MaineJug Working Groups

SHOWCASE PROPOSAL

by Dan Corwin, 4/12/01
People learn best "by doing it", especially Java. Shared effort on well-focused design/coding tasks can be a good learning vehicle, a team-builder, and a way to meet new people and build new skills.

The Showcase working group will tap this phenomenon by solicting Java WAR ("Web Archive") files, initially from MaineJug's members. In Q2 (phase 1), it will aid small teams in adding dynamic content and features that enhance the new MaineJug website.

Aided by these additions, we will then invite MESDA member firms to create WAR-files, typically on their own intranets, as a way to train staff in Java tools. By Fall, we extend this to Maine's seven technical colleges and a few high school computer clubs. The invitation they get is to enter a series of on-line "design competitions":

  1. Each thirty days, beginning Summer '01, www.MaineJug.org will post a new set of "requirements" on the behavioral features of some requested new WAR-file, typically requiring a mix of diverse skillsets.
  2. Each contributing team is to create a compliant WAR-file, then post it to the MaineJug.org site by noon on the 15th of the following month, when MaineJug will arrange for the evaluation of all entries.
  3. Entries get objectively judged on speed, size, and their ability to meet all "requirements" (some of which are unforgiving). Qualifying entries get grouped into various divisions and ranked. Finalists emerge from combined scores, esthetics and style, or other contest criteria. Ultimately a relatively small set of "winners" emerge for that month.
  4. Top entries in each division are announced on MaineJug's web site ASAP, with suitable fanfare. Soon after, we release "requirements" for the next monthly contest. Tasks become gradually more challenging as the school year progresses and competitors build up their skillsets.
  5. Winners officially receive only bragging rights, a trophy, press notice, and 15 minutes of fame, not unlike a winning sports team, or blue-ribbon digital submissions in some on-line "4-H" show.

But unofficially, participants win by learning to craft and debug cutting-edge portable Internet applications, typically written in JSP 1.1 and Java 1.3, along with teamwork, design skills, and excitement from jointly meeting a high-tech challenge with excellence.