[Pdx-pm] zoinks! programming technique meeting

[mark_swayne at mac.com]

Dora,

You are the programmer's Oprah!

So I see a couple of approaches being discussed here:

1.  Traditional reading group:  Everybody buys, borrows the book and 
reads bits of it and then shows up to talk about it.

2.  Read aloud reading group:  Many copies of book around, best if you 
can read ahead of time, but we will read and discuss bits in class.

3.  General programming geekout with time for discussions on techniques, 
code reviews, etc.  Something like Programmers Anonymous.  Hi, my name's 
Mark, and I'm a programmer.  "Hi, Mark!"  It started with Logo when I 
was just a child, I spent hours drawing stuff with the turtle on my 
Apple II, then I found out that I could use Logo to make sounds....

Advantages and disadvantages to each suggestion:
1.	+ tight focus, people have time to think about the material 
beforehand, improved potential for deeper discussions
	- people don't do their homework, how many will show up without 
doing the reading, and yet talk on and on about it?
	- Expensive, got to buy lots of books.

2.	- less time efficient than 1.  Time spent reading insteading of 
discussing.
	+ at least everone will be exposed to the material.

3.	+ code reviews would be nice
	- If we focus on Perl only, it will be redundant with PM
	- No obvious focus for any given week.  We run into the problem of 
digging up a presenter each week.

Other ideas:
How many people is a reasonable group.  My seminar experience is that 
smaller groups are better.  Perhaps we will want to split up into 
smaller groups for discussion and then return to discuss highlights of 
the small group discussions.

Do we want to invite folks from other groups, like CHIFOO or the local 
LUG?  A little diversity might help us keep from focusing too tightly on 
Perl, and keep a broader view on the field of *programming*.

The guy at Powell's Tech seemed interested in the idea of a geek reading 
group (Dora and I were discussing this idea in line while we bought our 
copies of TPP).  Perhaps we could meet there.  This would work well if 
we plan on buying lots of copies of some book every couple months.  I 
bet we could even arrange a discount for group members.

Cheers,

--Mark, aka TGI


On Friday, September 27, 2002, at 11:50  AM, Raymaker, Dora wrote:

> Wow, y'all are as crazy as me; I didn't really expect so many people to 
> be
> interested! :-)
>
> So this is what I'm thinking:
>
> 1. we meet once a month at 6pm maybe?
>
> 2. I'm gonna ask my boss about the possibility of using a conference 
> room @
> my work which is on the corner of Broadway & Washington downtown...
>
> 3. The chapters in _Pragmatic Programmer_ are short; we could 
> conceivably
> read one out loud (hence no need to buy the book) and use it as a 
> discussion
> point for the rest of the time.  There are fun exercises at the end of 
> each
> chapter to further stimulate discussion and work on technique.
>
> what do you think?
>
> -D.
>
>
>
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