Why A PSP Group?

Many may wonder why the need for a group, especially in this age of internet gaming, and large console screens back at home. Well, the idea came about when I realized most of my friends were not getting a PSP, as amazing as it is. They either had prior financial commitments, or just didn't have the time for gaming at all. Myself, I've work pretty hard throughout my life, and feel that I'm entitled to have my one pasttime stay strong no matter what. The trick was finding others who felt the same way.

The PSP gave me a unique opportunity in that if I wanted to hook up with lots of gamers, I didn't have to worry about having to cram them in my teeny apartment. And as others notice the group at our public events, we can pass on the knowledge of the group and continue to grow. Plus nothing beats the fun of talking smack when your opponent in a game is right there next to you. And since we all have different interests, we can introduce each other to the games and accessories that are worth picking up. I also have to say that I've met some really cool folks too. I hope to continue these friendships even after PSP "fever" dies out.

Meetup.com Feels the Wrath

Wow, just look at all the complaints on Meetup concerning their new fee system. Sounds like most people would rather have had Meetup charge individual users, as opposed to the organizers, especially if organizers are heading up multiple groups. That would have meant multiple fees. Our forum continues to gain steam though, and as I've mentioned, it offers more features than anything Meetup currently has.

Speaking of which, I think I've settled on a good way to publicize an Event for our group. I will create a thread for it, advertising the date, time and location, at the Events board. Then folks can RSVP (even if you cannot attend) on that same thread. I'll also send out a mass email to all members announcing the thread. If you have any other suggestions, let me know!

The Forums Evolve

You won't believe how much time I've spent the last couple of nights trying to tweak the new forum site. At least 8 hours combined. Part of it is that I want to get something up that all members will enjoy, a feat that may or may not be entirely possible anyway, but I'll try. I've been fleshing out the boards into separate areas, and adjusting the colors so that it's easier on the eyes. We're even starting up a game ranking thread, so be sure to submit your scores.

The other part is that I'm trying to find the most convenient way to schedule and notify all members of upcoming events. I've tried a couple things already, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. I am happy with how quickly we're making the migration though. The sooner everyone comes over, the farther we can get away from the Meetup.com mess.

So Where Can I Meet Other NYC PSP Members?

I'm glad you asked! You see those links on the right hand margin? You'll notice that one of them points to the Official NYC PSP Group Forum. If you click the link (try opening it in a new tab or window) you will find a much better forum than our last one, allowing all users the ability to private message, create profiles, create polls, have signatures, and more. The best news is that it is free.

NYC PSP Group Events
As far as meeting us goes, check out the calendar link at the top (near center) of the Forum page. It will display all the upcoming events for our group. Clicking on a date will give you more details and a link for the RSVP thread on the Forum. Enjoy!

Origin of the Official NYC PSP Blog

Some choice words from the original NYC PSP Group website, located previously at Meetup.com:

I am deeply saddened to report that starting in May, Meetup will implement a new policy, requiring the Organizer (that's me) for each group to pay a monthly fee to upkeep the group and use its service. I will not be able to maintain this group unless we can come up with a solution.

Some other nuggets:

This means that I will now have to collect membership fees from you in order to keep the group active. It's $9/month for just 2005 and afterwards it is $19/month. Right now I'm thinking it would take each of our active members to pay $1 a month (via PayPal) to keep it going.

I didn't feel like having to hit up members of a group for money, when there are other free solutions to help get PSP fans together. Blogger has been free for as long as I've known it, and provides an immediate, elegant, and simple solution, for communicating to the group and also future potential members.