Ausers' group (alsouser's group oruser group) is a type ofclub focused on the use of a particulartechnology, usually (but not always)computer-related.

Users' groups started in the early days ofmainframe computers, as a way to share sometimes hard-won knowledge and useful software, usually written by end users independently of the vendor-supplied programming efforts.SHARE, a user group originated by aerospace industry corporate users ofIBM mainframe computers, was founded in 1955 and is the oldest computer user group still active.DECUS, theDEC User's Society, was founded in 1961 and its descendant organization,Connect Worldwide, still operates. TheComputer Measurement Group (CMG) was founded in 1974 by systems professionals with a common interest in (mainframe)capacity management, and continues today with a much broader mission. The firstUNIX users' group organized in 1978.

Users' groups began to proliferate with themicrocomputer revolution of the late 1970s and early 1980s as hobbyists united to help each other withprogramming and configuration and use ofhardware andsoftware. Especially prior to the emergence of theWorld Wide Web, obtaining technical assistance with computers was often onerous, while computer clubs would gladly provide freetechnical support. Users' groups today continue to provide "real life" opportunities for learning from the shared experience of the members and may provide other functions such as a newsletter, group purchasing opportunities, tours of facilities, or speakers at group meetings.

A users' group may provide its members (and sometimes the general public as well) with one or more of the following services:

• periodic meetings
• annual or less frequent users conferences
• public lectures
• anewsletter
• alibrary of media ortools
• a software archive
• an online presence such as a dial-upBBS orInternetwebsite
• swap meets
• technical support
• social events
• Code Camp

Users' groups may be organized around a particular brand of hardware (e.g.,Mac), software and operating systems (e.g.Linux), or more rarely may be dedicated toretro systems (e.g.,Apple II). An example of an early user group is theApple User Group Connection.

Acomputer user group (also known as acomputer club) is a group of people who enjoy usingmicrocomputers orpersonal computers and who meet regularly to discuss the use of computers, share knowledge and experience, hear from representatives of hardware manufacturers and software publishers, and hold other related activities. They may host special interest workgroups, often focusing on one particular aspect of computing.

Computer user groups meet both virtually and inhackerspaces. Computer user groups may consist of members who primarily use a specificoperating system, such asLinux. While manyhackers usefree and open source software, others useMacintosh,RISC OS,Windows andAmiga OS. There are also other user groups that concentrate on either Mac OS (Macintosh User Group or MUG) or Linux (Linux User Group or LUG).

Many computer user groups belong to an umbrella organization, theAssociation of Personal Computer User Groups or APCUG.

• Hobby
• List of users' groups

• Thibodeau, Patrick."Share Looks Back at 50 Years, Continues to Evolve."Computerworld, 7 Mar. 2005. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.