Why node?

[joyrexus]

I recently took a stab at introducing some undergrads at a small liberal arts college to node and nodeschool (gist, slides). In my actual presentation, instead of starting with details on how to install node, describing node's basic technical features, or overviewing the various resources for learning node, I tried to describe the node ecosystem and community in relation to something bigger: social coding, the maker movement, and peer production. In other words, I tried to answer the question why node? before answering what is node? or how can I get started?.

The aim was both to situate node in a larger context and motivate the effort required to get started. IMO, a welcome page should aim to do just that ... situate and motivate.

So ... I'm trying to imagine what would be most useful to those students I was addressing. Suggestion: a little video with people talking about what makes them psyched about node.

I have a feeling that if someone took a video camera and asked, say, @maxogden, @mikeal, and @jlord to describe the node and its community/ecosystem in this larger context, you'd have enough content to edit into a stellar two-minute welcome video that both situates and motivates.

Worthwhile? Do-able? Any videographers in the house?

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BTW, the new npm site now has a nice what is npm? video. Watch it and now imagine the following sequence of 2-min videos:

• why node?
• what is node?
• what is npm?
• what is git?
• what is nodeschool?

[tmpvar]

I can give you a 2 minutes "why node"

why node:

• node has a great memory footprint when you just want to stream data (which is what it's meant for)

what is npm?

• npm comes with node and represents a bunch of work the community has done that you can use!
• allows you to install a multitude of works invested in by the npm community.

what is nodeschool?

• nodeschool is an effort to educate people about node, we're friendly I promise! If you can't find a local nodeschool, let us know!