The Western New York .NET User Group (WNY DNUG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a community for the sharing of ideas and information between .NET devellopers and enthusiasts. Each month a .NET speaker will discuss the technology they are working with in an open forum. Group members are encouraged to actively participate in these discussions, to provide an interactive meeting experience. At each meeting there is a portion dedicated to interaction between group members. This can be an opportunity to meet other professionals in the industry or find out how other professionals are leveraging .NET technologies.

 

 

Initially there was a small user group called Buffalo .NET that brought together like-minded .NET Developers in the area. Although small, it was a very tight-knit community and led to the establishment of the Western New York .NET Users Group (WNY DNUG).

In January 2008, David Hockenberry started to lead the group. The group increased in size and at its peak was successfully hosting between 40-75 developers at each monthly meeting, giving away a ton of prizes from sponsors, and bringing in speakers from all over the United States and Canada. During that time, the group was able to establish a workday event and a code camp; and the group was also influential in helping establish groups such as WNY PASS.

In 2010 the WNY DNUG went on a brief haitus, and in 2011 developer interest fueled a slow-but-sure resurrection of the group. Microsoft Developer Evangelist Jim O'Neil coordinated with Buffalo native Richard Nalezynski to head the initiative. In reaching out to leaders of groups around the region and in Buffalo, such as WNY PASS and recently-formed WNY BOT, the WNY DNUG was able to start fresh and reclaim previous members and attract new ones.

In 2012 the WNY DNUG transitioned to focus on reaching out to a broader audience. Going by the name of Microsoft Developers of Western New York (MSDevWNY), the group aims to welcome developers using all forms of Microsoft platforms, tools and other technologies.

But a group for Microsoft developers wasn't the only thing IT professionals and software developers in Buffalo were hungry for. They were looking for a way to connect with other like-minded developers and also for opportunities to network and interact without being restricted to a specific brand, technology or even sector of industry. In 2011 Leaders of groups in Buffalo - namely Erik Harman and Pat Lupiani - identified the need for a central organization to represent groups in the New York state region; and in 2012 the User Groups of Western New York organization was formed. The organization consists of leaders of various groups around the region, holds quarterly social gatherings and maintains a web site that acts as a central hub for user group activities and events.

 

David Hockenberry

While the leaders of Buffalo .NET may be unkown at this time, many have cited David Hockenberry as one of the main reasons for having a successful developer user group in Buffalo, NY and some still speak highly of his efforts. "Legendary" is often the term used.

David Hockenberry is still an active participant in the group and sponsors many of the functions needed to maintain the group.

"My main goal with the WNY DNUG is to create a community of .NET developers that can learn and network together in the WNY region."

David is a Senior Programmer at AIX Group in Buffalo, NY. He is a graduate of Binghamton University with a degree in Computer Science. David has been working professionally with .NET since 2003 when he was a junior in college.

Outside of work David is married to his beautiful wife Katie and is an assistant varsity wrestling coach at his graduating high school. On the weekends you may find him riding his ATVs, working on a Dirt Modified racecar that he sponsors, or watching his beloved Buffalo Bills.

Erik Harman, Patrick Lupiani Blair Graham, and Larry Fura

Collectively Erik and Larry run WNY BOT and Blair and Larry run SQL Pass. Pat has contributed to both groups and often speaks at many groups in the region.

Erik is also responsible for establishing the User Groups of New York organization with Pat, with assistance from other group leaders such as Larry and Blair.

Erik and Pat are currently employed at Buffalo Computer Graphics in Bladsdell, NY. Erik graduated with an MBA from Canesius. Pat is currently studying the Masters in Game Design program at RIT in Rochester, NY.

 

Have a question? Want to be a part of the group?

(1) Register as a member of the group. By registering, you will automatically receive meeting notices and updates. And,the more members we have, the greater our group's chances of getting great guest speakers.

(2) Sponsor the group. Sponsorship can include something as simple as swag for giveaways, or cash for pizza and speaker "thank you" gifts. Sponsors will receive special acknowledgement on the web site, mention in email blasts, and a plug at the meeting they sponsor.

(3) Spread the word. Tell other developers about the group.

(4) Volunteer to speak. If you would like to be a presenter at a meeting, please contact info-at-wnydug dot org.