Want to learn how to code? Do you have a coding project that you're working on and need help with?

From July 22, 2008 onwards there will be a free, in-person study group that meets on Tuesday nights from 730pm to 1030pm in San Francisco, California, USA.

The first meeting will be a brain-storming session where we try to figure out what we want to learn and how, and based on input from some of you, we'll start looking into learning Ruby.

The approach I want to take will be as Freire-ian as possible where the distinction between teacher and student is pretty much blurred, and where what is learnt is determined by 3 factors: identity (who am I?), purpose (what do I want to do?), and method (how do I do what I want to do given who I am?).

Please bring food and drinks.

Join the mailing list on google groups:

 http://groups.google.com/group/learn2code

Email barce *(* a  T *)* well DOT com for more details.

Tentative Syllabus

I. The basics

Questions:

• What was your first experience with a computer?
• If it was possible for you to do anything with a computer, what would you do?

Things to do.. maybe?

• Read this Neal Stephenson piece on the command-line.
• Installing a computer programming language on your laptop.
• Working with the command-line

Books to read:

Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Ruby-Novice-Professional/dp/1590597664

Goal: We will learn how to use the command-line to our advantage and get the information we need off the web. My personal favorite is using the command-line to quickly get tweets without having to use a web browser.

II. Coding for the Web

Simply Rails 2

There are a lot of nuances and idiosyncracies involved with getting code out on the web. We will have to tackle these questions:

1. Where should folks put their website? Locally? Through a hosting provider?
2. What web server should we use?
3. What database should we use?

Experts will be on hand to help you best decide how to set up your web application.

Goal: We'll make a user generated news site using Ruby on Rails. We'll also start coding projects dear to our hearts.

III. To infinity and beyond

A little knowledge is very dangerous. Now that we are dangerous, what sorts of coding adventures should we have?

Ideas:

• create a web hosting company that runs purely on solar and biodiesel and use ruby to regulate the power.
• make a virtual  pet that travels around the web munching data that you want, and returns to you when you call, or maybe just sometimes.
• an email spam tool based on the social network you point it to, e.g. only people 3 times removed from my facebook friends and family, and 2 times removed from my twitter can send me email.
• create your own open source project