[group-organizers] Creating and growing your user group

[Stephan Deibel (PSF)]

Hi,

This is very useful.  I think it answers in detail the most commonly
asked questions here.

Would you be willing to update http://wiki.python.org/moin/StartingYourUsersGroup
based on this?

I've made a link to that page from the LocalUserGroups page, which for
some reason did not have a link from its Starting/Running section to
the above:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/LocalUserGroups#StartingandRunningaUserGroup

I saw your next message but don't have a suggestion on where to put general
user group info.  However, certainly the above StartingYourUsersGroup page
can be used by anyone, not just Python folks.  If you do start a separate
page, please add a link to it from StartingYourUsersGroup.

Thanks,

- Stephan

---------------------------

David Christian wrote:
> Hi all,
> This is the second year I've been to an Open Space event about local
> Python Local Users Groups and again I found it very interesting.  I
> also had a number of great conversations with others outside of that
> open space about other local tech activities.  Thanks to everyone who
> participated!
> 
> I'd like to recap what I've learned and what I think about user groups
> here in hopes of getting the ball rolling for conversations about
> techniques to make your group work.  I hope others find this useful.
> Note that a lot of this advice is not from my personal experience but
> from what others at the open spaces said.
> 
> === Starting the group ===
> * Have a website, and preferably your own domain name.
> * Have a location you can rely upon.
> * Get at least a few people you can count on as core members who will
> contribute regularly to the running of the group.
> 
> To me, doing these three things right is the most important part.
> Especially the meeting location.  If you can get a good, reliable
> location that will allow you to have the space on a regular schedule
> and is large enough for the group size you intend to support, you are
> half-way there to having a successful meetup group.
> 
> === Getting a location ===
> * Businesses that are heavily invested in your technology may sponsor
> your group.
> * Libraries often have space available, although their hours can be limited
> * In NYC, there are bars that host groups on off-nights - they can see
> it as a way to fill their bar with tech people :)
> * Coworking spaces are often a good choice as well, as they want their
> members to be able to network.
> 
> === Advertising your group ===
> * Register on meetup.com.  If you like, talk to the PSF about paying
> for the meetup fees.
> * Consider putting your group on facebook, upcoming, and other places.
> ** Note that there is a cost to putting your energies into keeping
> these multiple places up to date, but it can get you users who would
> otherwise not find you.
> * Do a good search on your technology + location, if your group
> doesn't come up first after a bit consider investing in google
> adwords, or getting as many people as possible to link to your group.
> 
> === Content of the meeting ===
> There are lots of different things to do at meetings.
> * Presenters
> * Lightning talks
> * Code reviews
> * Display videos
> * Standard module of the month
> 
> Some people find it works not to have a topic but just have people
> talk about what they've found interesting and what they're working on.
> 
> Often groups meet for beer/food before and/or after the meeting, to
> give people a chance to congregate and hang out after the meeting
> place has closed.
> 
> === Speakers ===
> I think others may have better advice about how to get speakers.  I've
> found that keeping the presentations short, and maybe having two or
> three speakers, is a good alternative to having one speaker (unless a
> good speaker volunteers!).  It takes some of the load off the speaker
> and gets more people invovled.
> 
> === Social meetings ===
> Some groups hold social meetings occasionally, often inviting other
> tech groups.  This can be a potluck affair so that the only real
> concern is getting the space.  The portland group has a twice-a-year
> social even where the dynamic-language groups all get together.
> 
> === Presenting for upcoming conferences ===
> A local meeting is a good place to have members practice for upcoming
> conferences.  You may find that if you can find three people to give a
> presentation on a topic that suddenly you are creating something
> larger.
> 
> === Hack sessions ===
> I don't have experience with this yet, but if you get people together
> to work on projects, you can have some people show up with projects
> they're already interested in and have others show up without projects
> and people will gravitate towards the projects they're interested in.
> It works well if experienced programmers come with projects and the
> less experienced programmers can pair up with them.  I'd love to hear
> more about how to make these work.
> 
> === Other types of meetings ===
> One of the amazing things about tech today is that if you state
> clearly that something is going to happen, and give people enough
> information about what you're planning, people will show up (thanks to
> Brian Dorsey for this).  Some other types of meetings I've heard
> people running or participating in:
> 
> * Startup weekend.
> * Unconferences/barcamp
> * Saturday house
> * Local conferences
> 
> Your group could host any one of these.
> 
> === An alternative ===
> Last year there was a group where people only got together for social
> meetings _unless_ someone felt strongly that there was something they
> wanted to present about.  I haven't heard of this happening anywhere
> else.
> 
> === Thanks ===
> Thanks to all the leaders  leaders for coming and sharing their advice
> about their user groups at the open space.   And thanks to all of you
> for being interested in your communities!  Without you, the world
> would be less connected and less interesting.
> 
> David Christian
> NYC Python Group
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