! UPDATE MAY 2026: The IRL Help Desk is available on Wednesdays from 10 to noon. ~~Every Tuesday~~, from 10am til noon, several volunteer members will staff the IRL Help Desk at the Refurb Group’s facilities. They will be ready to help you solve those annoying problems and find the just-right solution.

So here’s what we suggest: As you’re using your devices and you notice something you’d like to know more about, scribble it down. Tuck those scraps of paper in your pocket (or add them to your “I need to find out…” file on your computer, tablet or phone), and come visit!

This is a benefit strictly for current members. If your membership has lapsed, you will be required to rejoin to take advantage of the Help Desk. Our help is offered free, but there will be the opportunity to donate whatever you choose to our rental expenses. Hours vary, call Bill Crowe at 941-441-5158.

We Can ALL Use this!

STUG is excited to offer new computer classes designed to cover the basics of using Microsoft Windows. No matter which version of Windows you have, these classes will provide a foundation of essential skills and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
Topics of these classes will include things such as the Desktop screen, the Taskbar, Files and Folders, Apps (applications or software), computer security, searching the internet, playing games, and much more.

We’ll start with two classes in January 2025:

Tuesday, January 14: 10–11 a.m. and Tuesday, January 28: 10–11 a.m. Both classes will be held on Zoom, so you can attend from anywhere with an internet connection. Future classes will be scheduled based on attendance and
interest in January. Many people have expressed enthusiasm for these topics, and we hope to see you there!
To register, check the January issue of the Monitor for more details on specific class topics and instructions for registration. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jim Cerny at jimcerny123@gmail.com.

In fact, we think Jim’s classes will be so helpful, we even suggest you buy a membership for a friend. They’ll get a year’s worth of help, classes, newsletter, starting off with these NEW classes!

Learning by teaching

Be a teacher for free
TRADING KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE
Teaching an individual or a group can be fun.

It’s surprising how much you can learn by teaching something.

Here at the Sarasota Technical Users Group we offer a teaching opportunity. The classes we offer are popular and we’d like to offer more. Yes, YOU can teach… and learn by doing!

You don’t have to be an expert of anything, just share a willingness to explore with others. There are so many apps out there and so much technology others want to learn that many people are missing great learning experiences – even you!

This is the main purpose of STUG – to provide knowledge and learning opportunities using our member volunteers.

Pick a tech topic or app you are enjoying, even if there are many aspects of it you’re still exploring – and have a go at “hosting” a class. We are all volunteers and we need each other to trade our tech experiences. Will you share your experiences with others? That’s all we are asking.

Our volunteer instructors are free to teach almost anything tech-related. Our classes are on Zoom so you don’t even have to leave your home to host a class. You decide the schedule. Those attending your session will help you by asking questions – and there is nothing wrong in saying “I don’t know”. Regardless of the knowledge level, EVERYONE benefits!

Please send me an email at jimcerny123@gmail.com and let’s talk about it. We are very flexible and I would be happy to answer any questions you have and consider your ideas. Pick a topic – how about driverless cars, 3D printing, car-phone connections, using Amazon, buying airline tickets on-line, cable and free TV connections, and so much more.

What tech topics are you most interested in these days? Why not help us help others?

How Hewie gave me a week of my life back.

You see, I’d spent a week’s worth of spare time trying to do something, looking at programs and apps and basically tearing my hair out, when it occurred to me…

Now, I don’t mean to single Hewie out from all the helpful souls I know in STUG, ’cause there are many!… but he makes a good headline and besides he has these adorable mutton chops.

You see, I’d spent a week’s worth of spare time trying to do something, looking at programs and apps and basically tearing my hair out, when it occurred to me…