June Newsletter!
Those of you who have been waiting with baited breath (actually bated breath - but that's another story you can research below) your trial has mercifully ended. The June Newsletter is here! The Newsletter contains some interesting tidbits this month, including a discussion of total cost of ownership (TCO), and a nice review of some of the highlights from the recent Boston UPA Chapter mini-UPA conference. Read it! Commit it to memory!
(If you find the Newsletter intellectually unchallenging, and are actually more interested in the origin of "baited breath," you can learn something of absolutely zero relevance at http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bai1.htm )
June Meeting
The details are available in the Newsletter, as well as the Upcoming page here on the site, but the June meeting will be held at Open Solutions in Glastonbury on Thursday June 25th. We really encourage you to come out and make new friends, network with old friends, and enjoy an informative presentation. Most importantly, Michael Rawlins has given his personal guarantee that it will NOT snow!
Paying Your 2009 Dues !
We have great news for our members! We have made paying your yearly dues simple and painless (i.e. now you have no excuses). Our Connecticut Chapter now has a PayPal account, and all you have to do to remit your 2009 dues is go to PayPal and email $25.00 ($10.00 for students) to ctusability@gmail.com. What could be easier? If you're not familiar with this method of sending money (I certainly wasn't) all the assistance you might need is right on the PayPal site.By the way, if you are not familiar with PayPal, please note you don’t even need a PayPal account to use their service. You can still pay your dues right from the PayPal web site by using your Visa, Master Card, Discover or American Express. Be assured that the transaction is secure - PayPal has a spotless reputation for protecting customer data and employing the very strongest encryption and data transmission technology. To alleviate another obvious fear, we at CT UPA never see, or have any access ever, to your credit card information – that remains confidential between you and PayPal.
Yes, receipts will be available.
Long story short, let’s all start paying our dues. Just click
About Us
The Connecticut Chapter of the Usability Professionals Association (CTUPA) is one of the newer chapters of UPA. Our charter was officially ratified in December 2006, and we've had a very productive and very enlightening first couple of years. Just check out our "Long Past" page to see how active we have been.
Purpose
We share goals with the National Chapter of the Usability Professionals Association
- Provide an international network through which usability professionals can share information about the techniques and methodologies in the profession.
- Create an inclusive community for those interested in usability, whether it is their primary focus or a related discipline.
- Change new product development processes to include a concern for the people who use them by presenting the business case for usability in product development to colleagues, customers, the public and governmental agencies.
- Increase the body of knowledge about usability and user-centered design through professional education, meetings and conventions and other professional interchanges
Officers
The Connecticut Chapter has selected the following individuals to serve as officers for 2008-2009.
| Position | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| President | Michael Rawlins | michael.rawlins@opensolutions.com |
| Vice-President | Herb Wexler | herbwexler@optonline.net |
| Secretary | Aneta Hall | aneta.hall@pb.com |
| Treasurer | Paul Linton | paul.linton@pb.com |
| President Emeritus | Ruth Frank | ruth.frank@pb.com |
Photos and biographies of each of our officers are available here.
Connecticut Chapter Wiki
The really, really neat part about our wiki is that any member of the CT UPA chapter can edit any part of the wiki. Ask questions, state opinions, develop a personal page, get in touch with colleagues. Wikis are both an information sharing medium, and also a social networking opportunity. Enough chatter. . . experience the Wiki now!
The wiki can be found at http://ctupa.wikispaces.com. Members of the CT UPA will be given the opportunity to join the wiki. Feel free to visit the wiki and work with it at any time. The wiki is an excellent opportunity for CT UPA members to connect better with one another, share resources and learn more about what is happening within the field of usability in Connecticut. We look forward to your feedback, but especially your PARTICIPATION!
Boston
As a "relatively new" chapter, we would like to take a minute and acknowledge the kind assistance and support of two sister chapters in the New England - New York area. The Boston and New York chapters have welcomed us aboard, and have been very gracious in publicizing our presence to their membership. We are very excited about collaborative opportunities possible, and the spirit of cooperation shown by these chapters. It is certain that a close relationship with these other "local" chapters will be a win-win for all.
New York
The New York chapter serves New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, and southern Connecticut. It is one of the largest and most active chapters in the UPA, and a peek at their web site will confirm just how active they are. They have lively and informative programs practically every month, and consistently feature high profile and leading experts in our disciplines. Connecticut members would be smart to join the New York mailing list to keep themselves apprised of the high-quality offerings in New York.
