Professional Organizations for Web Developers?

t1nman33 asks: "I have a degree in a field far removed from my current job as a web developer. While I know that I could have joined the SPJ if I had gone into broadcasting, I never learned of any equivalent associations for the web development field. I'd love to be active in a national or even local group to network, talk shop, keep up with recent developments in technology, go to awards presentations, and just hang out IRL with fellow geeks. Can anyone point me in the right direction?"

Comments

Have you considered...

[isaac]

How about the unemployment line? There's lots of "web developers" there. You can do all the networking and shop talk you want. And as for award presentation... everybody wins! The prize is a check, though the presenters don't stand on ceremony, and a lengthy acceptance speech will probably earn you a shove in the back from the next "award winning web developer."

-Isaac

Huh?

[Hard_Code]

I thought owning a geocities web page and having an HTML Writers Guild badge made you an official web developer. If that has changed, let me know, because I want in on this lucrative career of the future.