Expect to be patient. Expect to hear terminology used incorrectly. Expect to still have autonomy - you reserve the right to not work with someone or on a project. Expect to explain complex problems in simple terms (rule of thumb for teaching a programming language or framework: if you can explain it to your parents, you can explain it to anyone). Expect to support a business (e.g. cafe) if you’re using their space.
Do not expect to work after the session. While we want to build relationships, we don't want to fuel burn out. Do what you can, when you can. Do not expect to be able to solve every problem.
Ask a Dev is not responsible for any changes to code you touch or for any advice you provide and what comes of it. All services are provided as is, by you, not Ask a Dev, and those services come without warranty of any kind. We encourage you to announce a disclaimer before working on production code. Be careful. Be clear. Protect yourself.
Follow an "office hours" approach: high-accessibility, low-pressure, dedicated window.
At the start of a meet-up, a mentor should give a welcome speech and explain the event. There's no script to follow, and no announcements to be made. Simply tell the attendees what to expect. (e.g. 'This is an 'office-hours' style event, and we're to help you with whatever issues you're having on your projects. The mentors here tonight are x, y, and z. Feel free to ask us any questions.')
Some chapters have had success with having each attendee tell the group what they're working on, and each mentor what they can help with. This helps the right attendees and mentors find each other, and promotes conversation among attendees from the start.
At the very least, the mentors should all introduce themselves. (e.g. 'My name is Eric, and I can help you with x language and y framework.')
Most importantly, be available to help when you say you will be.
This collective aims to start local communities. We encourage reaching out to places that aren't dev-centric (e.g. a message board for videographers) or places that are in orbit (e.g. a project manager Slack group). Some cities have event calendars to post to. When using a third-party service (e.g. Eventbrite), use succinct copy and include the website in full (https://askadev.org). We utilize an organization Meetup account for cross-promotion.
In-person is a great way to promote; not every dev at a talk or hosted meetup is an expert, and they wouldn't be there if they weren't trying to learn already. Frequent other events in your city and give talks at related meetups or code schools.
When creating a new event, ensure it's listed:
- On askadev.org
- In the proper Meetup group; note what disciplines will be represented (e.g. Alice - Python, Java)
- On relevant community boards or other third-party services
Stickers and business cards will be sent to chapter founders and more can be sent on request. As a collective, we'll offer as much help as we can, but we can't guarantee promoting an event besides listing it on the site. We’ll connect you with other mentors in the same city to coordinate ideal spots.
Brand assets (including logo, sample poster, and business card template) and standards are available in a public Figma file.
We prefer public, accessible places with reliable WiFi. Cafes and university libraries are perfect. Feel free to check ahead and ensure there's space before setting up an event. If it’s a business, please patronize them and encourage your participants to patronize. Always, always respect others around you.
While meetings can occur in a loaned space - like an agency's common area - we aim to avoid the pressure of coming to a dedicated building. Public spaces are relaxed, allow serendipitous walk ups, and have no ulterior agenda.
When you're hosting a session, ensure the Ask a Dev logo is prominently displayed (e.g. business card, sticker, or tablet). Like a lighthouse.
When you say you're going to be there, be there. If you can't due to unforeseen circumstances, ensure that another mentor will be present. When you know far enough ahead of time, reschedule on all published channels. Contact leadership if need be. We have zero-tolerance for no shows.
Having a regular schedule (e.g. first Wednesday of month from 5 to 8) in a consistent location is ideal, but we understand it's not always achievable. At minimum, one event per month.
(With thanks to the Portland Python User Group)
The Ask a Dev Meetup is dedicated to providing a harassment-free community for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, body size, race, nationality, or religious beliefs. We do not tolerate harassment of community members in any form. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the community at the discretion of the Ask a Dev organizers. These rules apply to our monthly in-person Meetups, any interactions on meetup.com, our Slack channel, or other Ask a Dev-related communications.
Harassment includes offensive verbal or written comments related to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, body size, race, nationality, or religious beliefs, deliberate intimidation, threats, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any Ask a Dev event or communication channel. Community members asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
If a community member engages in harassing behavior, the Ask a Dev organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender, expulsion from the Ask a Dev community, and/or expelling the offender from the venue we’re presenting in. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an Ask a Dev organizer immediately, or as soon as you feel comfortable doing so.
The Ask a Dev organizers are:
Tim Shedor: [email protected]
If you have questions or feedback about this Code of Conduct please contact one of the organizers.
This Code of Conduct, like its inspiration from the Portland Python User Group, is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license.
Max your time per person to 15 minutes if there’s backup. If you hit that threshold, set the person you're helping onto a task. This parallelism will allow participant one to remain engaged while giving participant two attention.
Whether you're a new programmer, a veteran exploring a new language, or a tech-adverse soul lost in a sea of WYSIWYG site generators, we're here to help. Join us for a few hours every other week as we answer your frustrations.
Ideally, two or more mentors are present at every event to keep each other in check. We also provide a means for participants to contact us to report bad behavior/low quality advice.