Volunteer Development Work
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
Based on how long its taking for some of my customers to pay me, all my work is volunteer :) I've done work for friends on websites, I also worked for a non-profit[^] (but didn't volunteer). I also do a lot of R&D work for myself that doesn't pay (yet) if that counts...
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
If you are in New England, several of my cow-orkers volunteer here. "GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where technology professionals – including designers, developers and database administrators as well as marketers and web strategists – donate their time and unique talents to provide software solutions for local charities and other non-profit organizations. " http://newenglandgivecamp.org/about/[^]
Send lawyers, guns and money
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
I've been involved in volunteer development work projects over the years. You can read about a few in my Coder interview here: A Coder Interview With Bryan Carter[^] Or, continue reading for a less verbose/boring version. For the Santa Clara County Public Library Reading Comprehension Program (1989 to 1992) I used HyperCard to program a series of modules to enable patrons from 3 to 83 learn to read English, including English as a Second Language (ESL). Over 500 successful “graduates” in the 2+ years it was in use. For the American Red Cross, back in October, 1989, I developed a server-client app using FileMaker Pro. Created the Resource Management System (RMS) within 32 hours of the Loma Prieta earthquake of '89 hitting the San Fran Bay Area. Used 4 Apple Laptops, all "networked" via Apple's then "AppleLink" internal worldwide communications system (AppleLink later became AOL!). RMS would match up resources (blankets, food, clothing, money) & volunteers donated to those in need of such having been impacted by the earthquake. The sync between Macs was exporting out a CSV, send it as an attachment, downloading & importing it. That alone "wow'd" non-techies of the day. I've developed a few websites for some now-defunct "non-profits". These were all back when I was single. Since marriage, I've tried becoming involved in a few volunteer projects, but time constraints and my being needed, well, at home take priority.
_____________ Life is Precious. CarryTheTruth
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Based on how long its taking for some of my customers to pay me, all my work is volunteer :) I've done work for friends on websites, I also worked for a non-profit[^] (but didn't volunteer). I also do a lot of R&D work for myself that doesn't pay (yet) if that counts...
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Ron Beyer wrote:
but didn't volunteer
You were sent there by a judge? :)
Sent from my BatComputer via HAL 9000 and M5
Some days it felt like it, yes. Government run program, so we had more meetings about work than work to perform. As it turns out I spent about a year re-writing the survey tracking and reporting (STAR) system that they were running in MS Access when they cancelled the program with the group who was running it and transferred control to a new company, hence everybody was let go.
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I've been involved in volunteer development work projects over the years. You can read about a few in my Coder interview here: A Coder Interview With Bryan Carter[^] Or, continue reading for a less verbose/boring version. For the Santa Clara County Public Library Reading Comprehension Program (1989 to 1992) I used HyperCard to program a series of modules to enable patrons from 3 to 83 learn to read English, including English as a Second Language (ESL). Over 500 successful “graduates” in the 2+ years it was in use. For the American Red Cross, back in October, 1989, I developed a server-client app using FileMaker Pro. Created the Resource Management System (RMS) within 32 hours of the Loma Prieta earthquake of '89 hitting the San Fran Bay Area. Used 4 Apple Laptops, all "networked" via Apple's then "AppleLink" internal worldwide communications system (AppleLink later became AOL!). RMS would match up resources (blankets, food, clothing, money) & volunteers donated to those in need of such having been impacted by the earthquake. The sync between Macs was exporting out a CSV, send it as an attachment, downloading & importing it. That alone "wow'd" non-techies of the day. I've developed a few websites for some now-defunct "non-profits". These were all back when I was single. Since marriage, I've tried becoming involved in a few volunteer projects, but time constraints and my being needed, well, at home take priority.
_____________ Life is Precious. CarryTheTruth
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If you are in New England, several of my cow-orkers volunteer here. "GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where technology professionals – including designers, developers and database administrators as well as marketers and web strategists – donate their time and unique talents to provide software solutions for local charities and other non-profit organizations. " http://newenglandgivecamp.org/about/[^]
Send lawyers, guns and money
That's great! I've never seen anything like that. Unfortunately, I'm not in New England. I'm in Middle Tennessee. I wonder if they have anything like that around here -- I may have to do a little research this evening. Thank you.
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
When I was living in California I decided I was going to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity to do electrical work, as in design and wire the houses for free (I'm an Electrical Engineer). I set out to figure out what I had to do to obtain an electrician's license in the state. Low and behold, they make it VERY difficult to get licensed and there's no exceptions for engineers, which doesn't make sense to me (same amount of time for an engineer to get licensed as for someone who has NO experience at all). You essentially have to be in an apprenticeship for some ridiculous amount of time (7 years if I remember correctly). So... I ended up not doing it. Don't understand the crazy regulations some states have. It almost sounds like they're controlled by a union.
