Newbs, Beginners, Lurkers: Come Forth

[mobilemike]

Hello.

My name is Mike Karolow, and I am an introvert.

I've been using Ruby for over 5 years, but have always stayed at arms length from the community. This was due to my own reluctance to come forward, introduce myself and ask for help. I've recently come to learn that my own Ruby education has been significantly set back due to this, more than any other factor. On my own, I haven't taken my skills past the "advanced beginner" stage, and I'm not sure that I can.

I suspect that I'm not the only one reading list who feels the same way. Not because the community isn't welcoming. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Reading the recent conversation about bringing beginners into the group is what sparked this message. My goal with the post is to encourage you to reply with your story.

Let me get this started:

I'm a Systems Engineer by trade, but have a love for development. I recently left my job in an effort to peruse a new career somewhere in this ecosystem. I've been hacking out Ruby code for a while, but my self-taught style is inexperienced and has many gaps. Testing is probably the biggest hole in my knowledge, followed closely by a better understanding of ruby metaprogramming.

On the other hand, I'm sure I can help others just starting out. Whether it's setting up your local dev environment, learning the basics of git, or understanding a simple SQL query, I should be able to help. I'm a firm believer that everyone has something to teach, regardless of your level.

So, how about you? If you don't post often here, because you're not sure of what you have to add, this is a great time to chime in. If you've never posted here, even better. This is your time to sign up and join in! Not sure what to write? Try these suggestions:

Your background

What you like about ruby that's brought you here

What you want to learn

What you might be able to teach

Write a little. Write a ton. Regardless, write something. Don't let your own involvement in this welcoming community wait any longer.

Thanks so much for reading this long post. If I'm wrong, if there's noone out there, then I've done no harm. However, if I'm right, hopefully this will give you the kick you need to join in.

- Mike Karolow | @mobilemike

[Daniel Choi]

Mike, even if no one else comes forward, I really want to support you
and figure out how we can as help you effectively. It took guts coming
forward like this to strangers. BostonRB's new outreach and education
team just got off the ground and has people just like you in mind.
Your story and other like it will help us generate enthuasiasm and
gather more volunteers.

Dan


On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 09:48 AM, mobilemike <mobil...@gmail.com> wrote:

> from: mobilemike <mobil...@gmail.com>
> date: Thu, May 24 06:48 AM -07:00 2012
> to: boston-r...@googlegroups.com
> reply-to: boston-r...@googlegroups.com
> subject: [boston.rb] Newbs, Beginners, Lurkers: Come Forth

>
>
>
> Hello.
>
>
> My name is Mike Karolow, and I am an introvert.
>
>
> I've been using Ruby for over 5 years, but have always stayed at arms
> length from the community. This was due to my own reluctance to come
> forward, introduce myself and ask for help. I've recently come to learn
> that my own Ruby education has been significantly set back due to this,
> more than any other factor. On my own, I haven't taken my skills past the
> "advanced beginner" stage, and I'm not sure that I can.
>
>
> I suspect that I'm not the only one reading list who feels the same way.
> Not because the community isn't welcoming. In fact, the exact opposite is
> true. Reading the recent conversation about bringing beginners into the

> group is what sparked this message. My goal with the post is to encourage *
> you* to reply with your story.

>
>
> Let me get this started:
>
>
> I'm a Systems Engineer by trade, but have a love for development. I
> recently left my job in an effort to peruse a new career somewhere in this
> ecosystem. I've been hacking out Ruby code for a while, but my self-taught
> style is inexperienced and has many gaps. Testing is probably the biggest
> hole in my knowledge, followed closely by a better understanding of ruby
> metaprogramming.
>
>
> On the other hand, I'm sure I can help others just starting out. Whether
> it's setting up your local dev environment, learning the basics of git, or
> understanding a simple SQL query, I should be able to help. I'm a firm
> believer that everyone has something to teach, regardless of your level.
>
>
>
> So, how about you? If you don't post often here, because you're not sure of
> what you have to add, this is a great time to chime in. If you've never

> posted here, *even better*. This is your time to sign up and join in! Not

> sure what to write? Try these suggestions:
>
>
> Your background
>
> What you like about ruby that's brought you here
>
> What you want to learn
>

> *What you might be able to teach*

>
>
> Write a little. Write a ton. Regardless, write something. Don't let your
> own involvement in this welcoming community wait any longer.
>
>
>
> Thanks so much for reading this long post. If I'm wrong, if there's noone
> out there, then I've done no harm. However, if I'm right, hopefully this
> will give you the kick you need to join in.
>
>
> - Mike Karolow | @mobilemike
>

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Boston Ruby Group mailing list
> To post to this group, send email to boston-r...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to boston-rubygro...@googlegroups.com
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/boston-rubygroup

[Alex Jarvis]

I'll take the plunge! 

