[Baypiggies] pre-registration for Baypiggies meeting

[Warren Stringer]

How about using Meetup.com as the registration vehicle? Several reasons:

	1) many people on meetup.com 
		a) have expressed an interest in Python 
		b) don't know about the baypiggies

	2) scheduling via wiki has flaws
		a) in general, a wiki is not a calendar
		b) the Python Wiki UI is obscure

For example, here's retracing my steps for attending Baypiggies meeting, via
wiki:

	Goto to: http://baypiggies.net/ 
	Notice that there isn't a calendar
	Recall that there is some mention of a wiki
	Search page for wiki link
	Click on wiki link
	New page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings 
	Notice that there isn't a calendar
	Click on BayPiggies Meetings at Google
	New Page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggies 
	Click on only link: Web site:  http://baypiggies.net
	Which brings you back to : http://baypiggies.net/ 
	Grumble quietly and press the back button
	Old Page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggies 
	Type in search term: "meeting"
	New Page:
http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggies?action=fullsearch&context=180&value=m
eeting 
	Grumble again, hit the back button
	Old page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggies 
	Spend a few moments figuring out where to go next
	Guess and Click on Title Index
	New Page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/TitleIndex 
	Grumble at the list of everything to do with Python
	Manual search for "BayPiggies"
	Search brings you deeper into page
	Decide whether you should click on 
		BayPiggies or BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings
	Click on BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings
	New page: 
	Utter epithet at no signup
	Click on "BayPiggies Meetings at Google"
	Old page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggies 
	Swear out loud 
	Hit the back button
	In Desperation click "Directions to Google:..."	
	New Page: http://www.google.com/corporate/address.html#directions  
	With a feeling of resignation go back
	Old page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings 
	Spend a few moments wondering what to do next
	Decide to click on LOGIN
	New Page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/UserPreferences 
	Wonder why the Login Form is called "UserPreferences"
	Decide that you -ahem- *prefer* to Login.
	Spend some time figuring out the overloaded triple purpose input
form
		Where some fields should be ignored depending on 
			which of the three things I want to do
			what button to press
	Type in your often used username and password
	Updated page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/UserPreferences 
	Scratch you head that nothing has changed 
	Try again:
	Updated page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/UserPreferences 
	Search for clues, after input form
	Try again:
	Oh! there is status line stuck in the *Middle* 
		Below the "UserPreferences" which this form isn't
		Below the Search field, which this form isn't
		Above the TRIPLE Purpose form 
		In the smallest font on the page
	Begin to laugh out loud
	Go through sign up process (many steps here)
	Login under new user name
	New page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/UserPreferences 
	Spend some time wondering where to go next
	Click on Front Page
	New Page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/FrontPage 
	Shake head in wonderment at generic Python page
	Decide whether to use search field or scan page
	Click on "You Recent Pages: BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings" 
	Old page: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings 
	Shake off that feeling like you're attempting to join a Masonic
order
		And you're at the first of 39 steps before reaching
guidodom.
	Decide to just show up.
	Give up

That was last month. This month, while attempting to retrieve a password, I
get the message: 

{u'': (550, '<None>: Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local
recipient table')} 

because I attempted to get password based on username. A programmer might
reply that this is a case of RTFM. A designer might reply that this is a
case of a turning turning a simple goal of signing up for a meeting into
your worst nightmare. 

May I suggest a peek at another Wiki, a good UI : http://barcamp.org/ 
But, this is beside the point. A wiki is NOT a calendar. A usable meetup
calendar is:  www.meetup.com  and, while you're at it, search on Python
meetups. 

Sorry for any crushed toes; even while I grumble, I appreciate the time to
support this group. 

Cheers,

\~/


> -----Original Message-----
> From: baypiggies-bounces at python.org [mailto:baypiggies-bounces at python.org]
> On Behalf Of Rick Kwan
> Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 8:39 AM
> To: Leslie Hawthorn
> Cc: baypiggies at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Baypiggies] pre-registration for Baypiggies meeting
> 
> The wiki sign-up page still said June, with Colin Winter.  I took the
> liberty of revising it quickly to say July, with the NLTK speakers,
> and left a pointer to the abstract.
> 
> I apologize in advance; I have a little page gremlin in me that
> sometimes escapes to the keyboard...  Feel free to correct his
> handiwork.
> 
> --Rick Kwan
> 
> On 7/9/07, Leslie Hawthorn <lhawthorn at google.com> wrote:
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > Please pre-register for this Thursday's Baypiggies meeting on the wiki
> by 
> > PM on Wednesday, 7/11:
> >
> > http://wiki.python.org/moin/BayPiggiesGoogleMeetings
> >
> > Cheers,
> > LH
> >
> > --
> > Leslie Hawthorn
> > Program Manager - Open Source
> > Google Inc.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Baypiggies mailing list
> > Baypiggies at python.org
> > To change your subscription options or unsubscribe:
> > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/baypiggies
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Baypiggies mailing list
> Baypiggies at python.org
> To change your subscription options or unsubscribe:
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/baypiggies