On October 14, 2015, Meltwater co-launched nh.js in conjunction with Thunderhead and Alexander Technology Group, nh.js is a meetup group for JavaScript programming enthusiasts in Manchester, New Hampshire. The group holds events at local startup incubator Alpha Loft and has thrived with regular monthly meetups, steadily increasing membership to just over 240 developers from the local community.
So far, Meltwater employees have provided half of the presentations for the group, and form a core of the regular membership. Meetings typically range from 30 - 40 attendees. Some of the presentations given by Meltwater employees have included:
The Truth About Prototypal Inheritance by Keith Pepin, a look at some common misconceptions about JavaScript inheritance and common object creation patterns. slides , photos
Intro to Mobile App Development using Cordova/PhoneGap by Ryan Carroll, covering getting started with Cordova/PhoneGap, plugins, building and deploying, testing and other frameworks and tools to consider. slides , photos
Nodebots! JavaScript Robotics and the IoT by Gene Connolly, reviewing the current state of JavaScript in robotics, wearables, and the Internet Of Things (IoT). slides , photos
The format for each of the meetups has been pretty consistent with a food / social period before the talks, the presentation, and a Q&A session that follows. The conversations during the social period often provide great opportunities for developers to talk shop, discuss the latest trends and challenges in our field and offer some great learning opportunities outside the main presentation.
In addition to the original companies involved with forming the group, we’ve also had some success reaching out to companies like O’Reilly Media to provide support and other member benefits in the form of discounts and giveaways.
Overall, it’s been a great way for the company to contribute back to this lively programming community on a local level in Manchester, and we’re looking forward to continued success. To propose a talk of your own for nh.js, please contact Keith Pepin (keith.pepin@meltwater.com).