Re: [UG-ADMINS] Hello from the Northwest Ohio PUG

On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 7:19 AM, Chris Tankersley <[email protected]>wrote:

>
> If anyone has any pointers, I'd be happy to listen. I know I've got a rough
> road ahead since I don't really have anyone to join, but hey, I can try
> right?
>
> Google Groups: http://groups.google.com/group/nwo-pug
> Twitter: @nwopug
>
>
I don't know if you guys have a tech-central list or group up there, but
here in Cincinnati, we have a centralized location for tech-ish events
(called TechLife Cincinnati). We occasionally get some crossovers from other
languages or technologies that  come to the meetings if the topic is right.

We floundered for a while, meeting at bars with wifi and what not, until we
had a good core group of regulars. From there, we really experienced a lot
of growth once we had a set (and quasi-formal) location where presentations
could happen. Many people can't justify to their families a "night of geeky
drinking" but they can justify a formal presentation with perhaps some
casual bar time afterward. That's what we found, anyway.

We used meetup way back in the early days, before it required moneys, but
after that we just focused on our own site. After all, we're web devs,
right? Seems kind of silly to pay someone to run a site for you, although I
guess what you gain is exposure mostly. We've never gone back.<shrug>

We've tried using forums for discussions but it never would fly, for
whatever reason. All our discussions happen on the mailing list, which is
just a mailman instance. I think every group is different; you have to try
different outlets until you find something that works for your group in
particular.

Once you get a little momentum going, you could reach out to speakers in
Columbus like Jay Pipes, or Angelo Mandato (who does a lot of
Wordpress/BarCamp Ohio stuff iirc). They might be willing to drive a bit.

Also, make sure to reach out to publishers like Apress, O'Reilly Wiley,
Packt, and Pearson. They have user group programs for discounts to your
members, and they will often times happily donate books for door prizes or
reviews. That helps bring members in if there is free stuff to be had! :)

Hope that helps, & you're welcome to trek down to Cincy any day. :)

Cheers,
E.