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Tech BLOG - What's Happening in the TechMaine User Groups and SIGS:

  • News from the User Groups – March 2010

    iPhone User Group. There is renewed interest in starting an iPhone or mobile aps user group. Interested? Contact us. We’re looking for three or four volunteers to serve as group managers.

    Information Security. The InfoSEC user group has had a strong year so far, with excellent presentations and great conversation. Come join us!

    Linux. We re-started LUG in January. The group managers are interested in planning interactive, engaging meetings. Come to a meeting or contact us for details, and spread the word. LUG meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at TechMaine.

    Project Leadership. Also recently re-started is the Project Leadership Special Interest Group. Check the SIG page at www.techmaine.com/plsig for meeting details and slides from past meetings. Come join us!

    PHP. Come to the April meeting (04-13-10) and join us a few minutes early for pizza, courtesy of the April meeting sponsor, Rainstorm Consulting.

    Web Designers. We’re trying something different this month: the First Annual Web Design Review. Check the event listing for details. This will be fun. www.techmaine.com/wdug

    Usability/UX. Our new group managers, Shannon McHarg, Ken Shoemake and Charlie Welty, have set up some excellent meetings this year, with some unusual/different topics. Don’t miss the meetings! www.techmaine.com/uuug

    Drupal. We’re growing steadily. Lots of people who haven’t used Drupal before are beginning to see why there is such huge interest in Drupal. Our attendees range from stage one newbies to seasoned Drupal hackers ... so don’t be shy about coming to meetings. Everyone is welcome.

    Java. Be sure to check the schedule at www.techmaine.com/mainejug, as we have been straying from the traditional same-time-slot schedule. This is partly to accommodate special opportunities (speakers who will be in town, but not on our regular schedule) and partly to address attendee requests that we not always meet on the same day of the week.
     

  • Linux User Group starts up again, January 2010

    TechMaine Linux User Group will be meeting on the first Wednesday of the month, starting on January 6, 2010.

    Meetings will take place at the TechMaine Technology Center, 506 Main Street, Westbrook, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

    Check the LUG page for details, and to register to attend. No charge; open to the public.

  • Video Link to Target Technology Center

    Starting in September, 2009, TechMaine will be broadcasting user group meetings to the Target Technology Center in Orono.

    This will expand the "reach" of the user group meetings northward, and will also expand our access to excellent user group presenters, as technologists in the Orono/Bangor area will be able to present from that location.

    When you look at events in the Technology Events listing, you will now see that some events are listed as taking place at TechMaine, Westbrook and at Target Tech, Orono. Please select which location you plan to attend, when you register.

    And, especially if you're planning to attend at Orono, please register! The user group meetings are free to attendees, but it's very helpful to get an accurate count of attendees; and if there is a change in schedule we want to be able to contact you.

     

  • Forums by email

    Some of the Drupal group members experimented with a module that allows members of any of the user groups to receive and respond to forum posts by email.

    It seems to work, so we're turning it on now. It allows the forums to work more or less as list-servers, for those group members who would prefer not to sign in and navigate to the actual forum. But you can still see all the posts in the forum, as usual.

    Please contact us if you come accross any issues.

    Note: You can change your notifications settings in My Account >> Notifications >> Groups (you need to log in first, then you'll see My Acount in the menu on the left).

     

     

  • User Groups on Vacation in July

    The TechMaine User Groups are on summer break in July -- but there are still things to do.

    We need some new group managers for several of the groups, and we need suggestions for speakers and topics for the late summer/fall schedules. Please contact us if you would like to get involved in managing one of the groups, if you want to present at a meeting, or if you have ideas for other speakers.

    See you in August!

  • New User Group / SIG Sponsorship Opportunities

    Starting now, TechMaine is offering three new sponsorship options, for companies, vendors or individuals who would like to help support one of our user groups or SIGS.

    In addition to the annual primary and secondary sponsor options, companies can now choose:

    • Meeting Sponsorship, $150. This is a sponsorship of a meeting. The sponsor's logo/link is posted on the user group/SIG page for the month and on the event listing. For sponsored meetings, TechMaine will bring in pizzas for the meeting.
    • Product Sponsorship, $250 retail value item. Vendors can sponsor a meeting by offering a door prize drawing item (something relevant to the group, of course) with a retail value of $250 or more. As with the meeting sponsorship, the company's logo/link is posted on the group/SIGs page for the month and in the event listing. (If the vendor also wishes to cover the cost of pizzas for the meeting, we'll do that, too.)
    • Annual "Friend of" sponsor, $500. The companies name/link is posted on the user group/SIG's page for the year. Also includes a compact banner on the main user group page for 3 months, and some other visibility on the site (ask for details).

    Sometime soon we will set up an online page for companies to use to arrange one of these sponsorships -- but for now, please just have anyone interested contact me. (Telephone: 207-857-3003 x103). 

    Todd Woofenden, TechMaine

  • TechMaine Reference Library

    Just added to the TechMaine site's main navigation: Reference Library.

    You have probably seen some of the most recent technology titles as door prizes at our user group/SIG meetings. But did you know, for most titles we also hold a copy in our Reference Library?

    TechMaine members may check out books; and non-members are welcome to browse the library during normal business hours.

    • Check out the latest acquisitions on the New Books page.
    • See a list of recent titles related to a specific user group on the user group's page.
    • Search for a title, and find out if it's available to check out, on the Reference Library page.

     

  • TechMaine on Twitter

    In response to multiple requests/suggestions, we are now using Twitter for event announcements, etc.

    Follow us on Twitter at /techmaine -- and tell us what kinds of things, and how often, you would like us to post to Twitter.

    The initial plan is to post reminders of user group events and other TechMaine events, and to post when new meetings are added to the calendar, and so on.

    Let us know what's useful, and what isn't.

  • DCUG - Great Meeting. What Next?

    Thanks to Bob Froberg of Fairpoint for a great behind-the-scenes presentation last week on Fairpoint's buildout in Maine. We had a full house, and a lively conversation.

    Looking forward: the Digital Communications User Group has been meeting on a fairly informal basis. If you enjoyed this presentation, and/or if you have a great topic for another DCUG meeting in mind, please contact us. Maybe YOU would like to present?

    Check the DCUG page on TechMaine.com periodically for event listings -- but please contact us any time if you come across a good topic or presenter that we should invite.

  • Cloud Hosting, Shared Server, Co-lo ... Lots to Talk About

    Thanks to Tim Brooks of Integra Strategic Technology Consulting and Chase Saunders of IC Solutions, Inc. for an excellent WDUG panel discussion last night. The discussion ranged from advice and information on different types of hosting solutions -- shared server, dedicated server, cloud hosting, et. -- to secure vs. insecure ways of connecting and updating, backing up, and more.

    We were pleased to see a number of Adult Ed students there last night, and hope to see them at future TechMaine user group events. While the content of the WDUG meetings ventures into "advanced" sometimes, these meetings are a perfect way for technology students to meet people working in the field and get a sense of the subject matter in action. And, you might meet someone who will be hiring!

    One of our panelists, Dan Eosco of Maine Hosting Solutions, got stuck behind the tractor-trailer incident on I-295, and didn't make it.

    Dan sent me this photo at around quarter of. Doesn't look like fun.

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    We'll have to catch up with you later, Dan.

    Maine Hosting Solutions hosts the TechMaine website.

    Next WDUG meeting is April 20. Details soon!