We started some user groups around the IPP7 conference. The idea never really took off for lack of active seeding and promotion on our part and perhaps for lack of interest on the part of the graphic arts user community. We are reviving this concept this year, not only in conjunction with the IPP8 conference but also because we have now started a Research, Development, Training and Consultancy Centre in Noida that holds regular user group discussions.

This facility which has begun activities such as a library, software demonstration and colour management could probably more actively cultivate the on-line user groups as well as hold live real world user group meetings. Please send us an email at usergroups@ippmail.com with your suggestions for user groups. Indicate whether you would like to be a founder, or catalyst, or an active participant. You don't have to be an active participant to join a user group. It's just fine if you want to see what's going on. We hope to start one or two of the user groups before the conference actually starts.

Naresh Khanna 7 August 2001