My name is Alex Jarvis, and I have been hacking away at ruby for almost two years now (though only the last eight months actively). I began learning ruby on _Why day, after casually attempting a few other languages at the time. I was probably most familiar with PHP, as my prior webdev experience consisted mostly of troubleshooting wordpress issues. 

I am the Editor-in-chief of a website that reviews Non-Superhero comics, called Spandexless. I am a Vim user, and I have recently adopted Git (and Github) as my new religion. I recently made my first Gem, which is still pretty early in its usefulness - but the idea was that I wanted to push something to production. You can find that Gem, Stattr, here.  

Ruby was the first language that I could get my head around, the first language where I could see the (to borrow terms from my humanities education) rhyme and meter of the underlying code structure.

I am very interested in learning the ins and outs of Rails. I've been through the generic rails tutorial, but I don't yet feel that I have the structure of rails secure enough in my head (at least not in the way that I have Sinatra, for instance.) 

I feel very comfortable teaching about Vim and Git, the command line, and some ruby basics. I feel like I could also run sessions on the ins and outs of Sinatra, as well as creating Gems. I am very interested in teaching anything I can to newcomers, so as to better learn myself. 

(that last line was *almost* Buddhist. Almost.) 

---------------------------

Alex M. Jarvis
www.AlxJrvs.com
'AlxJrvs' on Twitter

--

[Andrew Kuklewicz]

Thanks Mike,

I'm really glad you spoke up so eloquently for yourself and perhaps other less vocal members of the community.  I hope we can do a better job extending a hand; actually, you just did.

I think you, and many others in our community, have much you can teach.

We sometimes learn best from folks who know only a bit more; they remember better being there, and how they got to the next level.

Our goal should be a community where folks of all levels are teachers and students to one another.  You improve from doing both, right?

In medical edu they say 'see it, do it, teach it'.  Right on.

- Andrew

--

[Daniel Choi]

On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 10:42 AM, Andrew Kuklewicz <kook...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Our goal should be a community where folks of all levels are teachers and students to one another. You improve from doing both, right?

AMEN!!!

[Braulio Carreno]

Welcome to the group Mike!
Hope to see you at the June 5 and June 12 events.

[Daniel Higginbotham]

Spandexless looks awesome!

So - I've been to a few meetings over the years (even presented once!) but I'm not really involved.

To me, going into Boston or Cambridge feels too much like an "event" for me to go on a regular basis. I'd be much more inclined to regularly get together with folks around Natick, where I live. The Natick library has some nice little meeting rooms, and there's always Panera.

I got into Ruby because of Rails back in 2005, and am very comfortable with the language. I'm also comfortable with javascript and coffeescript and I'd be happy to help folks out. For the last year or so I haven't paid as much attention to Ruby, though, and would be grateful for others' help.

What I'd like most would be to find folks who'd be interested in working together on ridiculous projects. Like, I don't know, a site that pairs up political figures with dangerous animals and has people vote on which would win in a fight. Or in a debate.

Right now I'm learning common lisp and am using it to build a browser-based text game using web sockets, d3, and eventually ember.

Daniel

[Alex Jarvis]

>Spandexless looks awesome!

Thanks, Dan. 

> What I'd like most would be to find folks who'd be interested in working together on ridiculous projects. Like, I don't know, a site that pairs up political figures with dangerous animals and has people vote on which would win in a fight. Or in a debate.

I am *so* down. 

So, I had a fairly small role in developing the site YawnLog.com, which was created in its current incarnation in just over 24 hours some years ago. I would be so very interested in doing annual, semi-annual, or quarterly HyperHackathons in the interest of introducing more strange into the world. 

---------------------------

Alex M. Jarvis
www.AlxJrvs.com
'AlxJrvs' on Twitter

[Andrew Kuklewicz]

implement the ridiculous!

perhaps on _why day (August 19) boston.rb should have an event for this purpose?

Cheers,

-Andrew

[Alex Jarvis]

I can not begin to emphasize my interest in this idea. 

_Why Not Hackathons. 

---------------------------

Alex M. Jarvis
www.AlxJrvs.com
'AlxJrvs' on Twitter

[Michael Johnson]

I will take this opportunity to introduce myself. Mike Johnson, Boston area entrepreneur since the late 80s (exact date withheld because a lady doesn't tell or something...).

