Meetings are on the first weekday of the month!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 6:00pm

Topic: Building Scalable and Maintainable Web Applications (by Tom Cornilliac)
Location: OSU-Cascades Campus, Cascades Hall Room 118 (directions)
Cascades Hall is the last building on the right for anyone heading N. on College Way (or the first campus building on the left for anyone coming off Mt. Washington). No permits necessary for street parking, library parking (just across the street) or bookstore parking.

Learn to use design patterns and frameworks to build agile web
applications that scale.

After the presentation we will head somewhere to socialize! Any suggestions?

If you are interested in attending please contact Jen, or visit the page for this event at upcoming.org and click "I'm attending".

Agenda:
6:15pm - Announcements and door prizes
6:30pm - Presentation by Tom Cornilliac
8:00pm - Social at ... ?

Labels: meetings

COWPU member Owen Dearing was featured in the Business section of today's Bend Bulletin. You can read it online or in the 11/20 edition.

While you are at it, check out Owen's fabulous website and take a look at the beautiful mugs he creates.

Congrats, Owen!

Labels: interviews

We had a great turnout at last night's meeting, and crammed twenty five people into the library conference room. Big thank you to everyone who attended... including hiring managers from several staffing companies and business owners around town.

Hint: if you are a web geek in Central Oregon looking for a part-time or full-time local gig... the COWPU is the place to be!

The only problem with our group's growth is that we have outgrown the Hutchinson room at the library. There seems to be no hope of getting the larger (downstairs) meeting room at a reasonable time, so it is time to find a new "COWPU Central".

I have a few suggestions from members, but would love to consider as many options as we can. One major difficulty is that COWPU doesn't have a bank account or a budget so we really need to find some friendly folks who are willing to let us use their space at no charge. It is really nice to hold the meetings downtown, since that seems to be a central location with plenty of parking. To accommodate our group's growth we need to find a room that can hold 30-50 people. Of course Wifi is always a plus... we are web geeks after all.

Any thoughts? Do you have an "in" somewhere? Let me know!

Labels: announcements

PU-Camp is coming in January...

Want to learn more? Come to the COWPU meeting this Thursday!

Labels: announcements

Don't forget this month's meeting THIS THURSDAY, November 15, 2007 at 6:00pm!

Topic: Building Data Based Applications with Rails (by Simeon Bateman)
Location: Deschutes Public Library, Hutchinson Room (near the periodicals), 601 N.W. Wall Street, Bend 97701

Click here for full info!

Yes! There will be a raffle again this month. I have a copy of Build Your Own Ruby on Rails Web Applications (courtesy of O'Reilly) and a coffee mug (courtesy of Owen at Mug Revolution)

If you are interested in attending please contact Jen, or visit the page for this event at upcoming.org and click "I'm attending".

Agenda:
6:15pm - Announcements and door prizes
6:30pm - Presentation by Simeon Bateman
8:00pm - Social at McMenamin's (O'Kanes)

Labels: meetings

Overview:
Our client focuses on technologies that efficiently and reliably convert the energy of sunlight into useable electrical power. Our client’s technology generates clean, renewable power without depleting any natural resources or impacting our environment in any way. Our client designs, manufactures, and markets the solar power industry's most efficient photovoltaic solar inverter solutions. Their vision is to spur the widespread adoption of solar power, with a focus on assisting our distributors, dealers and installers to be successful in this dynamic market, by ensuring that our products are the best supported, easiest to install, and most reliable solar inverters in the industry.

Our client offers a competitive salary, attractive benefits package, and a chance to change the world.

Responsibilities:

• Lead role in architecting, developing, refining, and managing Web-based inverter monitoring >and management system
• Act as both lead architect for front and back-end web system as well as key implementer of Ruby on Rails database driven web applications
• Implement applications with standards compliant HTML and CSS
• Work closely with product and project managers, engineers, and senior management to define and refine platform to meet the needs of key stakeholders
• Contribute new and innovative ideas to rapidly evolving web monitoring platform and to support management team in decision making
• Write technical software specifications and documentation

Required Qualifications:

• Strong software development background, familiar with all aspects of the software development life cycle
• Demonstrated Ruby on Rails experience including at least two major projects
• Experience with other scripting languages such as Perl or PHP
• Comfortable with Linux, Apache, Mongrel, MySQL, PSQL, AJAX and other open source tools and technologies
• Experience with software quality management tools such as SVN, Trac, Bugzilla
• Database design and administration experience, ideally with focus on managing time series data
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering preferred
• 5+ years experience in web-based system architecture design and development

Desired Attributes:

• Good time management skills with project management experience a plus
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• Stay abreast of latest technologies and trends
• Balance working hard with playing hard

Other
Our client offers a competitive salary, attractive benefits package, and a chance to change the world.

Submit resume to jobs@mcdonaldplacement.com.

Read the COWPU job posting policy.

Labels: jobs

In case you haven't noticed (and quite a few of you have) COWPU is now on everyone's favorite social network - Facebook.

I also added COWPU to LinkedIn... Just add "Central Oregon Web Professionals' Usergroup (COWPU)" to the Experience section of your profile. While you're at it feel free to give yourself a (goofy or serious) job title.

Get the word out, and be a sheep... join our groups! :)

Labels: announcements

Organic Search Specialist
Acxiom Digital

Acxiom Digital’s Search team is looking for an Organic Search Specialist to facilitate the day to day progress of clients’ search engine marketing campaigns and ensuring timely completion and success of projects. The Organic Search Specialist position will be responsible for the creation, optimization, and execution of client search initiatives.

This position requires an individual that can manage multiple tasks at once and independently manage their own time. Attention to process and detail is a must. This person must be passionate about search based communications and personally vested
in setting the industry standards for Acxiom Digital.

Primary Responsibilities

• Establish keyword and copy strategies
• Conduct keyword research using industry tools and methodologies
• Provide a complete analysis of a website’s keyword market
• Create content recommendations
• Hand written and rules based optimization for Titles and META tags for client campaigns
• Consult and troubleshoot HTML/text recommendations
• Consult on website architecture recommendations
• Research, identify, and document basic website architecture issues
• Support Search Production manager in client initiatives
• Support Account Manager in client initiatives
• Conducts all quality assurance checks to ensure the final product meets client expectations
• Participate on cross functional teams to develop new products, tools and procedures
• Ongoing professional development: Gain industry knowledge on SEO methodologies with the major search engines including Google, Yahoo and MSN

Required Skills/Experience

• Qualities
• Analytical thinker – excellent analytical skills needed
• Problem solver - able to come up with solutions
• Quick learner - able to multi-task on multiple projects simultaneously
• Detail oriented - exceptionally strong work ethic and attention to detail
• Self motivated - strong ability to work independently & collaboratively in a deadline driven environment
• Skills
• Strong command of the English language. Excellent writing and grammar skills needed
• Knowledge of and comfort with software tools such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint, including the ability to quickly learn new desktop applications
• Basic understanding of the web, HTML and other common programming languages required
• Experience
• 1-2 years of professional online experience (media buying or web design) is preferred, but is not required
• Previous search engine optimization (SEO) experience is preferred, but is not required

Bachelors Degree / Computer science preferred.

To apply, please email your resume to: digimpintcal@acxiom.com

Read the COWPU job posting policy.

Labels: jobs

Do you want to join an energetic startup-environment company gaining traction in their market?

Azteria is creating a new web based value chain for specific industry verticals that replaces existing, entrenched solutions that predate the internet. We enable licensed workers and their employers, such as Registered Nurses and hospitals, to connect directly eliminating the need for print advertising, job boards or agencies. In specific verticals, we aggregate jobs, maintain a database of every employer and track supply and demand for skill sets. Our goal is to create a new value chain like Craig's List, plentyoffish and others have done by eliminating outdated restrictions on the use of information.

