Selected User Groups and Computer-Related Professional Organizations
in Tucson, Arizona
(for some programming language(s)/environment/tool/OS etc.)

I have personally investigated each and every one of these groups; I (and/or other reliable sources) have attended at least one meeting of each of these groups (unless I say otherwise.)

Selected Active Groups

• Tucson Free UNIX Group (TFUG)
  Lively, active group with at least several dozen people who use Linux and BSD. Members chat about Linux and related topics, provide Linux help, and do educational presentations. Also, you can't find a user's group that will charge you less to join. :-)
  • listserv (email mailing list) typically has 3-20 posts per day, ranging from serious technical talk to raucous chatter.
  • Semi-regular informal meetings as of this writing (2009) happen twice a month. For scheduling and other details, check Claude Rubinson's website or the TFUG mailing list.
  • In this group BYOB means 'bring your own box.' For years TFUG had occasional BYOB meetings at which people would help each other with OS setup or configuration, but presently (2010) BYOB meetings seem to be on hold. The relative ease of installing and configuring Ubuntu seems to have reduced the need for BYOB help sessions.

  Note also that the Tucson Computer Society has a Linux SIG not related to TFUG.
  
  

• Tucson Python Language Enthusiasts
  has monthly face-to-face meetings and a discussion board. A typical meeting has 5-10 participants. Meetings include
  • one or more of: presentations, demos, talks, mini-talks
  • miscellaneous discussion & socializing
  
  
  
• Tucson Computer Society
  Has several SIGs (special interest groups), and a monthly general meeting. I guess the general meeting and some of the SIGs are aimed towards people less skilled than computer professionals. Nonetheless you will find some computer professionals within this group.
  (updated 2010)
  
  
• Tucson Computer Society Computer Professionals SIG
  Want to meet a wide variety of computer professionals? At a typical meeting, 12-22 professionals chat, eat breakfast, and enjoy an informative presentation. The meeting is not programmer-centric. (summary as of spring 2004; rechecked active as of July 2009)
  
  
• Tucson Macintosh User Group
  
  
  
• Tucson Java Users Group
  These people seem to be really good at running meetings, into which they successfully fit a tiny presentation, a longer presentation, help finding employees/employers, user group business, and networking. Highly recommended. (Based on my observations at March 2002 meeting. Also observed an early 2007 meeting, also very good.)
  
  
• Tucson Developers Coop
  is a new group for software developers in Tucson. Started Jan 2010.

  So far, it seems mostly to be a way for people to compare notes on stuff they're learning about and doing, share ideas, and sometimes even see if they can unstick each other.
  
  

• Tucson Digital Arts Community (TDAC),
  although I have not attended any meetings myself yet, seems to be a loosely-knit, broad networking group, incorporating various people and organizations with interests such as web design, programming, graphic design, small business, startups, and volunteer/non-profit work.

  Includes multiple (sub)groups devoted to specific topics.