Support Your Local ... DNUG?

Akallabeth, the Arch-Lich writes: "New to town, I was trolling around for a LUG or two, and found this. Find your own DNUG here. Now, I can see the need for a support group for .NET users group, as no one really knows what it does. But, an UG founded by for-profit companies? That are Microsoft Certified Partners? With prize givaways listed on the meeting schedule? Something don't smell right. Oh, and they have banner ads too." However genuine or organized, local "support groups" seem like a good idea to me. Maybe we could all go toss a frisbee?

Comments

Get your ...

[ImaLamer]

Get your sandwich boards and banners ready!

Now that we know the .net people's physical locations we can show up and protest!

Why protest? Because we don't like anything Microsoft!

No... really... a better idea would be to show up and hand out slackware and debian CD's.

Not So Strange

[wsloand]

This doesn't really seem all that strange to me. My mother was a member of DECUS (Digital Equipment Corporation Users Society) in the early 1970s. When I tried to go to their homepage, I was sent to encompassus.com -- encompass is HP's user group.

There are lots of these out there. Just because it's for profit doesn't mean that it can't have a community behind it.

Bill

Dot Net Users Group == Good Idea

[decipher_saint]

I'm a senior developer for the company I work for and I've been using .NET for just over 2 months. Management has it in their heads that they want to move our web-based contract negotiation software to .NET in the next year or so, somehow we have to get everyone up to speed on .NET as fast as possible. DNUG sounds like an ideal way of getting people started.

"Something don't smell right"
I hear that bias clogs ones sinus cavities.

Re:What's the issue ?

[FortKnox]

I totally agree. I have a friend that started a DNUG that helps out people trying to learn .NET. And they have a good time, just like I do in my local Java UG.
Oh, and my company hosts (and hands out prizes, etc..) JUG's. Why? Because we are a J2EE house, and we enjoy having Java developers in the company's building to encourage them to jump in our company and consult J2EE.

Is that bad, or smart?

Something important to learn:
EVERYTHING Microsoft does IS NOT bad! Sure, they've done stuff in the past that you don't like, but it doesn't mean everything they do is wrong.