NodeSchool Wisconsin Premiere Event Post-Mortem

NodeSchool Wisconsin Premiere Event Post-Mortem - 

BarCamp Green Bay, Nov. 1st, 2014.

NodeSchool Wisconsin got off to a good start by having a learning event in conjunction with BarCamp Green Bay.  The event was held at NorthEast Wisconsin Technical College.

Positives:

• The room.  BarCamp Green Bay dedicated one room to NodeSchool Wisconsin, and NWTC provided a beautiful room that was very conducive to group learning.
• The Internet connection was fast and responsive.  This isn't something that we should take for granted.
• Snacks.  Snacks are always a good idea.  I was able to bring some snacks, courtesy of Smart Social Media.

• Stickers.  We had NodeSchool Wisconsin stickers to give out, also courtesy of Smart Social Media.  People seemed to like that.
• NWTC's event staff was courteous and responsive to requests all day long.
• Since NodeSchool started in the afternoon, I was able to take advantage of the free room by running a "Vagrant and Docker" training session while trying to set up the lab computers with the NodeSchool interface. 
• Blake Hall is amazing and provided valuable assistance and insight throughout the day.

Negatives:

• We spent a lot of time trying to configure the lab computers with Vagrant and Docker, but then discovered that some of the ports had been closed by the NWTC sysadmin, meaning that we could install everything, but couldn't figure out a way to ssh into the box.  In retrospect, we should have considered using workshopper instead.  Another thought would be to simply use some sort of vagrant "port checker" to run at the beginning of the install on an unfamiliar network.
• Being associated with BarCamp GreenBay was great, but some attendees did not bring their own laptop or have any programming knowledge, which was something that I hadn't really prepared for.  I had assumed that most people would want to learn node.js like me.  Luckily, I don't mind explaining the basics of programming, but we didn't really have nodeschool material prepared for users with no programming experience.
• NodeSchool was sparsely populated until the last hour of BarCamp, and given that the exercises usually take 2-3 hours, there wasn't much time for work.  People seemed to appreciate it, nonetheless.

Lessons learned:

• Prepare an "intro to programming" track for those with no experience.  I referred them to JavaScript for Cats, but I'm not sure if this was the best starter resource.
• Consider bringing at least one "loaner" laptop pre-configured with Vagrant, Docker, and the NodeSchool exercises.
• See if the new Workshopper interface solves some of the configuration problems listed above.

Pictures from the event  (the whole BarCamp album is here):

Ubuntu Snappy, a new era in containerized awesomeness?

Yesterday, Mark Shuttleworth announced the beta of Ubuntu "Snappy" Core.  At first, this is a confusing announcement, but I think that it shows insight into how developers are using linux to deliver solutions.
With the emergence of parameterized containerization tools like Docker, developers have the ability to control the creation of a linux machine with flexibility and specificity that was previously unimaginable.  Will it catch on?  Probably, but time will tell.

Here's the announcement:

Arcades in VR. This is awesome.

This is the beginning of something big.  New Retro Arcade is the tip of an iceburg in immersive VR.  Are you nostalgic for old arcades?  You can now bring them back.  We are getting close to replicating "The Basement" or the planet "Arcade" from Ernest Cline's Ready Player One.  I can't wait.



Multiplayer, archival of historical spaces, integration with physical items like arcade sticks and wheels, and real world mapping appear to be the next steps here, but it's already awesome enough to blow people's minds.

Disclaimer:  I am not involved with this project, but I'd love to participate.