MLMUG Member of the Month, by Gail
An Occasional Look at the Person Behind the Member

By Gail Montgomery,
MLMUG Social Secretary

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Kathy Garges

Our Member of the Month for August is Kathy Garges. When I asked Kathy to do a write-up for this month's column, I had no idea of her interesting background. After reading her article, I wondered if I'd rubbed elbows with her at Drexel University, while attending the robotics competition held there every March. Maybe...

So let's find out more about Kathy. Enjoy!

— Gail Montgomery


I grew up unafraid of computers because I knew exactly how they worked. When I was about 8 years old, my teachers told my parents they should encourage my writing talent and provide enrichment experiences for me. My Dad worked in the computer industry, so he taught me the binary code. I learned to rattle off proudly "2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc."

The high school computer was a time-share terminal crowded into a corner of a windowless storage room. You were only allowed to touch it, and then only a couple times, if you signed up for a special math course. I didn't sign up.

One semester when I was in college, Ted Nelson, an alum, (now best known for inventing hypertext) set up two experimental computers in a commons area for anyone to use. I spent hours with these computers, exploring what they could do — basic manipulation of some geometric shapes, as I recall. One day, my friend, the Math Major, took me over to the science building to show me a "real" computer. I sat down in front of the small screen.

"Now type in the letter c and then colon backslash, backslash." (Note: or something similar � this was also a time-share terminal.) "What? Why do I have to do that?" "That's the way computers work. That's how you tell the computer to begin."
"Why can't I communicate with the computer in English? OK, it might not understand any random sentence I want to use, but why can't it understand simple phrases like 'Go Computer' or 'Start' or something like that?"
"If you want to use a real computer you have to learn this."
"Pooh!" I said. "I know that's not true. Computers can do anything: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, etc. Someone just has to translate 'Go Computer' into the binary code for this other gobbledygook."

He was silent for a while.
"What you say is technically true, but computers don't have enough memory to do that."
I was stunned. One of my childhood faiths was destroyed.
"But memory capacity is increasing all the time. Eventually, we don't know how many years from now, computers may be able to do what you're talking about."
I was right after all. "Good, I will just wait until then."
"You'll wait?"
"Yes, I will just wait until then to use a computer."

I graduated from college, worked for a year in investment banking, went to law school and started law practice. A few years later I heard about the Mac. I went to a computer store where an Apple representative was doing a demonstration. He insisted that I sit right down at the computer and use it, starting with a mouse exercise. I was astonished. A few weeks later I bought a Mac Plus. It was as if Apple had responded to me personally, only with a better solution than I could have imagined: icons, a mouse and more.

I use my current Mac and Apple laser printer for my law practice as an independent contract attorney. (This month begins my 17th year of being in business for myself.) I also use it for speech outlines and slide presentations for the continuing legal education seminar on Counseling Small Businesses at which I speak periodically.

Like any consulting or contract business, my law practice is feast-or-famine, and I sometimes work at moonlighting jobs. As many of you know, I currently sell subscriptions at People's Light & Theatre in Malvern, where I get to see wonderful professional performances and some of the behind-the-scenes workings of the theatre.

I also use my Mac for writing (poetry, fiction, screenplays). The first program I wrote was to help me format poetry. A poem is generally considered to look best on a printed page if the longest line of the poem is first centered horizontally, and the left margin for all the lines is then set at the left edge of the longest line, and if all full pages of the poem are centered vertically. I bet you didn't know that, and, not surprisingly, poetry templates are not included in any word processing programs. See my website at www.moviebytes.com/writers/home.cfm?SiteID=393 for more about my writing.

A few years ago Nuts & Volts magazine sponsored a random drawing for readers interested in joining or setting up local hobby robotics clubs. I became the first "Lonely Gearhead" and won a robot kit. I'm encouraged that hobby robotics is still a young field because that gives me a chance to catch up to the general level of knowledge. I like to go to the regional high school robotics competition sponsored by First (held at Drexel in March), and my magnum opus novel-in-progress involves robots. My fascination with robots seems to be a combination of my interests in computers and movement (the broad category I use to describe my love for walking, dancing, ice skating and other forms of human movement). Robots are computers that move. [Note: Nuts & Volts magazine's robotics spun off as Servo Magazine.]

Since I joined MLMUG, I've been able to keep up to date with new developments (even though I don't have an up-to-date system yet), receive prompt, good advice for any problems, and get to know all of you friendly and interesting people!

— Kathy Garges


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© 2004 by Kathy Garges & MLMUG
Posted 07/31/04
Updated 04/30/05