Ruby and Rails Install-fest

[Mark Menard]

Breaking this into a separate thread.

Several people have recommended before starting a class that everyone
should have to attend a pre-class install session to be sure they have
everything necessary for the class installed on their systems.

In retrospect this is a GREAT idea. I also think it is a great idea in
general to introduce people to Ruby and Rails.

With all of that said I'm speaking to TVUG, the local .NET group, in
July about Ruby, IronRuby, Rails, etc. Would it make sense to
advertise to them a Ruby on Rails Install-fest and do it at the July
TV.rb meeting?

My thought was dedicate the first part of the evening to installs and
then do a quick intro to Ruby and Rails with a few lightning talks.

Something along the lines of:

5:30 to 7:00: Install-fest
7:30 to 8:00: Quick Rails Intro
8:00 to 8:30: Lighting presentations of neat Ruby stuff newbies would
find interesting.

My thought is it might be nice to do that and have an immediate
followup that can bring some .NET'ers into the fold and get them
started as quick as possible.

Thoughts? Ideas? Throw rotten vegetables at me? (It's so
Shakespearean.)

Mark

[Thomas Porter]

Sounds great, I'll help.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 25, 2010, at 5:49 PM, Mark Menard <mark.me...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "TechValley Ruby Brigade" group.
> To post to this group, send email to techva...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to techvalleyrb...@googlegroups.com
> .
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/techvalleyrb?hl=en
> .
>

[Doon]

I am setting out the lettuce and tomatoes tonight. They should be
nice and rotten by the next meeting :)

Just kidding, sounds like a plan, and I'll help as well...

-Patrick

[Edward Prevost]

When I saw this amongst, Porter's other suggestions I thought it was
golden.... although... I also think very highly of the
'get-off-my-lawn-kid' suggestion; being that if you do not have the
basic computer prowess to figure out configuring RoR to a usable point
BEFORE coming to class... you probably need a different class before
this. (maybe one on horticulture)

At first I thought that was harsh, but then I looked at some of my own
experience... when I wanted to know how to compromise Windows-compiled C
programs, and I didn't know C, EVERY Security professional I reached out
to pointed me to learn python, and then tackle C. Not because I didn't
need to know C, but because I needed to understand some basic principles
that would be required in truly getting to know C. This has been a
common theme as I have continued in IT/IS/InfoSec, and as "tough tit" as
it was at times... it lead me to a more deep understanding of what it
was I was actually doing. And that is great... but it sucked major.
How many of us can honestly say we LOVED writing and re-writing and
debugging and fixing and hacking and searching and freenoding and
googling until 3AM, just to find out that some veteran guy somewhere
already had a package that did what you were trying to do, and it was
like 8 lines of code. So I think something of a mix of socialization and
installation, maybe not just a
'come-tonight-at-6-and-we-will-install-RoR-for-you'; like throw the word
'beer' in there or something, I don't know. It just saddens me to think
I never would have found this group, if a member of it hadn't worked
with me. Seems like a 'come-drink-talk-and-install' event may serve
best; you know, present the TV.RB as like a cool group that people want
to tell their friends (and bosses) about; not just a 'Ruby-Group', with
a passionate bald-guy who is teaching free classes. (love ya Mark)

That being said, I think a 'RubyBrigade - DrinkTalkInstallBash'
(Dritalins Bash? [LOOK there is ritalin, so that may be a better fit])
is a fantastic idea, it would cover several needs:
1 - Introduce, otherwise (potentially) clueless developers, to the
real guts and basic administration of Ruby and Rails, hereby increasing
their confidence, and also scoring some buy-in/intimacy from them
2 - It would have a community energy to it, fostering teamwork,
socialization and fun (which I think should always be connected to Ruby
and Rails, if we want to see it grow in Albany, and particularly in a
well implemented fashion)
3 - It would guarantee that veteran rubyists would be available to
help curb and direct newcomers, and have time to EXPLAIN 'what' and
'why'; hereby again reinforcing that community, teamwork and socialization
4 - It would ensure that properly configured environments were on
laptops, encourage innovation and tinkering, as well as secure
preparedness for the class
5 - It could give TV.RB an opportunity to openly invite a much
broader audience, and then be able to listen to the current
issues/problems that Albany businesses are experiencing (which Ruby and
Rails may or may not be able to solve); again, enforcing community,
teamwork and socialization

I think a big reason we don't see Ruby and Rails locally, as we would
all like, is because businesses are just plain in the dark. Hence my
passion to bring a simple off-line installer for windows... so when one
of us is having that off-the-cuff conversation at the Daily Grind, we
can whip-out a thumbdrive, say 'click here and here' and then walk them
through a 5-10 minute web app... cause that is the shiznit that makes
Rails so freaking awesome. How many times did this happen on Thursday
STUDENT: "wait, wait, wait... it just does ALL that magically!?"
MARK: "Yes."

So, all of that to say I think it's a great idea; and if organized and
planned properly could potentially be even more than just a
'Ruby-installation-sleepover-party-before-Mark's-Class'; maybe it could
be a revolution. *pumps fist*

Wow, I'm tired.

My 42�

-Ed

P.S. This was written at 3AM, please consider trees before printing,
consider your sanity before pumping fists and consider donating to the
'Prevent Mark from saying "Shakespearean"' fund (the PMS Fund)

[Andrew Badera]

On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 3:22 AM, Edward Prevost <M...@edwardprevost.info> wrote:

When I saw this amongst, Porter's other suggestions I thought it was golden.... although... I also think very highly of the 'get-off-my-lawn-kid' suggestion; being that if you do not have the basic computer prowess to figure out configuring RoR to a usable point BEFORE coming to class... you probably need a different class before this. (maybe one on horticulture)

I would contest that. A lot of Windows users have never dealt with any kind of package management system before, at least not one recognizable as such. Also, sadly, a lot of lower-level .NET guys can barely configure IIS and ASP.NET in any meaningful fashion -- granted, the install process using Webrick isn't exactly tough, but still, I think you're overestimating the capabilities of far too many Windows-dwelling "developers." Too many have spent their time stovepiped away from the underlying infrastructure.

--ab

[Edward Prevost]

Andrew Badera wrote:

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TechValley Ruby Brigade" group.
To post to this group, send email to techva...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to techvalleyrb...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/techvalleyrb?hl=en.

In the words of Will Ferrell:  "Fair enough"

[Debi Orton]

This sounds like a terrific idea to me, Mark. It's frustrating to
have to keep putting out technical fires while you're trying to
learn. I just got a 64-bit Windows 7 machine, and I'm a little leery
of trying to set up RoR on it on my own. I'd certainly leave work
early to get the help.

Debi Orton

On Jun 25, 5:49 pm, Mark Menard <mark.menard....@gmail.com> wrote: