Sounds good. When do we start?

Is this the only portland php users group?

[quote="boice"]Sounds good. When do we start?[/quote]
I guess what I'm trying to ask is 'what are we starting?' A definition of the member profile application should emerge over time with input from members. Let's give it at least a week's worth of discussion and then switch gears to producing it.

We'll need to decide who should program it. I don't want to be the one to do coding, but I would be happy to help with program design.

These are the elements I propose:

[list]
[b]1. [/b]For discussion, we will call this application the 'Member Profile Application', or MPA.[/list:u][list][b]2. [/b]In order to reduce duplicate information, the application would share user profile information with phpbb. For instance, the user's username and password would be stored and retrieved from the phpbb database. If the user doesn't have an account with phpbb, he can create one at the member profile interface instead of going to phpbb.[/list:u][list][b]3. [/b]Once the user has an account, he can log in and continue with the process. MPA will provide a web form to log in from.[/list:u][list][b]4.[/b] MPA will have a home page that explains the purpose of MPA and gives some overall directions and guidelines for using it.[/list:u][list][b]5.[/b] Once the user logs in, he will fill out some web forms that gather information about his skills and experience. I suggest making this simple at first, and evolving it over time if there is the demand is there. This information would be stored in a database. At the very least, the user should be able to enter a few paragraphs about his bio, experience and abilities. There should also be a way for the user to set the profile so that it doesn't display to the public.[/list:u][list][b]6. [/b]Finally, there will be a profile page that displays the profiles.[/list:u]

[quote="boice"]Is this the only portland php users group?[/quote]
Yes. Somebody owns [url=http://phppdx.org]phppdx.org[/url], but I tried contacting them a year ago, and I never got a reply.

I think the member showcase is an excellent idea. If you are interested in helping desgin the application I will do the coding. I know that you are a pretty skilled software designer and I would be willing to follow your lead.

I also propose releasing the member showcase in conjunction with a new design for the site. The site would have a global navigation that will allow you to use the forums, view the member showcase, and other things such as the mission statement.

This will give us a basic but whole site. Other modules can then be added down the road.

Yes! This all sounds good. Now we just need to "get going!"

:shock:

I call for a meeting.

I created a new topic so we can discuss a meeting time.

[quote="moxley"][quote="boice"]Is this the only portland php users group?[/quote]
Yes. Somebody owns [url=http://phppdx.org]phppdx.org[/url], but I tried contacting them a year ago, and I never got a reply.[/quote]

I'm that "Somebody." My name is Pete Mackie. Here's a bit of my background. I acquired the phppdx.org domain because I've had a plan for some time to form a greater Portland PHP developers SIG named PHP Portland Users Group. Both work and personal commitments have kept me from moving ahead with this effort.

I've owned and successfully managed my own software company for 26 years. I'm am experienced in writing software on the Mac and Windows using all the modern day programming languages. For the past two plus years, I've been writing Web applications using PHP. My company, Seaquest Software, Web site, www.seaquest.us and www.gearhartresort.com are examples of my PHP based Web site development.

As a personal interest, side effort, I've taught Java / J2EE, XML, and PHP programming at PCC for the past three years. My PHP class is certainly the most popular, followed by XML. My computer courses are listed at: www.computers.pcc.edu

I have considerable experience what's required to establish and make sure that BOF organizations succeed. I'm a founder and past president of the Software Association of Oregon (SAO): www.sao.org. My recent SAO responsibilities have be as SAO Board Member Emeritus, for software developer programs, principally the SAO Developer's SIG meetings.

Seaquest Software also provides AMP based Web hosting services running on a group of Linux servers. Additionally, we provide assistance in deploying and using the WAMP development environment. I know a lot about AMP web site development that I plan to share with others. For example, I have an easy-to-deply WAMP development environment. I've packaged the PHP with PEAR part into a one click install.

In order to support PHP developer's Web site design and development, I've created an online forum, which will be announced later this summer.The stub of the forum can be viewed at www.questforums.com

Pete Mackie
pete@seaquest.com

What is the status of this? Also, Moxley, when did you want to start working on the group's by-laws, etc.?

Should we check out getting 501 or 503 non-profit status, etc.?

Richard

[b]The member profile application:[/b]
If anybody would like to volunteer to build (or install a phpbb plugin for) such an application, by all means, step forward.

[b]Regarding by-laws:[/b]
Based on the feeling I got about the general makeup of the group, I'd say that our current mission statement will do for the near future. However, I see no reason for any person not to create a draft of our by-laws and present them to the group for comment or approval.

[b]Non-profit status:[/b]
I definitely think it would be a good thing to have non-profit status. When and if money ever flows through the organization, it would only seem fair that we didn't pay taxes on it. I know very little about the process of becoming 501 or 503 non-profit. Do you have any experience with it?