Refactor Phoenix this Wednesday. No Topic or Presentation. I Know Everyone Is Excited.
June 23rd, 2008
The next Refactor meeting is this Wednesday, June 25. No one has offered to give a talk or demo or anything, and I don’t particularly want to have to whip up yet another talk, so there will be nothing formal that night.
The last time there was no particular presentation it ended up being me and five other people. Two of those others never (that I could tell) came back for another Refactor. Hooray for casual conversation.
It is, of course, disappointing to think that the only way to get deveopers together after work is to offer up some pre-planned “edutainment.” It’s even more disappointing to think that maintaining a reliable stream of worthwhile presentations will be tedious monthly chore of either goading people into giving a talk or assembling one myself.
I can assure you that the latter just ain’t gonna to happen, and I’m not fond of pestering people, either.
An interesting related phenomenon is the turn out for the Tempe Nerds lunches. Clearly folks are up for socializing, just not so much when it’s after work. (Side note: As best I can tell, Refresh Phoenix still gets a good crowd. I’ve stopped going since it become overly focused on Break Out Of Your Cube! and How To Be Entrepreneur 2.0! I have a completely unproven conjecture about the different social needs of Web designers and marketeers vs. developers and hackers.)
A primary goal of Refactor was the social element. I was really hoping to get together people who would otherwise not meet. A second goal was to get people introduced to technical topics that might be a bit outside their day-to-day endeavors. I think I’ve failed on that one, while Tempe Nerds appears to fulfill the first goal (though the mix seems more Refresh-y than hacker; however, there were actual developers at the lunches). So, all in all, the cost/benefit ratio for Refactor is questionable.
6 Responses to “Refactor Phoenix this Wednesday. No Topic or Presentation. I Know Everyone Is Excited.”
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June 23rd, 2008 at 05:37 PM
Well I sure am motivated to attend!
June 23rd, 2008 at 06:03 PM
In spite of the obvious disdain you have for the effort required to build, promote, and maintain a niche community, I’d like to offer a suggestion: Start planning each meetup about 6 weeks out, pick the topic you would like to have presented, spend 3 weeks finding panelists to host the discussion, and the next three weeks promoting the gathering. Treat each individual meet-up as a limited engagement, and be grateful to those who do attend each one. I’ve found gatherings with a panel-type discussion or lightly moderated (just to keep things moving) roundtables are far more engaging and the attendees walk away feeling like they were part of the event, rather than just a visitor.
Keep in mind it’s summer. It’s 110+ degrees when most leave the office. It’s vacation season for parents. It’s over $4 a gallon for gas. Pick your reason but lately the elements aren’t really lining up for social gatherings unless they are both convenient and largely beneficial. Good luck.
June 23rd, 2008 at 06:29 PM
oh man, i’m bummed. i heard your proposal at SMC and although I could think of nothing that specifically fit the format, I was excited to hear others give theirs.
actually, i find your note a little inspiring…. i mean, the whole point of this is to be social, fun, and somewhat irreverant. i don’t have some new, inventive way to tie sneaker laces or to navigate your way through mexico on 2$, but i figure i do have something unique to share. plus, i LOVE the challenge of pecha kucha….
so, here’s my challenge back to both of you. you should both put something together on your own. even if its, “how NOT to put a new social event together” and if you do, i commit to doing one of my own.
June 23rd, 2008 at 06:33 PM
ah. was thinking of ignite, not refactor…. good thing. i was quite excited about ignite. sadly, i have absolutely nothing to offer refactor:(
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Shauna said, “I’d like to offer a suggestion: Start planning each meetup about 6 weeks out, pick the topic you would like to have presented, spend 3 weeks finding panelists to host the discussion, and the next three weeks promoting the gathering.”
Every month? Are you high? There are only four of five weeks in a month. Should I be spending each week involved in some planning and promotion?
I confess to having “obvious disdain … for the effort required to build, promote, and maintain a niche community”, if for no other reason that such a community needs to be built by its members.
If only one or two people are routinely doing the legwork, you don’t have a community, you have an audience. Phoenix has enough spectator events, I don’t want another.
Amanda: Interesting that you are excited about Ignite, but not Refactor. I’m beginning to think the trick is to never again attempt a monthly event, but instead think up one-offs which will almost always seem more special.
June 24th, 2008 at 06:50 AM
I wish I could offer some advice, but I can only offer my sympathies. We’ve had a lot of trouble finding our way with the Huntsville Ruby Users Group for largely the same reason. Everyone’s busy with work, family, and other commitments, and as a result most of the organizational responsibilities fall on one or two people (and I’m not one of those people).