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When I was living in California I decided I was going to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity to do electrical work, as in design and wire the houses for free (I'm an Electrical Engineer). I set out to figure out what I had to do to obtain an electrician's license in the state. Low and behold, they make it VERY difficult to get licensed and there's no exceptions for engineers, which doesn't make sense to me (same amount of time for an engineer to get licensed as for someone who has NO experience at all). You essentially have to be in an apprenticeship for some ridiculous amount of time (7 years if I remember correctly). So... I ended up not doing it. Don't understand the crazy regulations some states have. It almost sounds like they're controlled by a union.
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That does sound rather ridiculous. Of course I would want someone with the knowledge to wire my house. But come on, 7 years thereabout? That's just crazy...
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
I just think it's a lot for an electrical engineer... they should have exceptions that allow certain people (like engineers from accredited universities) to just take the tests rather than require them to go through the "dummy" training you'd get from an apprenticeship.
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
No, but I've been volunteering with Camp Quality for a decade, and it's been wonderful to make a tangible difference in the lives of children living with cancer and their families... I think more people (particularly blokes) should volunteer their time to whatever charitable causes they deem to be worthwhile, because it's been my experience that there are never enough male volunteers to go around!!
Quad skating his way through the world since the early 80's... Booger Mobile - My bright green 1964 Ford Falcon - check out the blog here!! | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!
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No, but I've been volunteering with Camp Quality for a decade, and it's been wonderful to make a tangible difference in the lives of children living with cancer and their families... I think more people (particularly blokes) should volunteer their time to whatever charitable causes they deem to be worthwhile, because it's been my experience that there are never enough male volunteers to go around!!
Quad skating his way through the world since the early 80's... Booger Mobile - My bright green 1964 Ford Falcon - check out the blog here!! | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!
_Damian S_ wrote:
children living with cancer and their families
Sorry -= I know it is a serious subject, and I do seriously admire the work you do, but y'need to rephrase that ;)
MVVM # - I did it My Way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
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_Damian S_ wrote:
children living with cancer and their families
Sorry -= I know it is a serious subject, and I do seriously admire the work you do, but y'need to rephrase that ;)
MVVM # - I did it My Way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
Possibly, but it's word for word from the CQ dominant thought. ;-)
Quad skating his way through the world since the early 80's... Booger Mobile - My bright green 1964 Ford Falcon - check out the blog here!! | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!
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Possibly, but it's word for word from the CQ dominant thought. ;-)
Quad skating his way through the world since the early 80's... Booger Mobile - My bright green 1964 Ford Falcon - check out the blog here!! | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
I used to do some contracting work on the side, not exactly volunteering, but close enough. So the owner of the shop used to define projects with an amazing ability to drive me nuts. Imagine the healthcare.gov website. His approach would go something like this: "It's very simple project, a couple of hours tops. Just add an drop-down with some insurance companies and when the user selects one, display and compare your plan with their stuff. Done!" To all protests that this is a major task he would say: "What? It's just a goddamn drop-down!" Since then I kinda prefer a mostly professional environment.
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
You are doing great but don't do that for along time otherwise people will get used to your "volunteer" stuff especially in the field of development they will use you alot. I have done several volunteer works to develop websites for friends when i was in college and i also do my own stuff which doesn't pay also.
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
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Have any of you ever done volunteer development work? If so, was it for a large organization, perhaps nationwide? Or something smaller, like a local cause? Through my girlfriend's mother, I got in contact with a local non-profit group. Their Web site was horribly put together by some guy, a slackjob. Luckily it isn't very complicated and we could keep the design and just rework the small amount of server-side stuff. Anyhow, have any of you ever done something like that? I've been looking for places to volunteer my skills for a long time. I just didn't find it until now. Just curious. :)
djj55: Nice but may have a permission problem Pete O'Hanlon: He has my permission to run it.
The other side..... You need to ensure that you pick the right organization if you are going to work for free. There needs to be someone that will appreciate what you do and deliver what you need (design guidelines, requirements etc). If you do not have this you will do a lot of work and then be stuck with complaints. Even worse, a lot of work done that will not be used. If you have appreciation for you time and a willingness to participate then it can be a pleasure. In my opinion it is always better to get some cash upfront to ensure that everybody is committed. This needs to be amount that is felt. A non profit may not be able to pay $ 5000 but they can pay $ 500 and it will feel the same to them as the $ 5000 to larger company. Make clear this is $ 5000 worth of work for $ 500 and you should be fine, with benefits for all. Remember, if they are not willing to pay one cent then in general your work and time is worth less than one cent to them.
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. ~ Albert Einstein
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If you are in New England, several of my cow-orkers volunteer here. "GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where technology professionals – including designers, developers and database administrators as well as marketers and web strategists – donate their time and unique talents to provide software solutions for local charities and other non-profit organizations. " http://newenglandgivecamp.org/about/[^]
Send lawyers, guns and money
Cow-Orker? Is that some variety of super-Ork, or a particularly vicious Cow? Or an Ork riding to Gondor on the back of a cow? :-D