[comp.sys.next] NeXT Developers Association

ed@DTG.COM (Edward Jung) (01/12/90)

To the readers of this Internet group.

A member of Deep Thought Group also started the MacApp Developers
Association a few years back.  What do you think about a similar
program for the NeXT world (one or more of the following):

	an association;
	a programming journal that also culls interesting network
	   threads;
	paid submissions;
	a dial-in BBS;
	annual conferences;
	and the association acts as a publisher for tools and
 	   classes, and central repository of bugs and other
	   information.

Do you think there is a demand?  What do you think the membership
would be: about 200?  1000?  What would you pay to join?  $40?  More?
I for one would like to see an official group with a journal, and a
central repository of serious information (which tends to indicate
a subscription-based service).  This would reduce demands on NeXT
Developer Support, and make their work more available to those who
are NOT registered developers (I estimate the total number of NeXT
programmers may be about half that of MacApp programmers).

I have spoken about this with people from Byte, Bruce Webster, etc.,
and although people seem to agree that it would be a nice thing to
have, nobody is willing to commit.  So I'm fishing for interest.

Your comments welcome.
-- 
Edward Jung                             The Deep Thought Group, L.P.
BIX: ejung                                      3400 Swede Hill Road
NeXT or UNIX mail                                Clinton, WA.  98236
        UUCP: uunet!dtgcube!ed          Internet: ed@dtg.com

omeer@neabbs.UUCP (OSCAR VAN.DER.MEER) (01/15/90)

I found your proposal very interesting. I am a aplication programmer
that normally works on hardware like  workstations (SUN) or PC's.
Whenever there is a new project where we can determine the hardware
platform (our client doesn't mind, he wants the job done.) a NeXT
seems like an intersting possibilty. But we have no experience with
the machine, so we end up choosing for another solution. Because we
don't know for sure if the job can be done (and in less time) with the
NeXT. That's why I am very interrested in hearing other people's
comments, who have worked intensively and know their in and outs and
especially the problems.
 
I would be willing to subscribe to the kind of user group you
mentioned. A subscription of $ 25 seems reasonably to me (remeber I am
dutch).
 
Oscar van der Meer