Three musicians and a coder
In the last issue of Hugi (18) I stumbled across an article called "Newbie Coders Diary" by a guy called Quin. The general idea behind the article was that a newbie coder is going to learn to code demos and write about his progress in Hugi, on a regular basis. I thought this to be a nice idea, and thought to do a similar series of articles but on a different subject, namely: How to start a demo-group. You've probably all seen 'em. People coming in on #coders with nicks like "d(mon-zpawwn" or something and asking if somebody has a demogroup he could join. This is one way to join a demogroup, although not necessarily a good one. First of all the chance of someone being awake at #coders at any given time is virtually zero (hi guys ;)). Second of all the combination of the question and your nick immedietly stamps you as a "lamer not worthy of my time" (this is a weakness of the scene right now, but that's a totally another subject). How does one join a group, you may ask yourselves? Well, basically it breaks down to two possibilities:
1. Join an existing group.
Although this way might seems to be the easiest way, it actually is the hardest. Demogroups are usually small groups where people have known each other for a long time, and often live near each other, geographically. This makes it harder for an outsider to be accepted into the group. Many groups also require that you are talented in a specific area. Few groups accept "trainees", which makes it harder for new sceners to get accepted. Nevertheless, give it a shot, who knows, maybe you'll get lucky. Check out Scenet, they have tons of emails and links to different groups.
2. Start your own group.
This is probably the easiest way to be part of a demogroup. It might sound tough, but think of it as a cheap and very rewarding hobby. Sure, it isn't as convenient as joining an existing group, but here's the good news: you get to do everything your way. Want to start a dezinegroup? Go ahead! A group for kode-freaks who code OSes designed to make 4k-coding easier? Be my guest! A wannabe group who never release anything and play Quake at parties? Press Alt-F4. ;) My point is: The scene needs fresh blood. Go for it!
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