Club notices

Hello everyone,

As the new lead of the Chapel Computer Club, I’d love to welcome some new members.

If you’ve looked at the Club before and thought it might not be for you, please have another look. You don’t need to arrive with your own equipment or an opinion about the best operating system. Being interested in learning new things is enough.

There’s room here for games, websites, digital art, anime and manga, writing, organising your photographs, or simply getting more confident with a computer. Your interests won’t need to be approved by me, or somebody who got here first.

We’ll be making sure everyone gets time on the equipment, space to ask questions and the chance to finish a sentence. Helping somebody should involve finding out what they want to do before explaining why you would do something different.

New members will bring new ideas. We will evolve this club together.

There may be a little more pink around the place, but other colours of desktop background will remain available.

If you’d like to join, come and speak to me at the Chapel.

Beginners, experienced users and people who still call everything “the internet” are all welcome.

See you soon,

Priya has already made a valued contribution to the Club, and we wish her every success in her new role. Members are asked to give her their support, cooperate with her arrangements and allow her a reasonable opportunity to establish how she wishes to run things.

We also thank Tony Whitlesay for his work in establishing the Club and organising its activities. The Club has brought people together to learn, share knowledge and make use of the Chapel, and his contribution to that should be recognised.

Tony is asked to assist Priya with the handover of Club records, equipment and any other items required for the role. Please identify any cables whose purpose is known only to you.

Congratulations, Priya. We look forward to the Club’s next chapter.

Priya won all three of her matches, scored eight goals and conceded three. Those who backed Pixels FC following our halfway report at the 18 October service will be pleased. Those who backed me will have to accept the table.

Final standings

Three points were awarded for a win and one for a draw. Only completed games are included; no points have been awarded for unplayed fixtures.

Martin only managed a couple of games this month owing to some difficulties at home. We wish him well and hope he can join us again soon.

How the month went

Priya’s main strength was knowing when to pass. Several of us spent the early sessions trying to take the ball from one end of the pitch to the other with the same player. Priya generally used the other ten, which made her difficult to defend against.

Jacob provided the most open football of the month. His four games produced fifteen goals, seven of them at the wrong end. He beat Simon 2–1 and Martin 3–0, but lost 3–2 to me after continuing to send players forward when the score was level. He said he was playing for the win. So was I.

Simon had a difficult competition. His best spell came against Priya, when he pulled a goal back and briefly looked capable of getting a second. Priya then scored again. He remained for the rest of the match and completed his score form, both of which are appreciated.

Martin’s 1–1 draw with me deserves recording. He spent much of the game defending, then scored with one of his few attacks. I had considerably more possession, although there is no column for that.

The deciding match was between me and Priya. A win would have put me first. At 1–1 I felt I had settled into the game; Priya then passed across the penalty area and scored while I was still moving a defender towards the player who had previously had the ball. It finished 2–1.

There may have been fault with my joystick.

Recorded results

Thank you to everyone who played, brought their Amigas and returned their score sheets. Please return any remaining club-use backup disks to the locked disk box in the foyer.

Congratulations to Priya. As stated in the original notice, there are no prizes.

Win99 is nine times (9x) better than Windows 11, which is why we have taken the decision to upgrade.

Win99 runs through the browser, which means we are able to enjoy the nostalgia of a proper late-1990s desktop environment without having to rely on Windows 11 for anything except turning on, opening the browser, managing the network, displaying the browser, handling the keyboard and mouse, and several other background tasks which Simon says are “technically essential” but which I consider administrative.

To reduce unnecessary interference from Windows 11, members are asked to ignore it as much as possible once Win99 has loaded. Simon is investigating whether the browser can be made full screen and the Windows key disabled, thereby creating what he calls a “Win99 kiosk mode”.

Members are welcome to explore Win99 during CCC sessions. Martin, our technology futures champion, has been asked to cease his objections to what he calls a 'rollback', and to accept that 90s internet was much better than what we have today.

Please do not change the settings, rename My Computer, empty the Recycle Bin without checking with me first.

You can access the new Win99 OS here.

The fish is digital, which reduces some of the usual burden, but not all of it.

Members are free to visit the aquarium whenever they want to, but to only feed the fish when it is their turn to do so. The last visitor each day is responsible for turning off the aquarium light for the night.

Our fish is shown below, and can be found in its new home in Ichomancer’s Aquarium

This is being treated as a Computer Club matter because it involves the internet, moving pictures, and possibly a small amount of ongoing maintenance.

