re: Canadian Developer Update - How is your knowledge balance?

Steven R. — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 21:23:00 GMT

Craig any tips/advice on starting a users group?

re: Canadian Developer Update - How is your knowledge balance?

Craig Flannagan — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 22:00:00 GMT

Hi Steven,

First off, I'd take a look at http://msdn.microsoft.ca/usergroups - is there an existing group in your area? If not . . .

Starting a user group is quite straight-forward. If you are able to host it, and you know 10-15 people who'd be interested in coming, you're on your way. The support that Microsoft offers is speakers, sponsorship (when we do present, we will cover the cost of food & beverage), content for meetings, promotion (in the MSDN Flash, on the MSDN Canada website, at events, etc.). This will all come in the form of your inclusion in our MSDN User Group Tours.

To pull all of our support together in a format that is manageable we've create the Canadian .NET User Group Leader's SharePoint (we're actively looking for a better name) This site allows you interact with Microsoft people, all other Canadian user group leaders, access to a content repository, best practices and a meeting calendar that we promote from.

The key to the group is members helping members. That’s what it has to be about at the end of the day. Group’s work best when they share the knowledge they have to the point where everyone in the group knows what everyone else knows, and then you bring in outside talent to inject some new knowledge – some people in the group pick it up faster than others, and the cycle begins again.

You might also want to hook-up with a few of our user group leaders for a quick chat. I'd suggest:

Rob Windsor - Toronto VB User Group (http://msmvps.com/windsor/)
Dave Totzke - Canadian Technology Triangle User Group (http://geekswithblogs.net/dtotzke/)
Joel Semeniuk - Winnipeg .NET User Group (http://joel.regionaldirector.ca)
Guy Barrette - Montreal .NET User Group
(http://guy.regionaldirector.ca)

Dave and Joel can tell you more about the support that INETA can give to you as a new group as well.

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