I have had the genuine pleasure of living in Central Ohio for almost 9 years, during that time Columbus has transformed into a tech friendly hub with a relatively reasonable cost of living, unlike the West Coast. Tech professionals in Columbus enjoy a cost of living that is approximately 8% lower than the national average.
During my time here I have never been to one of the many regularly scheduled users group meetings that take place within minutes of my home. I am hoping to change that in the upcoming year and have decided to place my potential options here for future reference.
Software Development
Central Ohio .NET Developers Group - Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month at the Microsoft building on Polaris Parkway in Columbus, Ohio and are open free to the public. The meetings start at 6:00 PM and go until 8:00 PM.
GDG Columbus (Google Dev Group) - GDG Columbus is a group for developers interested in learning more about Google technology and tools. We will be discussing developing for Android, AndroidWear, App Engine, Chrome and Google TV, interacting with APIs for Google+, Maps, YouTube, Google Glass, and Google Apps like Calendar, Tasks, Gmail, Docs. Our meetings will always be free and open to the general public.
The Windows Dev User Group - The Windows Developer User Group has been established to nurture knowledge base and collaboration among Windows application developers & enthusiasts. While we are primarily based in Columbus OH, developers from all around Ohio, neighboring states and just about anybody who has interest in the Microsoft ecosystem, is most welcome.
Central Ohio Python Users Group - We are a friendly and enthusiastic group of Central Ohio Pythonistas. We meet every Friday for informal dojos, occasionally for lunch on various days of the week, and have a monthly meeting on the last Monday of the month.
Columbus Code Camp - A non-denominational software-development & technology conference in central Ohio. The camp includes talks about anything related to software development (for any language, operating system, platform, or work environment). There is always a wide mix of topics and presentation levels (from beginner to professional).
Columbus Ruby Brigade - A bunch of professionals, students, and geeks who are excited about Ruby programming language and Rails framework and the joy they have brought back to web development. Our main goal is to share the love of the Ruby and Rails ecosystems to anyone that is interested. We cater to everyone, whether a non-programmer through advanced Rubyists.
Startups
Lean Lab - This meet up is for innovators and entrepreneurs who want to improve their skills and learn how to implement Lean Startup methods. Each event is lightly catered to ease conversation and prep for a “fire-side” chat with a featured guest. This meet up combines the best of networking and education.
ScaleTech - Scalability. It's an issue that often makes or breaks young tech companies, but it's also an emerging science with loads of room for innovation and discovery. Come to the CrossChx HQ to learn and share your knowledge about building technology that stands the test of success.
Product Hunt Columbus - The startup ecosystem in Columbus, OH is exploding, lots of new & amazing products being created and hitting the market. The Product Hunt Columbus Meetup brings together startup folks, new products, hidden gems, seasoned entrepreneurs, and lots of people interested in new products, technology & startups.
Software Administration and Delivery
Devops Columbus - Getting together like minded individuals that currently operating in a DevOps based culture or want to learn more about implementing a DevOps culture in their organizations.
Central Ohio Agile Association - The Central Ohio Agile Association (COHAA) is a non-profit group of IT and Business professionals dedicated to finding a better way to deliver software. COHAA is dedicated to promoting the use of Agile practices and principles in project management, software development, quality assurance, and business analysis with an emphasis on solution delivery.
LOPSA Columbus - The League of Professional System Administrators (LOPSA) is a professional organization for System Administrators. While the organization focuses on furthering the profession of infrastructure and operations, we welcome technology professionals of all sorts including non-members.
Web Development
Columbus Web Group - The Columbus Web Group is an organization that is committed to sharing web development and design best practices in a relaxed atmosphere with web professionals and students of any skill level. We hold monthly gatherings to share our knowledge on best practices and emerging technologies. They also created a Mentorship program just aspiring developers.
ColumbusPHP - Columbus PHP meet up is a forum for web developers to discuss software trends and emerging technologies. Although our focus is on PHP, anyone interested in learning more about web applications, websites, and the technologies that power them would find our meetings interesting and is welcome to join us.
Meteor Columbus - Meet other developers using Meteor. Share your knowledge, apps, and get feedback from others. Meteor is an open-source platform for building top-quality web apps in a fraction of the time, whether you're an expert developer or just getting started.
Design/UX/UI
IxDA (Interaction Design Association) - Interaction Design (IxD) defines the structure and behavior of interactive systems. Interaction Designers strive to create meaningful relationships between people and the products and services that they use, from computers to mobile devices to appliances and beyond. Our practices are evolving with the world; join the conversation. IxDA intends to improve the human condition by advancing the discipline of Interaction Design.
Database
Ohio Oracle Users Group - The Ohio Oracle Users Group is dedicated to helping Oracle professionals throughout Ohio increase their Oracle knowledge and experience.
Columbus SQL Server Users Group - Affiliated with the Professional Association for SQL Server. This is a world-wide SQL Server Users Group. PASS holds a conference each year.
Security
OWASP Columbus - The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a 501(c)(3) worldwide not-for-profit charitable organization focused on improving the security of software. Our mission is to make software security visible, so that individuals and organizations worldwide can make informed decisions about true software security risks.
Code Newbie Support
Code Jam Columbus - Columbus Code Jam is a casual meet up to pair on cool projects, to get one-on-one guidance from experienced developers & sys admins, to network, learn, and eat pizza.
I am looking forward to more involvement in my immediate geographic community.
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