About VisDev

What is VisDev?

Overview

History

Benefits

Where is VisDev?

Across the nation

Online home

How to reach VisDev

Who is VisDev?

VisDev members

VisDev officers

Founding members

How do I join VisDev?

What to do

Membership application


About VisDev: What Is VisDev?

Overview

The Visual Developers Group, or VisDev, is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the education and promotion of Visual Basic developers.

VisDev was borne out of the idea that Visual Basic is a unique development language, and that Visual Basic programmers are a unique group of developers. The founders of VisDev recognized the importance of local VB user groups and VB special interest groups (SIGs), and realized that not all VB developers had access to such a group. While most local groups are centered on major metropolitan areas, many VB developers live and work too far from these areas to be able to benefit from these groups. VisDev's aim is to provide the same services as local groups to developers without local access.


About VisDev: What is VisDev?

History

VisDev was formed in January of 1994 by a committee of twelve Visual Basic developers who recognized a need for a national Visual Basic developers group. In May of the same year bylaws were adopted, and VisDev was incorporated as the Visual Developers Group, a non-profit educational corporation.

Realizing that a national group would require a great deal of planning, these founding members met weekly for the next six months to develop the structure that would enable VisDev to operate on a national level. Along the way, members were added to help fill needs in the committee, until the founding group reached about twenty.

Now VisDev has members in 14 states, and is looking to add Canadian developers also. The future looks bright for VB, and for VisDev, too.


About VisDev: What is VisDev?

Benefits

Your VisDev membership provides many benefits, including:

A one-year subscription to VisDev.Print, the bimonthly newsletter that includes code examples, news and reviews

Exclusive VisDev developer tools, including the highly-acclaimed VisDev Code Librarian

On-line interviews with leading VB personalities

In-depth personalized help on VB code problems

Discounts on VB tools and conferences

Reviews of the latest in VB add-ons and tools, both shareware and commercial

Interaction with fellow VB developers from across the nation

Much more


About VisDev: Where is VisDev?

Across the Nation

VisDev is its members. Because of this, VisDev is wherever its members are. Presently, this includes 14 states, from Washington to Florida, California to New York.

Visdev's offices are distributed as well. The newsletter is published in Washington. The financial office is in Florida. Membership kits and offerings are compiled and mailed from Texas.


About VisDev: Where is VisDev?

Online services

Because VisDev's offices and members are distributed across the country, a common home was needed. This would be the place for VisDev's meetings, conferences, files, and messages. VisDev's America Online forum provides this.

America Online is the nation's second largest on-line service. Its PC Development Forum is extremely active, and its dedicated Visual Basic Forum's message board and library contain top-notch info for VB programmers. All VisDev members receive a free America Online membership kit, including free Windows-based access software, and five free hours monthly.


About VisDev: Where is VisDev?

How to reach VisDev

In addition to VisDev's America Online forum, you can reach us at the following e-mail addresses:

Membership info: vdgsteve@aol.com

Corporate information: vdgbob@aol.com or CIS: 73302,1357


About VisDev: Who is VisDev?

VisDev Members

VisDev's members are Visual Basic developers. Their expertise runs from beginner to professional. VisDev's membership includes developers with experience in a broad range of applications, from games to Fortune 500 client/server consulting, from shareware utilities to machine control/data acquisition.

Chances are, you'll find a member with skills and experiences to match your own. And, if you are looking for help with your VB, you're sure to find it inside VisDev.


About VisDev: Who is VisDev?

VisDev officers

The following is a list of VisDev's current officers. For information on each, click on the Goto button to the left of the name, or on the name itself.

President: Bob Dover

Vice President: Greg Kean

Treasurer: Ken Malone

Secretary: Tony Yarbrough

Technical Director: Bill Pennington

Research Director: Greg Kean

Membership Director: Steve Gorman

Editor: Dave McCauley

Librarian: Larry Nordquist


About Visdev: Who is VisDev?

Founding members

The following is a list of VisDev's founding members. For information on each, click on the Goto button to the left of the name, or on the name itself.

Mark Andrew

Jeff Atwood

Mike Davis

Bob Dover

Steve Gorman

Tim Hill

Chris Hill

Mike Jarvis

Greg Kean

Ed Koval

Ken Malone

Dave McCauley

Bill Miller

Larry Nordquist

Brad O'Keefe

Ric Perrott

Bill Pennington

Gary Tidwell

Tony Yarbrough


About VisDev: How do I join VisDev?

What to do

Joining VisDev is simple, costs just $49.95 per  year, and gets you all the benefits of being a VisDev member. Just print the Membership Application (see the next topic), and send it to VisDev along with your check or money order to:

VDG

PO Box 551466

Jacksonville, FL  32255-1466

You can also join VisDev through CompuServes SWREG forum. SWREG lets you join electronically, and have your VisDev membership dues added to your CompuServe bill. To take advantage of this, sign on to CompuServe and GO: SWREG. The registration number is #3791. Note that there is a special handling charge for memberships attained through SWREG. This is to defray the costs charged to us for using SWREG.

If you need more information than can be found in this help file, send an e-mail message to vdgsteve@aol.com, vdgbob@aol.com, or CIS:73302,1357.


About VisDev: How do I join VisDev?

