As usual there are two types of slot we are looking to fill...

Two 15/20 minute main slots
Two or three 5/10 minute supporting slots

If you can fill one of these slots then get in contact (DM @rdggeek, or email jim at readinggeeknight.com).

Out of the various conversations we had, came the idea of forming some kind of group - lets call it a feedback circle (ok its a naff name, but you get the idea) - where you could offer-up something you had done, other people could have a look at / play with it and give you honest feedback on it from the perspective of a 'critical friend'. In return you would do the same for them.

I haven't thought through how it may all work, but wanted to throw it open to you...

So the first question is.... Does it sound like something that would be useful to you?
and the second is.... Any ideas / thoughts etc on how it should (or shouldn't) work.

Alan will be pitching and demoing his latest web app and life-improving service, http://useitorlose.it. Naturally, in true web-style, invite codes for all! Come prepared to play Dragon and grill Alan (and trains permitting, co-creator @sturob) about their project.

Claire will talk through what incubators offer; a look at some of the businesses/innovations that went through on the last round; and how to apply for the funding and mentorship that The Difference Engine offers.

"MPesa is a way of using mobile phones to transfer money to both individuals and companies and is now the main form of banking in Kenya. It has allowed people to get paid, in some cases for the first time, the amount they were due and allows shops to accept MPesa transactions as payment."

Barney says...

The subject is a mechanism I've developed involving attaching class names to the html element of web pages to drastically alter presentation based on document meta. My talk explores two specific age-old problems for front-end web developers that are currently dealt with, if at all, in bloated, confused and disparate ways; presents detailed alternatives using my method; goes over the enablers behind the solution and the patterns behind problem case scenarios; and points to other specific scenarios that could benefit from the technique.

Ben summarises his talk as follows...

bq. Bloatware, bad design, and terrible navigation have plagued the digital world for as long as there's been a digital world. But this is the 21st century, and there are more computers in the world than anyone ever predicted 40 years ago - so why do we still put up with it? In this session we'll look at some really good - and really bad - design examples, and think about why a break from the status quo might just be a good thing.

Ben's last talk went down very well, so Im sure this will be a corker as well.

Josh says...

Microcontrollers are a vital part of everyday life. They may lack the desirability of the latest high-end Intel chip, but the last time you wanted your clothes washed, a microcontroller (a simple programmable microchip) was to thank. This talk aims to (briefly) explain the differences between these two device categories. The focus will then shift to microcontrollers, specifically the various microchips available and their associated programming languages.

As someone who has been known to tinker with Arduino and the like from time to time I'm really looking forward to Josh's talk. As always its from 7.30pm at Copa.

So thankyou to everyone who has shared their expertise and interests with us by volunteering for a talk and thankyou to everyone who has come along and joined in.

I said at the last geek night that I'd like us, as a group, to talk about what the future holds and what kind of community we want to build. So i'm laying out some of my thoughts here to kick start the discussion. Lets begin the debate in the comments section and then continue face to face on the 15th...

Venue: We have confirmed dates booked with Copa for the rest of the year. In the meantime, Greg from Workhouse Coffee has suggested that he could get some good beers in and host us at his new place in town. Copa is a good venue, with a good private space, reasonably priced drinks, and food if you want it (although I cringe when they noisily collect glasses in the middle of a talk, and its now under new management). On the other hand Workhouse Coffee is independent, we know that Greg will not let us drink rubbish beer, and we'd be supporting a locally owned business (although I don't think WHC has wifi yet)

Numbers: we probably average 35 to 40 people at each event (there's a core - you know who you are! - but its not the same 35/40 people each time). Whilst its good that the numbers have grown organically without much publicity, I know that there are loads of people in Reading who would love to come, but just don't know it happens. Given that we source the talks from within our own group I wonder if we need to grow the attendance so that we end up with a sustainable pool of talks?

Sponsorship: There were a few approaches on the sponsorship front early on (which I kind of ignored as it would have been another thing to sort out). Should we actively seek out some sponsorship? It would be cool to be able to pay for some drinks for everyone, but sponsors also need a bit of care & attention and stroking. (they do - ask anyone who's been involved in organising twestival or similar)

Events: The monthly event seems to work well. But are there other things we want to do? e.g. Alan B has said he'd be happy to run a Ruby masterclass (& other people no doubt have skills they could share and help others with). I think it would be great to do a coach trip to Bletchley Park to remind ourselves where it all started. Should we organise a hack day and build something together? What else could we do?

Organisation: It takes a bit of work to make Reading Geek Night happen. I love doing it because I get a warm glow from every event. However I'm about at the limit of what I can do time-wise. If we grow, or if we want to start doing more things then I'll need some help.

There you go... over to you!

On Tuesday, we will be treated to a special talk by Donovan from Workhouse Coffee and Sean from Starbucks on how they came to be coffee geeks and how coffee grows on you as an obsession and why. They will also be bringing their know how as professional coffee makers on making a better cup of coffee at home.

Search Engine Optimization is quite possibly the only industry consisting almost entirely of "experts" on a subject that nobody knows anything (for certain) about. Chris will be taking 5 minutes to clear the air with the programmer's guide to the web's very own Dark Art.