Feb 8, 2026 – SIG-Computing:  Keeping your Data private with VERACRYPT; SIG-Linux: FOSS project management packages/applications

Meeting Information

Sharon Kalwani, president of SEMCO, will start the meeting and make general announcements.

Since May 12, 2024 we have been using a Hybrid Zoom and IN PERSON format for our meetings.

For In Person location see below. Come and join us in person if you can.

Zoom details are same as before. Click here to be connected to the meeting.

Please join the meeting around 1:15 PM or later. This link will be active on the day of the meeting.

Members will also receive an e-mail on the day of the meeting, with the link and any further details and instructions about how to log into the meeting.

When: Sunday, Feb 8, 2026 at 1:30 P.M.
Where: In person at the Rochester Hills Public Library, 500 Olde Towne Rd., Rochester, MI 48307 in Conference room B (upstairs).

Directions to the Rochester Hills Public Library

Use Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hdpsfu660v

Use Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JxbWGF42WCZNASed6

SIG Computing Topic:  Keeping your Data private with VERACRYPT

Presented by Mark Schulman

VeraCrypt is one of the most popular “on-the-fly” encryption programs.  It enables you to store sensitive data on your PC, laptop, flash drive, or external hard drive in an encrypted format, and to access that data easily.  It also enables you to encrypt your entire hard drive — a feature that is especially useful for laptops which can be potentially lost or stolen.  In this presentation, you’ll learn what VeraCrypt is and how to use its most popular features.

VeraCrypt is open source and completely free.

Mark Schulman has spent his career as a computer instructor, software designer, and small business owner.  He has taught a wide range of programming courses for major corporations and worked on large software development projects.  He is currently the IT manager for a group of family practice physicians.  His major geek interest these days is the computer technology that brought about the moon landings in the 1960s.  He lives near Orlando, Florida.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation.

When: Sunday, Feb 8, 2026 at 1:35 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be Hybrid in person and online. Details shown above.

SIG-Linux Topic:  FOSS project management packages/applications

Presented by Sharan Kalwani

This month onwards we will feature applications which are free and open source in their basic nature. Almost everyone needs to track their activities and projects.

Well there are plenty of FOSS project management packages/applications. The list is nice and long – we will cover many of their pros and cons.

Sharan Kalwani is a High-Performance Computing Aficionado, a specialist for all things open source, soft skills, and contemporary IT Knowledge Expert. He is open to a wide variety of training & knowledge delivery projects.

Also: Questions and Answers following the presentation

When: Sunday, Feb 8, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.

Where: Meetings will be Hybrid in person and online. Details shown above.

2026 Upcoming Topics

SIG Computing:

Jan 11, 2026: A Future Worth Hoping For: Artificial Intelligence and Human Destiny by Nathanial Borenstein

• How might we create an economy based on abundance rather than scarcity?
• How will access to today’s vast sea of information change our fundamental beliefs and traditions, and the nature of the human journey?
• What rights should non-human intelligences have, and how do they affect our notion of what it means to be human?
• Can we work in harmony with Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of all living things, biological and artificial, human and animal?

 

Proposed SIG Linux topics by S Kalwani : dates TBD

  1. Comparison of video conferencing platforms
  2. Network tools on Linux – part 1
  3. Network tools on Linux  – part 2

SEMCO is now on LinkedIn!

Please join us on LinkedIn!  Our group page is https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8544439

Adding SEMCO as a group to your LinkedIn profile can improve your search ranking, show that you are involved with a dynamic user group here in Southeastern Michigan, and is an excellent forum to interact with other experts around the world.  Thank you to Sharan Kalwani for setting up our new SEMCO LinkedIn group!

Join us today!