- It has a format: My preferred format for coding meetups is to make it a “code along with me” exercise:
- You bring a laptop
- I give you a starter project
- I put the starter project up on the big screen and start adding code, explaining along the way
- You code along with me and ask questions or make suggestions if you have any
- We run the code and make changes, and if we’re doing it right, those changes are improvements
- If the changes are wrong, those changes are lessons, and we fix things
- We leave with working code
- It has a topic: For the first session, we’ll build ELIZA, the original chatbot, which simulates a therapist from the Rogerian school of thought (largely about getting you to talk more about yourself)
- It has a sponsor for pizza and soft drinks: Sessions will be after work, and it’s hard to code on an empty stomach
But it doesn’t have a venue. I need a place with…
- A screen and projector for me
- Seats, tables, and power outlets for attendees
- Bathrooms for all
- A table in the back for the pizza and soft drinks
The sessions will typically happen once a month from 6 to 8 p.m. on a weeknight. I’ll set up and clean up. I’m expecting attendance of 20 – 30 people.
If you have a venue that you’d let me use for this meetup, I’d love to hear from you! I’d be happy to promote your organization on this blog and the Tampa Bay Tech Events list. Please contact me at joey@joeydevilla.com and let’s talk!