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Don't Be a (User Group) Hater!

I was reading the recent digg favorite blog posting "For the Record: Adobe Kuler vs COLOURlovers" and I was (momentarily) struck dumb by a comment from an individual named "urbanlatinfemale":

"Well now we won't have to worry about those pesky Adobe Ads on some pages, eh? The nerve they've got. I'll be sure to boycott the local (or not so) AUG (Adobe Users Group) in New York."

In full disclosure, let me state that I am the manager of the Adobe User Group of Atlanta and the Adobe Flash Platform User Group of Atlanta.

Adobe supports their user groups, true. But it's not like they are actually funded by Adobe. Our groups receive two packages of give aways a year (promotional items like t-shirts) and we are allowed to give away software twice a year. I have personally had to shell out hundreds of dollars a month to rent meeting spaces.

An Adobe User Group is no more an agent of Adobe Systems, Inc. than a NY Yankees fan is an agent of George Steinbrenner.

The user group in your area has been created and organized by people like me who truly love what people like you do with Adobe's products. By not participating in you local user group, for any reason, you miss out on spending time with people from your own community who could use your support. You also miss out on spending time with people from whom you could draw support and inspiration.

Sure, you have the right dislike Adobe's business practices or their products. And there are many actions that you could take to show Adobe your dismay. But protesting against Adobe by boycotting your local user group is only hurting you and everyone in your community.

Comments

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I agree, user group are a great way to find and share insipration into a community. It's often the simplest way to meet other creative people in your area.

# Posted By Ahmet | 7/8/07 6:47 AM

thanks..

# Posted By ivan | 7/8/07 10:51 AM

as a user group manager myself I can say that user groups can give you "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth".

Yes there is some help from Adobe, but the running of groups, content, politics, admin is totally hands-off. UserGroups are by their nature fiercely independent

Which is great as far as freedom of speech.

If an Adobe product is crap, not prime-time ready or purely vapourware, you'll hear the honest truth from user groups. People who have used the product, who have had successes and failures. Who have been bitten and are not constrained to say so.

Try and get the "truth" from an Adobe sales rep...

eh my 2c.

# Posted By barry.b | 7/8/07 7:05 PM

And to add to what Leif and Barry B. have said, you could almost call Adobe, the new Adobe, since the merger with Macromedia, because unlike the old Adobe, the new Adobe is listening to what User Groups have to say about Adobe products. They listen and they are implementing change quite rapidly on current products that are in alpha and beta periods. User Groups have become the sounding beacon for everything users like and dislike about Adobe products. MAX 2007 will place great emphasis on Community, and Adobe.com including Labs is experiencing change as more and more links to Adobe User Groups are popping up. Never before have User Groups had so much power and influence. There's never been a better time to participate with Adobe User Groups than now.

# Posted By Jim Pickering | 7/9/07 2:46 PM

If it makes you feel better, I'm pretty sure she's being facetious. I know her and she's come to our presentations at AUG NY before :)

# Posted By Roger | 7/11/07 2:17 AM

@Roger: You know this woman? Really? I hope she realizes that some people (say, like me perhaps) might not "get" her humor when it comes across in a comment posting. It really did sound like she was seriously advocating a boycott. :-(

# Posted By Leif | 7/12/07 12:31 AM

Roger is right, I was being facetious, I do know that Adobe User Groups are not an extension of Adobe. The groups are amazing in terms of bringing people together to discuss and share ideas. Roger's presentation which I attended was one of the best that evening.

# Posted By Lex | 1/13/09 4:02 PM

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