Hi,
I'm a new Drupal user and as such, am trying to climb the steep learning curve to getting my site done (a simple family website, nothing commercial) the way I'd like. I do a lot of reading on the drupal website and have figured out a couple things, but I really am in need of some basic answers. No books I have found seems to do the trick either (either too simple or too advanced; missing manual to come?).
My question is: is there a way to have a big brother/big sister system to help out the Vancouverites with Drupal questions?
Other option: if I am not the only newbie struggling here; could we maybe get together and pay for some lesson time with a pro and have our specific needs and questions adressed? I am not a company and do this on my own time, so I cannot afford the heavy prices of school-type tuition.
Thanks for your replies!
Wildel
Comments
Monthly Meetups
I agree with Scott. In Vancouver we're fortunate to have not one, but two well organized monthly meetup groups. You'll find most of us more than willing to talk the ear off a newbie. Your questions are welcome there!
I met some of the Vancouver
I met some of the Vancouver guys at Drupalcon, but i am from the island. Where about do these monthly meetings usually occur?
Drupal meetups
The Vancouver meetup is usually at Appnovation on Beatty St, Downtown Vancouver. The Surrey Meetup is at ABC Restaurant on Fraser highway in Fleetwood, Surrey.
Do the Victoria Drupalers still meetup regularly?
Thank you All
Thanks for your answers: I will come to one of the next meetings, then (with lots and lots of questions, lol!).
Cheers
Wildel
IRC and mailing lists
The IRC channels are also a great resource. The #drupal-vancouver channel has been a bit quiet but it only takes someone to start placing questions... And there's a whole lot of other channels where you can always find people willing to help you, like #drupal-support or #drupal-themes. I'm almost permanently on all these and also on the #drupal-brasil, which is as vibrant as you would expect.
Mailing lists are another valuable resource, specially for more in depth discussions. I would recommend the support mailing list (http://lists.drupal.org/mailman/listinfo/support) but you can browse the full list here: http://lists.drupal.org/mailman/listinfo
This being said, I think that your idea of a big brother/sister tutorial system is definitely worth some thought. Maybe something to implement across Drupal and independently of the location, too.
Great info, thanks !
Hi,
Thank you very much, this is very interesting and I will definitely draw on these resources as well.
Actually, after posting my question, I realized I need to put together and organize my numerous questions and write down a list of goals as well, otherwise I will not achieve much. With these references you gave me, I will probably be able to pinpoint even more my needs/wants.
The reason I was asking for a big brother/sister system is because when one asks questions, they usually tend towards a goal and having one person to ask them to consistently might help in getting the right decisions made on how to achieve one's goal. Otherwise, one might get different options all the time and end up being stuck for too many choices.... Also, the big brother/sister needs to have something in it for them as well to have a fair exchange (or is it the "pay it forward" option maybe?).
So far, I confirm what I've read everywhere, Drupal indeed has a steep learning curve, but I just love it and I really hope I can get better at it every day.
Thanks again !
Wildel
Hi Wildel - As asenseofdesign
Hi Wildel -
As asenseofdesign mentioned, IRC is one of the best resources, there is a channel called #drupal-support that would be perfect for asking lots of questions.
Also if you are looking for more beginner instructions, there are piles of information in the online handbook, the Beginner's Cookbook might be a good place to start if it's your first site.
Good luck!
IRC
If you're going to try IRC, make sure you ask your questions on #drupal-support, and not #drupal. An easy mistake, but one you don't want to make. Trust me on this. :)
actually ryan, that was
actually ryan, that was changed about 6 months ago. the main #drupal channel now welcomes questions and is more of a broader community discussion space. #drupal-contribute is the new(ish) contributor/developer channel where general support questions are frowned upon.
Cool! I was not aware they
Cool! I was not aware they changed that. Definitely a good change.
totally, they realized most
totally, they realized most new folks would pop into #drupal first, and that getting yelled out of there wasn't a good first impression ;-)