We are in need of a Lead Engineer that is a wizard in a Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP environment. You will be responsible for the show and hire engineers under you as resources permit. You must be able to operate from a command line in Linux. Pay is commensurate with experience, plus equity for people with exceptional experience.

Cultural fit and a sense of style is a must. The successful candidate will be a nice, driven, intellectually curious person who can understand the business side of a software application and enjoy life in Bend. We encourage contrarian points of view with a dispassionate fact and observation based point of view to make all parts of our business better. You will contribute to priorities through our constructive, open confrontational environment so together we create the best service possible.

Please e-mail or call me directly with referrals and direct responses.

Lloyd Fassett
Azteria
Inc.
(541) 306-3690 Pacific Standard Time
lloyd@azteria.com
www.azteria.com

Read the COWPU job posting policy.

Labels: jobs

The Best Accessory You Can Buy for the iPhone

"The book that should have been in the box" but be glad it wasn't because the book wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is or as funny. The Author is constantly making comments on how inferrer the at&t Edge network is, and the way he does it is amusing. I was one of those people who had to get the iPhone on the first day of issue, and have used it everyday since, this book is the best accessory you can buy for your iPhone hands down. There are time saving tips, short cuts in every chapter and even a few money saving tips like how to make free yes FREE overseas phone calls using your iPhone. I bought this book as a reference and ended up reading the whole book cover to cover. It's well written, concise and has lots of photos and examples. One of the areas I found most useful in this book was how to use your iPhone to sync addresses and address books from multiple computers using your iPhone. That info itself was worth the price of the book, it was a huge time saver for me. If you own an iPhone I highly recommend this book to unlock the power of your awesome device.

~Randy, COWPU Member

More reviews of iPhone: The Missing Manual at Amazon

Labels: "book reviews"

1. Tell us about your blog – what inspired you to start?

I actually started it out of unemployment. When I was laid off several years back, I told myself that I needed something online to send to prospective employers. It originally started off as a subdomain under another one of my domains (jake.orty.com -- link still works) and had my resume and portfolio prominent. Pretty much every personal domain I owned pointed there. I was unemployed a grand total of two weeks, but I wanted to keep the blog going, as I loved writing and loved venting (I was a columnist in college, so I was even paid to do it then). I originally kept it up just for fun, but once it started getting some traffic, the site started getting popular, somehow got a mention in the New York Times, and things have just gotten crazy from there. Even two years after I started the blog things were far more nutty than I'd imagined they'd ever be. I wish I had more time to spend on it, as it's a blast for me to work on.


2. Where did you grow up?

I haven't actually grown up mentally, but if you're talking where I grew up physically, I was born, raised, and have spent my entire life in Bend. Or at least the 9770x zip code range, as I lived south of Bend out by Sunriver (97707) and going to Bend schools for many years before moving into Bend (97701) when I was 12.

3. What is your favorite ice cream flavor and brand?

Dreyer's Cookies 'N Cream. Not really an ice cream guy, but I could eat a ton of that stuff. I'm more of a cookies kind of guy, and prefer to munch vanilla ice cream between a couple of big toll-house cookies and make a sandwich out of that. Good stuff right there.

4. What was your first job?

First job where I got a W2: Working for my dad when I was 14. My dad owned a hot tub maintenance company in Sunriver. Since I couldn't drive, I had a bike with a kiddy trailer behind it, loaded with spa chemicals and cleaning devices.
First geek job: Online Editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald. They didn't have an online editor before, just a Webmaster, and I basically got the job by e-mailing their editors, telling them bluntly that their Web site sucked and I could help them make it better. A month later, I was working there for the next three years until I graduated.

