OT: Question about .Net user groups!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andre Nogueira
  • Start date Start date
A

Andre Nogueira

Hi there guys,

I am taking a degree in Computer Engineering and was asked to create a .Net
student user group.
However, I do not know if such a group is needed in a world where Google and
Newsgroups/Foruns can give you all the information you need.
I know some of you are members of .Net user groups, Sharepoint user groups,
etc so I have a question for you: What do you do when you get together? What
activities do you have? Why do you feel the need for such a group when you
have the internet to give you all the answers?
Do you think a .Net group for students has a place in an University, or that
it isn't needed at all?

Thanks in advance! :-)

André Nogueira
 
Andre Nogueira said:
Hi there guys,

I am taking a degree in Computer Engineering and was asked to create a
.Net
student user group.
However, I do not know if such a group is needed in a world where Google
and
Newsgroups/Foruns can give you all the information you need.
I know some of you are members of .Net user groups, Sharepoint user
groups,
etc so I have a question for you: What do you do when you get together?
What
activities do you have? Why do you feel the need for such a group when you
have the internet to give you all the answers?
Do you think a .Net group for students has a place in an University, or
that
it isn't needed at all?

Thanks in advance! :-)

André Nogueira
Click to expand...
As a supplement to the Microsoft groups, etc. a student group may well prove
useful to develop better interaction among students. I provide forums for my
students where they can interact and discuss problems with assignments, etc.
I do monitor the groups to answers questions that go unanswered by other
students.
I believe such a group would be well accepted by the students at your
university.
 
Andre Nogueira said:
I am taking a degree in Computer Engineering and was asked to create a
.Net
student user group.
However, I do not know if such a group is needed in a world where Google
and
Newsgroups/Foruns can give you all the information you need.
Click to expand...
Do you think a .Net group for students has a place in an University, or
that
it isn't needed at all?
Click to expand...

Hi André

User's groups provide a lot of things.

#1 networking. Learning the names and talents of the other developers
graduating with you, and having them learn your name and talents, may prove
invaluable later in life. Get names. Make contacts. Network.

#2 a forum for intramural learning. You can learn from other students.
Have students present various topics. Part of this is networking but
another part is practice... in your profession, you will have to present
technical ideas and solutions. Get good at it now.

#3 a forum for bringing in speakers. You can learn from working
professionals. Your teachers, as good as they may be, are probably not
working in the trenches so much. It can be very helpful to hear a traveling
speaker talk about the trends that are going on at that moment.

#4 purely social. Geeks are more likely to be loners than your typical
journalism major. It can be fun to get people together and give them
something in common to talk about.

Good luck,
--
--- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
programmer helping programmers.
--
 
Nobody has mentioned the most important reason to have a user group: free
pizza!

In most urban areas you can find a Microsoft Partner who will have pizza and
the like delivered to meetings. They hang out like benevolent predators
looking for potentional hires and often do presentations themselves. Its
cheaper for them than hiring the employment pimps and much better for all
involved in the user group unless you are allergic to pizza :-)

<%= Clinton Gallagher
METROmilwaukee (sm) "A Regional Information Service"
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://metromilwaukee.com/
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
 
Back
Top