In these days, whoever you talk, they are working on application projects, software, games etc. For designer people like us, designing concepts, User interfaces, graphics are OK but the issue is finding good developer(s). In my this post, I want to introduce some of developer communities to find the right person.
Code Academy is a multi-level website designed for developers of any skill level. If you’ve never coded before, their free tutorials will help you learn the basics in about 10-15 hours. We’d recommend the JavaScript one if you’re a complete novice: it’s quick, fun, and easy, and you’ll go from spelling out your name to programming a dragon-fighting game in about three hours. If that seems way below your skill level, don’t worry. Code Academy also has (less free) classes for advanced coders that can help take you to the next level, no matter where you’re starting from.
There’s no secret that there’s a big gender gap in tech. For too many years, coding has been framed as something of a “boys’ club.” No more, though. Thanks to great sites like PyLadies, more and more women are being actively encouraged to join the coding world. PyLadies is an international organization designed to mentor women in Python, a powerful but simple coding language. The website features forums and posts on a variety of topics, particularly coding questions and opportunities to meet up with other coders. The site also features a cool, well-written blog, and a whole bunch of resources for Python beginners.
The Intel Developer Zone is a community of users from all around the world dedicated to programming for Intel hardware and software. The postings are from both Intel itself as well as independent developers looking to give or receive advice, and are a great resource for anyone looking to program for Android, Chrome, Windows, or a host of other platforms. The website has plenty of support for coders of all skill levels — from beginners to “blackbelts” — but is definitely geared towards a higher level of programming. If you’re a beginner, it’s probably best to start with a place like Code Academy, but if you’re an advanced developer who likes Intel products, then this is a great place to pick up some tips and get a whole lot better.
Toptal is our go-to place when we have questions about the business side of developing. How can we hire good developers quickly? What should we look for in a developer? How can we tell if our developers are staying focused? The answers to these questions, and more, can be found on the Toptal Engineering Blog and the company’s resource page. On the latter, you can find helpful guides about how to hire developers, what questions you should ask in interviews and what sorts of answers you should look for. On the flipside, if you’re in the job market, the resource page is great place to sharpen up before heading into a Q&A with a potential employer. On their “Community” page, you can also see what cool networking events Toptal is holding (our recent favorites are “Beer and Code” and “Bowling Night in Recife”) and how you can meet like-minded developers in person, no matter where you are in the world.
SAP Community Network (SCN) is the go to place for those concerned with business coding. If you don’t know what that is, you’re probably not interested, but as a fun fact, it’s used for businesses looking to build powerful and efficient client-side servers. The primary language is ABAP, though some business programmers use Java. If you know all of that already, SCN is probably the place for you to go. You can check out their events and webinars, get yourself set up with a mentor, download some sample code, and debug your program, among plenty of other things.
Are these the only web development communities out there? Of course not. These five communities are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding helpful programming resources. Still, they’re each extremely useful and prominent within their niche, whether it’s helping beginner coders or assisting companies with hiring developers. Spend some time on each, see what they can help you with, and get involved on some of the ever-expanding forums that each hosts. We’d recommend you get a feel for these sites, and then do some exploring on your own!