Starting a group for developers of all skill... Any suggestions

Question

I know this isn't directly related to code, but here goes anyway:

I'm looking for suggestions on how to create a successful community in my area for professionals, students, or enthuasiasts who want to develop and share their skills.

I've set out to start a developer's group in my area. We're in the sparsely populated region of Southeast New Mexico, USA, So I've decided that defining a group that did solely .Net, PHP, LISP, or (insert flavor here) would be like shooting myself in the foot.

I'm looking for a kind of group that doesn't necessarily provide professional speakers and such (although that could be a distinct possibility) but rather looking for mentors and mentorship opportunities.

I envision something like a learning cooperative. If you have learned, teach. If you teach, learn something new from someone else.

Some goals:

1. Develop contacts within the community for those who have skills in any discipline of development.
2. Provide a location for periodic meetings and sponsor activities such as mentoring, special interest presentations and best practices in any development environment.
3. Provide face to face help for those who might like to program, but cannot figure out where to start, or how to continue.

I also see something like a linux user's group, where everyone is willing to share what they know.

I'd like to hear other's thoughts on this. Have you had experience in doing this or something similar? Do you belong to a User's group already and have things that you like/dislike about it?

Answer 1

You might start by looking around local colleges, companies, high schools, etc. Contact professors, teachers, student unions, etc. A group might already exist?

If you do start one, you could meet just about anywhere. A local coffee shop, etc - preferably one that provides free internet. As you grow, you could look for places like a church, or a high-school.

The biggest issue I've seen is personality conflicts that turn into pissing contests. It's easy for issues like "open-source vs. MS" to lead to problems. Make sure you stress upfront that none of that will be tolerated, and that you are there to all learn from one another with respect for each others views.