What Is TCPHP (tcphp.org)?

Updated

TCPHP is the Twin Cities PHP User Group, a community for people building software and web applications with PHP and other open-source tools. It is aimed at developers in Minnesota (and, as the site puts it, "approved Wisconsonites") who want to share ideas and advocate for these technologies. The group meets monthly and runs an email list for members.

Who it's for

  • PHP developers and web application builders
  • People working with open-source tools generally
  • Developers in the Twin Cities/Minnesota area who want local, in-person or online contact with peers

If you're outside that region, the site's own framing suggests the group is oriented toward locals, though its IRC channel is open to anyone who wants to talk PHP.

What the group offers

Channel What it is How to use it
Monthly meetings Regular gatherings, historically including presentations and informal social meetups Watch the site's meetings/calendar sections for dates
Email list A mailing list for members to share ideas Sign up via the site's mailing list page
IRC channel Real-time chat for PHP and web development questions Connect to server irc.freenode.net, channel #tcphp

The IRC channel

The site describes the IRC channel as the place to go if you have a PHP or web development question you want answered right away, or just want to chat with other members. To join, point an IRC client at irc.freenode.net and join #tcphp. The site notes a browser link may work if you have an IRC client installed and your browser is configured for it.

Meetings and presentations

Past meeting listings on the site show the format: technical presentations (for example, a tutorial on building a blog with the Zend Framework, covering modular code, ACL integration, filtering/validation, and database access) alongside informal social events such as a beer meeting at a local venue. These listings are dated from the mid-to-late 2000s, so treat them as examples of the group's style rather than a current schedule—check the site's news and calendar for what's actually coming up.

What to expect from the site

tcphp.org is a lightweight community hub. Its sections include home, about, news feeds, mailing list, meetings, resources, and community. Content is posted by members, and some posts require login to comment. The resources section has historically included items like a note on SourceGuardian's PHP encoder and a piece on flat-file databases.

Practical next steps

  1. Open tcphp.org and check the meetings and news sections for current activity.
  2. Join the mailing list if you want announcements and discussion by email.
  3. Connect to #tcphp on irc.freenode.net for real-time help and chat.
  4. If you're local, watch for monthly meetups; if you're not, the mailing list and IRC channel are the portable options.

One caveat: much of the visible content dates from 2006–2007, and the IRC network referenced (freenode) has changed hands since then. Verify current meeting details and channel availability through the site itself before planning around them.