Rota (repeats weekly)

Members should not overfeed the fish.

The reason given was that members need to bring laptops, chargers, extension leads and occasionally a small printer to meetings. Carrying these items from the far end of the car park would be impractical, particularly in wet weather and when the darker evenings begin.

It was also noted that the Club provides informal technical assistance to the Chapel and therefore may need to attend at short notice if anything gets hacked or stops working as expected.

Accordingly, all Computer Club members present agreed to submit Gold Parking Badge applications.

These will be handed to Geoff in bulk, on Friday 9 October.

Update: Unsurprisingly, only Priya was allocated a gold parking badge.

The purpose of this is so that we may learn more about one another away from the Chapel setting, where conversations are often limited by time and formal ceremony.

An online journal entry does not need to be long or in-depth. It can simply say what you have been doing, what you have been thinking about, what you have watched, read, fixed, cooked, bought, remembered, misunderstood, or been annoyed by. Members may also include photographs, provided they are suitable.

The benefit of this is that, when we meet in person, we will already know a little more about each other and can move straight to better conversations instead of wasting the first five minutes on small talk such as weather or parking, etc.

Members who do not wish to share personal matters may instead write about a hobby, an object, a memory, a game, a piece of local history, or something they know about. It is not for confession, just for conversation.

Anyone needing help setting up a journal may speak to me at Computer Club.

I can recommend dreamwidth.org as a free platform to get started.

All members have indicated that they own original copies of the game, so the backup disks have been prepared using X-Copy (v2.3) to avoid unnecessary wear of your original media. They are for use during club sessions only and must be returned to the disk box afterwards.

The key to the disk box is labelled "Disk box" and is kept with the Chapel keys under the plant pot near the main door.

Beside the disk box you will find a photocopiable score form. Please use it to record the score of every game you play during the month. Completed sheets should be returned at the end of the month so the scores can be calculated and a champion can be crowned.

There will be no prizes.

• Members must treat all equipment carefully and report faults, damage, or unusual behaviour immediately.

- Food and drink must be kept away from computers, keyboards, cables, printers, and storage media.

- Members must not install software, browser extensions, games, or system updates without permission.

- Personal files must be saved only in the agreed club folder and clearly named.

- Do not delete, move, rename, or alter another member’s files.

- Internet use must be appropriate, lawful, and relevant to club activities.

- Do not enter passwords, payment details, or personal information on unfamiliar websites.

- External storage devices must be checked before use and removed safely afterwards.

- Printing should be kept reasonable and must relate to club work or approved Chapel activity.

- Members must log out of accounts and close private documents before leaving the computer.

- The club space should be left tidy, with cables, chairs, and equipment returned to their proper places.

- Any concerns about online safety, privacy, or unsuitable material should be raised with the session leader.

These categories are internal working descriptions and should not be understood as personal criticism.

A1 - Essential Member

The club cannot survive without these members.
A1 members may be relied upon for attendance, practical help and technical knowledge.
A1 members should be encouraged, retained, and not contradicted in public.

A2 - Ordinary Member

The club would not be materially affected if these members left.
These are the broad middle of people whose absence would be noticed socially but not structurally.

A3 - Lesser Member

The club would probably be better without these members.
A3 members may still attend the club as long as their presence doesn't create additional work for A1 or A2 members.

A4 - Potential Former Member

The club should actively look for reasons to expel these members.

I, Tony Whitlesay, do solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution of the Chapel Computer Club, to observe its rules, preserve its records, and act at all times in the best interests of the Club and its members.

I accept the responsibility placed upon me to guide the Club with fairness, patience, and compassion; to hear members without prejudice; to settle disputes calmly; and to ensure that no member is favoured above another.

I undertake to protect the Club’s equipment, disks, cables, manuals, printouts, passwords, and all other property entrusted to my care. I shall encourage proper use of the computers, sensible treatment of the peripherals, and orderly conduct around the chapel.

I shall promote learning, curiosity, and mutual assistance among members, whether they are composing documents, playing games, exploring the World Wide Web, or troubleshooting the printer.

I shall maintain the dignity of the Chapel Computer Club, respect the Chapel and its wider community, and ensure that Club activities remain lawful, decent, and properly recorded.

I further swear to rule this club with restraint and kindness; to correct mistakes without cruelty; to praise effort where it is genuine; and to remember that all members are entitled to retain their dignity.

Signed,

Tony Whitlesay

Date: 2 May 2026