Reminder: Every Wednesday -- Seattle JavaScript Workshop / Hacknight

[Thomas Yip]

* We have just created a new linkedin group, making it easier to connect with your fellow JavaScript professionals. *

** This Google Group will be depreciated. Please join the linkedin group for announcements and discussions. (link below) ** 

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Where:
4201 University Way NE Seattle, WA 98105 [Cafe On The Ave]
(the cafe serves light meal and good coffee)

When:
Wednesday 7:00pm - 10:00pm
(be sure to come on time if you want to work on an open-source
project together)

What:
Goal 1, a weekly workshop for coders to learn from each other and
ask questions as needed. Coders bring his own project, book, or tutorial.

Goal 2, a hacknight for coders to work on open source projects together, learn and solve some real world problems.

Linkedin Group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Seattle-JavaScript-Workshop-Hacknight-4056632

Github:
https://github.com/seajsws


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Free feel to contact me if you have any question!

Thomas
(206) 388-8181 mobile

[Thomas Y]

There is not a lot of people show up today? What can we do to make the
workshop better?

Location? Topic? Meetup.com group?

[Adron Hall]

I think it just tends to be the Summer Time plague...  happens to almost every user group between July and September.

I think the effort should be made to keep things going. I'll be showing up more as soon as I'm back in town more frequently - there's just been too many biz trips and such coming up lately.

@Adron

--
Adron B Hall

Tech: http://compositecode.com
Transit:  http://transitsleuth.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/adronbh

[May Colin]

Sorry, Thomas—I was planning to go, but had insomnia twice in the past 3 days so I passed out around 6:00.  

Speaking for myself, so far I've only found myself to have specific questions to bring along every other week.  Since I'm one of the juniors, I haven't felt like my attendence would be of service on the weeks in between.  If there were a presentation, tutorial or formal activity of some kind, or if someone expressed that they would have a small project piece that a junior could work on just to save a senior from bothering ("here, minion, turn this wireframe into a working UI for this app we're making"), I would come on those days too.

I would be reeeally bummed if the group folded.  Happy to support it, sorry for today's fail.

I can suggest some topics:

- Node.js 

- Wakanda (I'd never heard of it till I saw it on Walt N.'s profile)

- LESS.js/.css

- Most Awesome Javascript Tricks

- Javascript Puzzle/Challenge of the Week  

- Colin

[p. stephen wille]

dittos to all that, plus, my new jobs hours are incompatible with any weekday activities.  i don't want to see the group dissolve, and hope to attend and contribute in the future.

| stephen wille | pstephenwille.com |
I don't fail.  I succeed at finding what doesn't work. -- Christopher Titus

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From: May Colin <satsuk...@gmail.com>
To: sea...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: What can be done to make the workshop better?

[Lawrence Leung]

I have a weekly conflict on Wednesdays with Soldering and Coding on Wednesday @ Jigsaw Renaissance.  Maybe we could host the JS coding at Jigsaw occasionally to reduce conflicts?

http://www.jigsawrenaissance.org/

-Lawrence

[John Sechrest]

I agree with people that some of it is the summer hours and the other tasks that keep people away.

In looking at some of the other groups that have a similar mission, there are features that help them be successful. I am thinking of things like the PDX javascript admirers group. And the Whatcom Python Users group. 

Possible things to consider might be:

• Don't have the same pattern each time, semi regularly have someone talk about a researched item and explore the issues of that item. I learned about Sammy that way. 
• Have the session split between hacking and learning. The Whatcom Python users group, has a short 5 minute talk at the beginning that illustrates an idea and then they go into group peer programming on a joint project
• Have a video feed for those who can't travel
• Have a repository where shared material can be useful after the meeting
• Have a wiki, where the explicit learning can be represented.
• If you watch the Seattle Think Tank process, they have a weekly brainstorm by email, which then gets summarized at the end. Do a posted summary at the end to keep people attending to the conversation.
• Collect resources - bring together resources that everyone has that can help everyone become great at javascript activities, put them in the repository
• Brand the Javascript workshop effort with some social media, so that you help spread the word on the process and attract new talent and new experience.

For me, I was at the Startup Riot and so was conflicted having spent the whole day in that activity and I am generally traveling for the next several weeks. 

--
John Sechrest          .             
                                       .                   
                                             .                        
                                                     .                               
                                                               .                      sech...@gmail.com
                                                                          .                              @sechrest 
                                                                                        .

        http://www.oomaat.com                                                              .

[Thomas Yip]

John, thanks for your advises, as always.

We have another event called "Seattle-JS" that specializes in speakers. They had been doing a great job. We won't duplicate it.

We will build up wiki etc eventually. Great ideas on record the learnings.

Thanks,

Thomas

[Thomas Yip]

Colin, thanks for your supports. Get well soon.

I think "JavaScript Puzzle" or other short topic will be interesting. Some excises are also good.

I think that if we have 4+ most of the time, I plan to keep the group running.