I got into Ruby and Rails about 6 years ago when I was one of the founders of TrustPlus and needed to develop the web site in something that was fast. I admit I'm the sort of CTO who will sometimes choose a technology just because it seems fun, and having some background in Smalltalk from many years ago, I found working in Ruby a blast!

Been lurking on this list for quite some time. As a family man mostly working out of my home in the burbs, I've found it difficult to get down to the city to get involved in meetings and gatherings and such, but since I'm committed to the Ruby world it seems like I should endeavor to be less anti-social.

Currently I am with Oomba -- an online/mobile game company that is the result of play140 merging with a California startup. Our first title will be Xeko (xeko.com), the rebirth of an educational, endangered wildlife trading card game on the web.

Nice to meet you all!

-- 
Michael Johnson
mi...@oomba.com
http://mtjhax.wordpress.com
http://linked.in/mtjhax
@mtjhax

--

[Kelli Shaver]

Alright, I'll bite.

I've been hesitant to say hello, because I'm not anywhere near Boston,
so I'm not sure I'd really fit in here. However, I am looking to
relocate to the area (Cambridge, possibly) in the not-too-distant
future and would love to make some connections, professionally and
personally, within the community.

I'm actually living in Kentucky right now, which is where I'm from.
I'm one of those elusive and mythical women in tech, and have been
doing web design and development in various forms for over 10 years.
My degree is in design, but I find myself doing a lot more development
these days.

I started with Ruby in 2007, but then took a big break from it for a
couple of years and have just recently started getting back into it
within the last 8mo or so. I do a crazy amount of work developing
various types of APIs, most of them pretty heavily REST-flavored, and
I still do a fair bit of front-end development.

I'm a huge advocate of making data accessible, whether that means
working on a multitude of platforms and devices, or playing nicely
with a screen reader or alternate forms of user input.

Obviously, events and meetings are out of the picture for me for the
time being, but I've heard you're all a great group of developers. If
you'll have me, I'd love to get to know folks and would be more than
happy to offer what help and insights I can, where I can.

Thanks.

[Daniel Higginbotham]

I'd be down with doing this on days that aren't _why day, too

[Daniel Choi]

Inspired by Andrew's comment up near the top of this thread, I wonder if
at the next BostonRB Project Night (Hack night), it might a good idea
for people coming to say something like:

"Hey I'm coming and I'd be happy to teach people something about X."

So I might say:

"Hey I'm coming on Project Night and I'd be happy to teach people
something about productive Vim+Rails workflows."


On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 10:34 AM, Daniel Higginbotham <dan...@flyingmachinestudios.com> wrote:

> from: Daniel Higginbotham <dan...@flyingmachinestudios.com>
> date: Fri, May 25 10:34 AM -04:00 2012
> to: boston-r...@googlegroups.com
> reply-to: boston-r...@googlegroups.com
> subject: Re: [boston.rb] Newbs, Beginners, Lurkers: Come Forth

----
Sent from vmail
https://github.com/danchoi/vmail

[C. Valentine Rogers]

Thanks for the encouraging this newbie intro Mike!

I'm just starting out myself. I'm a SQL developer looking to get more into front end languages. I just got through Huw Collingbourne's Ruby Tutorial on Udemy.

Are people finding that the free tutorial on rails by Hartl works just fine? or would you recommend the 95$ grand package with screencasts and such?

-Valentine

C. Valentine Rogers II
Management Information Systems Major- WPI Fall '09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email: c.valenti...@gmail.com
Cell: 508-687-0707

"I live to find The Better Way and I've found that this is the best way to live."

[John Lohavichan]

Hi Valentine,

I did the free tutorial without screencasts and it was fine for me. I also like the Railscasts series many are free. I did buy the book though for future reference and to support Hartl's efforts.

Best, John

Sent from my iPad

[Brice Stacey]

We've done this in the past but it's never worked, atleast for me.
It's probably best if you followup during the meetup to facilitate
cooperation.

Brice
—
Sent from my iPhone

[mobilemike]

Dan, Andrew and Braulio,

Thanks so much for your kind words.

Alex, Daniel, Valentine, Mike and Kelli,

I hope to see all of you at the June 5th event!

[Braulio Carreno]

Hey Kelli, Michael, C. Valentine, Daniel, Alex: welcome to the group
and looking forward to meeting you in June. And you Kelli, hope you
can move soon.

Braulio