I was encouraged by the response of the development community at last month's KCDC. I don't know the final tally, but it seemed there were at least a thousand people who attended. I'm excited to see so many people engaged in the local dev scene outside their employers.
For those of you who aren't into Java, there's plenty of opportunity to plug into the tech community outside of your cube. I keep an up-to-date listing of goings-on around the KC metro at the RiverPoint LinkedIn Group. Ruby, .NET, Mobile, SharePoint, Data, DevOps... you name it there's probably a group for it. Sure, you could go to MeetUp, EventBrite, and other places on the intrawebs to figure out what's happening, but why would you do that when I've put it all in ONE place for you?
If you're not already aware, KCITP's "Hack the Midwest" starts a week from this coming Saturday. It's your chance to drink a gallon's worth of soda, coffee, or energy drink and stay up all night to take a great idea and turn it into a great product. Who knows - you might even make a lot of money or change your life.
This year I've been on a mission to bring new faces to the KC Java User Group. We have a fantastic series starting this week on the OGSI / Felix / Jackrabbit CMS stack presented by Bryan Stopp at VML. I suspect the series will run over the next 3-4 months. We'd love to have you join us for one (or all) of these great presentations!
For those of you who aren't into Java, there's plenty of opportunity to plug into the tech community outside of your cube. I keep an up-to-date listing of goings-on around the KC metro at the RiverPoint LinkedIn Group. Ruby, .NET, Mobile, SharePoint, Data, DevOps... you name it there's probably a group for it. Sure, you could go to MeetUp, EventBrite, and other places on the intrawebs to figure out what's happening, but why would you do that when I've put it all in ONE place for you?
By the way, if you are the organizer of one of these groups and is looking for a partner to help you build a bigger audience let me know. We're always willing to sponsor, but this goes well beyond bringing pizzas and a dog and pony show. With our constant outreach to the developer community I can help you find people to present as well as new people to impact.
If you don't have a MeetUp we'll pick up the tab. If you do have a MeetUp we'll pick up the tab next year. If you don't want to use MeetUp we'll help with whatever format you'd like to use to promote your group. Need a place to hold your meeting? We'll help find one. Want to start a new group? I want to help. The KC Java mission goes beyond KC Java - I want to help our community connect so we can learn and grow with one another.
Thanks for reading the raves - have a great week!
