RFC: Project nights track for Montreal Elixir #2
Description
Wanted to submit this proposal for consideration. I have done some of this before and, found it to be very useful for people at all levels. Feedback is welcome!
Summary
Organize a hands-on, code centered, project nights track for the Montreal Elixir meetup.
Motivation
People learn new things in their very own ways. The article about "learning" on Wikipedia classifies nothing less than 18 different types of learning.
Learning a new programming language, with its libraries and, frameworks is no different. Some people learn from reading books, watching screencasts, attending talks and, others, from writing actual code. In music, there is a word for this kind of learning: étude.
This format is not new. For example, the Ember meetup in New York City runs as many project nights as regular events.
The purpose of these events would be to provide a safe, open and welcoming environment to sit together, maybe pair, ask questions, learn or teach anything related to Elixir, Erlang and OTP.
Detailed design
Tentatively, events could follow an agenda like:
- Welcome and messages
- Pair people coaching with those needing help
- Proposed activities
- Sponsor, venue messages
- Goodbye
Events agenda and content would be self-contained, in the sense that the program should allow to skip meetings. Attendees would be encouraged to move their interaction to GitHub, Slack or other asynchronous communications once the event is over.
Events could rotate venues and hosts. For example, one event could take place at a coffee shop in downtown Montreal during a weekday evening. The following event could have a different host and move to a company workspace on a Saturday morning.
What is it about?
- Bring your own project
- Mob programming
- Code reading
- Open source
- Training wheels
What is not?
- Prepared talks
- Video recording
- Fixed agenda
- Eating
- Drinking, etc.
Requirements
- Venue (needs space with tables, not a classroom configuration)
- Connectivity
- Power ports
- Drinking water
- Access to restrooms, etc.
Unresolved questions
- Coordination with "main" meetup
- Organizers?
- Non-conflicting dates?