5. How did you get involved with Cascade Winds? Why can't you convince them to meet on some day other than Thursday?

I've be a percussionist (fancy word for drummer who can read music) since I was in the 6th grade when every kid was forced to pick between band, choir, or orchestra. We couldn't afford anything elaborate, and my parents knew I couldn't sing, so banging on things looked like a good idea. My dad was a drummer and I wanted to be, too. When I was a freshman in high school, I was friends with a senior in the band at Mountain View that was in the COCC Band (precursor to the Cascade Winds). He said the band was looking for percussionists, and with my HS band teacher's blessing, I went up there and gave it a whirl. Thirteen or so years later, I'm basically the senior member of the section, though I got my dad up there to start playing a couple years after I started (and he hadn't played for 25 years at that point). I've since played with a variety of local groups. The band's been around for decades, and has always been on Thursday nights as that's how it fell into place during the week of evening rehearsals -- Mondays were Symphony, Tuesdays were choral, Wednesdays were Big-band Jazz, and Thursdays were Concert Band. It's been that way ever since, and stays that way because many people play in one or more of the groups. Since they've been around far longer than COWPU, we're just not going to have that conversation -- I guess the better question is, why can't COWPU meet up on another day of the week? :-P

6. Why are you a member of COWPU?

I met Jen way back in the day when we both worked at the Statesman Journal in Salem. I was in college as an intern in their online department, while she had some sort of official title of some sort. Wasn't quite sure what it was, but I think it had something to do with harassing online department interns. Anyway, when she moved to Bend, we got in touch again, and she had mentioned starting up a group like this. I said how I'd thought it was a great idea as there wasn't really any groups like this around.

And I think the name is damn cool.

7. Are you good at bowling?

I have my moments. I actually was in a bowling league one summer when I was about 9, back when Sun Mountain Fun Center was over on Greenwood and went by the name "Greenwood Bowl" (I think there's a pawn shop there now). Had my own ball and everything (got it for $1 at St. Vincent de Paul and had it re-drilled for my fingers). I like to bowl, and actually bowled a 215 once, purely by accident, when I was in college during Friday night Monte Carlo bowling in the student union bowling alley. Haven't broken 200 since, but I can usually get into the 160s if I try -- which I usually don't, as I'd rather just have fun.

8. What is the most important thing you have learned?

That the best education in the world doesn't teach you nearly as much as being a parent does.

9. What books are you reading?

I never have time for books anymore. I read a lot of magazines and news sites, but don't have a lot of time for books. The last book I read was Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland. Would like to read the entire Lord of the Rings series, which I've never read but my wife likes. I wish I had more time to read, I just don't :-(

10. What things do you find yourself doing that you said you'd "never" do?

Can't think of anything off the top of my head. I've done some things in the past that I said I'd never do (I was in college, and we all know what happens in college, stays in college), but nothing that I'm still doing now.

Interviews of COWPU members are posted periodically (read: when Jen feels like doing it). Have an interesting question for a COWPU member? Want to be the subject of one of Jen's interviews? Join the group or come to a meeting... and tell Jen!

Labels: interviews

Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 6:00pm

Topic: Building Data Based Applications with Rails (by Simeon Bateman)
Location: Deschutes Public Library, Hutchinson Room (near the periodicals), 601 N.W. Wall Street, Bend 97701

Come on out and see how you can save your self a bunch of trouble writing web applications with rails. Using the Ruby on Rails framework we will build a fully functional application in no time at all.

No prior knowledge of Ruby or Rails framework is required. We are going to cover the basics of getting started using both.

The results...

After the presentation we will head down the street to O'Kanes Pub (at McMenamin's) for socializing around the outdoor fireplace!

If you are interested in attending please contact Jen, or visit the page for this event at upcoming.org and click "I'm attending".

Agenda:
6:15pm - Announcements and door prizes
6:30pm - Presentation by Simeon Bateman
8:00pm - Social at McMenamin's (O'Kanes)

Labels: meetings