If you are interested in learning or sharing anything about designing, developing and supporting a great web site, service, app or online social network community, this group will not just explore, but we will discuss and possibly build, together.  This includes Javascript, HTML5, Ruby on Rails, MongoDB, mobile web support, CakePHP, WordPress and other content management systems.  But it does not stop there. 

This group will identify and explore the use of technologies, content, media and social elements that goes into supporting a Web 2.0/3.0 environment.  We won't just talk about these elements, we will use them to help each other build something.  In-depth exploration, discussion, experimentation and implementation of HTML5, Javascript, CSS, PHP, Ruby on Rails, any and all elements that support today's web environment and services will be executed.  

Meet our new organizers for DC Web Design Development Tech and Media Authority 

There's more to a web site than just the front end and various types of engines that do the work, you have to have somewhere to store the data itself right?  We will explore and discuss the different database models such as MySQL, MongoDB, CouchDB and many others that can be used, depending on the requirements of the web project.  While we we are at it, let's explore Cassandra.

So we will cover the web tech, content, media and the social elements of a website/service, but there is still more to it.  So web hosting services, types and features will be identified.  Everything from the use of shared hosting plans all the way up to Amazon Web Service (AWS) will be explored.  Members will be able to make better more informed decisions on hosting service selections based on what we experience together.

There is a lot involved in developing a website, a service platform, social network or other online environment.  You have the content, media, front and back ends of the solution that may leverage many pieces of technology fused together to make everything look great and function well.  Some of us don't have the skills, time and/or resources to design, develop and maintain a website. For those members we will identify the best content management system (CMS that meets their needs such s WordPress and other popular CMS solutions.  We will also explore emerging CMS solutions based on Ruby on Rails such as Locomotive, Radiant and Browser CMS to determine if they are worth the attention and time to implement.

Big ambitions right, well this is going to be a big group.

Using methods pioneered by JumpstartLab and Hungry Academy, we want to grow our own developers, including Ruby on Rails.

Folks, presentations are great, but this group is about more than that.  We are actually going to build developers, build web sites and new types of online services.

How will we accomplish all of this?

• Presentations from Ruby on Rails Pros, Javascript, HTML5, WordPress, CakePHP and other evangelists.
• Workshops (Hands On) introductions to new development tools, coding techniques, plugins, advance features and more
• Study Groups weekly smaller sessions at different locations to continue using web development toolkits on real world projects or just for fun
• Plugin development to extend the capabilities  of WordPress and other CMS solutions
• Hackathons  small and large, including conference size events hosted by our partners.

Talking about web design and development tech and not doing anything useful with it is not what this group is about.  We expect more and want to turn this into a real community of developers of all levels to learn,share and possibly collaborate on real world projects.

If this sound like something interesting that you want to be a part of, join us.  If you want to contribute to meetups, become an organizer or even be a moderator at our study halls, just let us know.

DC Web Design Development Tech and Media Authority is a part of Just Dev It (One) Network