GI Bill for Programmers: 1000 by November 2011

Over the past few days, I have enjoyed watching people discuss the need for building more programmers in our area. With Charlie throwing down the gauntlet for 250, Fred picking it up to 1000 and Nate offering his HoPE Manifesto, there seems to be a growing understanding for the need to grow our talent pool, instead of importing it - or fighting amoungst the other industries that pick it up.

Charlie mentioned the NYCEDC's initiative to work with the existing academic groups to improve and enhance the engineering and programming talent - which I applaud for the effort, but worry about the implementation. As Charlie says, because of the City's own (and necessary bureaucracy), it has to be careful to thread the needle properly (I have gone through this gauntlet with the COSp effort over the past two years).

But discussing a need for growing 250 or 1000 developers does not make it happen. We need a plan to create these developers - and we can discuss how either working in collaboration with government and academia - or working with the practical experts in the field (like at RubyNuby or NYCPython) - or both.

Collaborative Programming Education
About two years ago, I had asked the nextNY community if they would be interested in coaching their own - sort of an apprentice program that would help grow our own programmers. I began the effort to create a program that would emulate the effort I had created at Cooper Union in 2007 which resulted in six projects that could potentially become startups in their own right.

Interestingly enough - all of the students had no prior knowledge of the language they were using (Ruby), no prior work with collaborative technologies (e.g., wikis, blogs, etc) and were required to learn the language and server infrastructure between themselves. Instead of grading the students on how well they learned the language or implemented the data structures or RoR framework - they were graded on the progress of their development. And, little did I know, they were using the Lean Startup Methodology in their efforts.

NYTM - Change We Make or Stay the Course?

It has been an interesting conversation going on in the circles around NYC - where people are discussing the future of NYTM.  Charlie has a post or two on it (ummm, looks like one is gone), Corey has one, Nate has one, and Richie has one.

Gary provided his ten things - and Allen Stern has some sage advice lo - a year ago.  Heck, even I wrote one down that could discuss some of the root causes of how NYTech has a number of needs that should be addressed.

The challenge is - all of this bubbled to the top, not because of a problem with NYTM - but due o Scott's desire to pass on the reigns.

I had not, up until then, really heard of any complaints on NYTM and how it was done - outside of the space, the lineup and so on.  So, the question is - aside from some slight modifications, is there anything wrong with NYTM?

If youa re one who believes there is - then we could consider one of Charlie's suggestions (to disband it) or to modify it into an Association like NYSIA or SVASE.  Or we can leave what is be and work to improve it incrementally.

For my interest - I thought connecting the other NY Tech groups through the NYTM might play to the group's strengths - and provide a platform for other group leaders and reinforce the Tech Alliance that exists at the Meetup site.  Instead of competing in silos - working to share the discoveries with other communities (for example - some of the companies at the NY/Israel Tech Meetup are something to see in the NYTM) would be something.  And to share the spotlight of the NYTM with these other group leaders would only strengthen the community.

I have other thoughts - but I do not think there is anything "wrong" with NYTM - I think things can be improved - and given a chance and quality feedback (and volunteer support), the NYTM can only improve.

In politics, voters usually decide whether or not the country is going in the right direction or the wrong direction - and that metric often suggests Stay the Course or Change for the Better.

What do you think is happening?