From: Craig Maloney Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:50:57 +0000 (-0400) Subject: Talking more about community X-Git-Tag: 0.3.0^2~21 X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=11569c954f870f58e70a7f153e0bb6b0992596f9;p=themediocreprogrammer.git Talking more about community --- diff --git a/chapter04.md b/chapter04.md index 23b8b30..9e94043 100644 --- a/chapter04.md +++ b/chapter04.md @@ -9,3 +9,17 @@ Whenever we think of programmers we think of a person working in solitude enteri A good community is one that strengthens us and the ones around us. It nurtures us and provides some shelter. It is a safe place where we don't have to constantly keep our guard up from attacks on ourselves and others. It holds people we can trust and feel that trust is reciprocated without fear of betrayal. ## Finding a good community + +There are a lot of good communities out there that are willing to help you become a better programmer, but how do you find them? + +That's a tricky question. + +Most programming languages have some form of community around them. Some have mailing lists or other communication channels that you can check out. Unfortunately most popular languages have spaces that are next to impossible to follow, especially when you're trying to learn. I know I have had instances where I've joined the main channel for a popular language only to be overrun with multiple conversations happening at once. + +Some programming languages have local user groups. Those can seem intimidating at first, especially if the group has been around for a long while. I know I was intimidated before I went to my first user group for fear of what I might find inside. What I found was a group of folks who were interested in the topics that I was interested in. I've made lasting friendships through users groups and I encourage you to see if they might work for you. + +If you're at a loss for finding the right group (perhaps you're in an area where you feel you're the only person who shares your interests) you might consider starting your own, or a branch of an existing group. My friend Rick started a branch of a group called Coffee House Coders where coders meet once a week for a few hours to sit and code. We've met some amazing folks along the way. Starting a group is an act of courage and there have been many times where it's just myself sitting in a coffee shop. That's fine. People get busy and interests fade over time. What is important is creating the space for others to feel welcome. And for us that meant finding a local coffee shop with later hours and ample space for setting down a laptop. + +There are many ways to be creative with this as well. The advent of many different online tools allows you to build communities with folks across the globe. Bringing these folks together to talk and discuss ideas and offer help is amazing when it happens. + +I recognize that not everyone can do this.