*Boy, how tribal, global-guerrilla, and post-Westphalian Warcraft-geek of them.
http://www.neonguild.org/why.htm
The Neon Guild is an association of technology professionals in Charlottesville/Albemarle and beyond. Established in 1996, we currently have over 400 members.
It's very casual and friendly. Tech folks from surrounding areas are welcome as well. Great place to get info, help, ask questions and talk about what you do. Best place in town to get a tech job or hire a techie. Free pizza and beer, too.
With internet technologies changing at a dizzying pace, it's hard to keep up. Sometimes it's easier to simply ask someone about something you are trying to accomplish, rather than poring through manuals, searching on the web, taking tutorials, etc. That's what the Neon Guild is all about.
It's also interesting to learn about what kinds of projects others are working on. The best thing about the Guild is forming relationships with others. If you know the other members and know what their skill sets are, often it's just easier to sub-contract out a piece of your job to someone else who can do it better or faster than you can. It works the other way around, too. Once other members get to know what you can do, they can forward projects your way.
As a community, we're also interested in helping others who want to explore this field. Many of our members do pro bono work, mentor high school kids, donate their equipment, teach, etc. If you're interested in participating, we can put you in contact with people who would love to use your skills.
