Several months ago, I tried to get a Xojo users group started here in Richmond, VA. There was some interest, especially from users in the Northern Virginia / Washington, DC area. However, it was very difficult to find a time and location that was convenient for everyone.
More recently I’ve been wondering if a virtual users group might be a better alternative. The group would meet online (using something like Zoom), perhaps once per month. We’d talk about the latest Xojo-related news and happenings, etc, and then have a presentation or two by members of the community. No commitments, no pressure, no fuss. Just another way for the community to get together, learn and share things, and get to know one another.
I’m wondering if there is any interest in starting a group like this. If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas, and if you’d like to be involved in some way (perhaps as a member / attendee or as a presenter)…
I like the Zoom service as it allows connecting from Linux as well as the other platforms. I see it allows for the recording of the presentations but only 1GB of storage for these presentations. Could the recorded presentations be moved to another service with more room at a later time? I think having the meetings available for others (other time zones?) would be a great feature of the group.
Thanks for all of the terrific feedback and ideas! It seems as though there is enough interest in this to move forward and give it a try.
I think the biggest challenge is going to be finding a time that works well for everyone - or at least most everyone. However, I am planning to record the meetings, so that they can be viewed on demand. And while a recording won’t have all of the benefits as participating in the live event, I suppose it is better than nothing.
With the holidays coming up, I think it might be best to hold the first meeting in January. That will also give me time to choose a presentation system, line up a few presentations, and so on. (If you are interested in presenting, please DM me.)
I’ll be back in touch soon with details. In the meantime, please keep your ideas coming.
I’d be happy with a morning session (my time) 7am is not too early for me, but it would have to be mid week to get everyone on a week day. Don’t forget to take Daylight savings into consideration.
Having 2 sessions is not a bad idea. The only issue would be the presenters being able to present to both or have someone else who can present on their behalf. Or maybe just play the presentation back later & have someone else available to answer any questions.
How about rotating the meeting time over a period of four months. One at approx GMT, next at approx GMT + 6, next at approx GMT + 12 and the last at GMT + 18. This should give all of us the ability to participate in three+ meetings per year (for me 9 out of 12) at a usable time and spread the load of organizing to four people.
