just wanted to chime in and say that I do agree that if you're really interested in helping the CF Community, you can't ignore the other communities. When I was in India, I spoke to a packed house of Flash developers and designers at an MMUG about Flex, Flex with CFML, and software architecture. At "mini MAX" I'm presenting to a crowd of designers about how I used CF to create an API to allow designers at my client site to easily generate robust interfaces (SVG). About 4 months ago I was a speaker at a Microsoft Wireless conference here in London. I talked about Macromedia's Flash for mobile devices technologies (Flash Lite and especially FlashCast) and I hooked it all in to a great plug for using CF. Some of the best and most informative prsentations I've seen at CFUGS have been given by people well known in other circles and about other technologies... and there were many non- CFers in the audience. It's very important to spread the word outside of the CF Community. That said, it's also important to enthusiastically try to educate and motivate people within the CF Community. Every CFUG attendee that leaves a presentation armed with more or better information about the platform and why it's a viable solution for companies is a very good thing as well.
~Simon > > I've seen 3 user groups come and go in Connecticut due to lack of > attendance. I had spoken at them, but there was never anyone to speak > too. How do you suggest getting the word out? Word of mouth? Or > something else? > > Instead of trying to put together a CFUG, I'd recommend finding alternate > groups (Java, .NET, linux, networking groups, etc.. ) that you can speak > at. What user group is not looking for speakers? Tie your presentation / > topic into their general purpose. > At a .NET group, I bet you'd raise a lot of heads with something a topic > about how they've been doing it all wrong and CF is a better development tool. > > At 09:01 AM 10/21/2004, you wrote: > >Subject: CF developer numbers > >From: Simon Horwith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 09:02:29 +0100 > >Thread: > >http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm/method=messages&threadid=36074&; forumid=4#182148 > > > >Well, if I lived in an area with a poor market I'd start by becoming > >VERY active in the User Group. > >So active that I ended-up speaking nearly every month. So active that > >I'd help with organizing and promoting it. > >I'd be sure to always illustrate and emphasise the strengths of the CF > >Server and J2EE in general when I present. > >I'd also try to get more and newer companies to come. > >I recently spoke with the other UK CFUG Board Members about how to draw > >more people to the meetings and one of my number one suggestions was to > >invite a .NET speaker every now and then. > >I think the CF people would find it interesting, it'd bring-in new > >people, and maybe some of those new people would end-up being exposed to > >the world of ColdFusion. > > > >I'd also talk with my employer or client(s) if I'm a contractor, about > >what they could do to excite their employees, the community around them, > >and their clients, about the technologies they're using. A direct > >result of that is that has been the sale of ColdFusion to MANY councils > >in England and Scotland, more emphasis on keeping the server version > >VERY up to date, and my client bought a nice shiny new Breeze Live > >Server (not account) because I harrassed them for 7 months about how > >cool it is and how impressed clients and staff will be when we use it. > >I saw an opening to help get more Macromedia Server products out there > >and did something about it. > > > >Macromedia periodically (pretty regularly) offers free half-day seminars > >that illustrate the power and benefits of ColdFusion. I'd see if > >they're happening near you and help let people know about it. If there > >isn't one near you, find a training partnerr in the area and talk with > >them about it. If that doesn't work, ask Macromedia if they can send > >Ben Forta, another empoyee, or even a Team Macromedia Member to your > >area to present. > > > >There's a lot you can do. I'm sure Rey has put in a lot of effort > >either now or in the past and I wasn't implying he hasn't. I am only > >stating that I'd prefer to hear something about what's being done. > >I know that a lot of you believe it's Macromedia's job to do all of the > >promoting, etc. and that the market should just be there. Maybe you're > >right, maybe you're wrong. I think Macromedia already does a lot, but > >that's beside the point. Macromedia can't focus heavilly on every area > >(they do try - just look at Ben Forta's schedule if you don't believe > >me) and if you live in an area that needs someone to help promote CF, > >it's going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt Macromedia if > >you don't do anything about it. I'm curious to see how people respond > >to ben's question... > > > >~Simon > > > -- > Jeffry Houser, Web Developer, Writer, Songwriter, Recording Engineer > AIM: Reboog711 | Phone: 1-203-379-0773 > -- > My Books: <http://www.instantcoldfusion.com> > My Recording Studio: <http://www.fcfstudios.com> > My Energetic Acoustic Rock Band: <http://www.farcryfly.com> > -- > When did Reality Become TV > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Sams Teach Yourself Regular Expressions in 10 Minutes by Ben Forta http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=40 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:182172 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