Membership Application

Name:   ___________________________________________

Street: ___________________________________________

        ___________________________________________

City:   ______________ State: ______ ZIP: _________

Phone: (____) ____ - _____

E-mail address: _______________ Service: __________

PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY:

I use VB for: 	__Windows  __DOS

VB version:   	__1.0  __2.0  __3.0  __Std  __Pro

I subscribe to: 	__ America Online  __Genie  __Prodigy

     	__CompuServe  __Other:____________

Mail completed applications to:

VDG

PO Box 551466

Jacksonville, FL  32255-1466


Bob Dover, current President of VisDev, has been a Visual Basic developer since version 1.0. He develops machine control and data acquisition applications for a manufacturer of environmental test equipment, and does occasional consulting after hours. Bob is also one of two Visual Basic forum leaders in America Onlines PC Development Forum. A devout LA Rams fan, Bob is happily married with five children, and lives in Camarillo, California.


Mark Andrew began working with Visual Basic in 1992. As Manager of Software Development for his company, Mark needed a tool to develop Windows-based  applications for oil refineries quickly. Of course, VB was the answer. Mark lives in Houston, Texas.


Jeff Atwood got his start in computer programming by writing text based games for the TI-99, progressing through various other platforms to IBM PC's. Jeff now is an independent consultant, primarily developing software in Visual Basic for enhanced 9-1-1 service. Jeff lives in Boulder, Colorado.


Mike Davis is a Kent State University student who started using Visual Basic in 1992. His shareware application "Clipboard Extender" won accolades from Windows Online Review and was featured as PC/Computing's Windows App of the Month in March of 1994. Mike lives in Canton, Ohio.


Steve Gorman, Membership Director of VisDev, has been programming professionally for over 10 years and with Visual Basic since 1992. He heads the development team for portfolio analytics at an investment bank.  He uses Visual Basic 3.0 Pro for the front-end of all of his company's financial applications. Steve lives in Houston, Texas and is a fanatic fan of Back To The Future movies.


Tim Hill is a shareware developer that has developed applications with Visual Basic since 1992. One of his best and most popular products is an add-on for WAOL (America Online's Windows software) called "Way To Go!," which can be found on VisDev's membership diskette. Tim lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.


Chris Hill has been developing applications with Visual Basic since version 1.0. Chris also uses C and C++ for Windows development, and occasionally a dose of Pascal. Chris lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.


Mike Jarvis has been using Visual Basic to develop multi-media and database applications since 1992. Mike admits that he was a Windows hater until he discovered Visual Basic. Originally from Memphis, Mike now lives in  the Washington, D.C. area.


Greg Kean, VisDev's current Research Director and interim Vice President, is the creator of OverStat, a front-end tool for the SAS statistical analysis application. He is currently studying for his PhD, planning to use Visual Basic to create educational software for Windows. Greg lives in Nashville, Tennessee.


An Electrical Engineer, Ed Koval became a programmer when he assisted his company's accounting group in rewriting their software. Ed later became a consultant, and most recently took over as head of operations for the Northeastern division of his employer. Ed lives in New York State.


Ken Malone, VisDevs Treasurer, has been using Visual Basic since version 1.0.  He is self employed and recently created a service business based on a program he wrote in VB.  Ken currently lives in Jacksonville , FL and is happily single with no kids.


Dave McCauley, VisDevs Editor, has been programming for 15 years, and first got started in Visual Basic with version 1.0. Dave has worked (among other places) at Microsoft as a consultant, programmer and trainer. He is married, and currently consulting in the Seattle, Washington area.


Bill Miller began working with Visual Basic version 1.0, moving from QuickBasic. He currently attends high school in Lincolnshire, Illinois.


Larry Nordquist, current Librarian of VisDev, began his Visual Basic development with version 2.0 Pro, needing a simple-to-learn tool to develop personal applications. Larry presently works as a field service engineer in the machine tool industry, and is a general PC Consultant in America Online's PC Development Forum. Larry lives with his wife in Charlotte, North Carolina.


Brad O'Keefe, VisDevs Vice President and Technical Director, uses Visual Basic to develop communications applications for the oilfield industries. Brad also runs BPS Software, through which he has created PowerTools, a shareware add-on for WAOL (America Online's Windows software). An ex-Marine, Brad was lives in Webster, Texas with his wife and three children, and is a big Oilers fan. Brad is currently on leave from VisDev to work on an intense VB project.


Ric Perrott started with Visual Basic at its introduction. Versed in several languages, Ric has been a strong proponent of VB. He currently works as a consultant in New York City, and lives in Manhattan.


Bill Pennington, VisDev's interim Education/Technical Director, has been using VB since version 1.0 hit the shelves, and now works as a VB consultant. He also teaches an on-line VB Class in AOL's Interactive Education Service, and is a general PC Consultant in the Windows Forum. Bill and his wife live in Sarasota, Florida.


Gary Tidwell is an Electrical Engineer who uses Visual Basic to develop in-house applications. Gary is a "country boy" from the South, and proud to be so. He enjoys camping and fishing in his off time, and lives in Killen, Alabama, though he's a devout Tennessee Volunteers fan.


Tony Yarbrough, VisDev's current Secretary, got his start in Visual Basic after his employer chose VB over IBM's ObjectVision and OS/2. Tony currently lives in Oklahoma with his wife.


Information for Larry Mullins was not available at the time this file was published.