src/content/community/articles/interviews/varun-nischal.html - netbeans-website-cleanup - Git at Google

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 <h1>Varun Nischal - Mining the Blogosphere for Cool NetBeans Tutorials!
 </h1>
 <br>
 The <a href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/wiki/view/CommunityDocs">NetBeans
 Community Docs Program</a> has acquired a new coordinator: <span
  style="font-weight: bold;">Varun
 Nischal</span>! Learn more about him, how he contributes to the
 NetBeans Community and why great blog entries about NetBeans make him
 happy.<br>
 &nbsp;<br>
 <br>
 <h5><img style="width: 169px; height: 234px;"
  alt="Varun Nischal, NetBeans Community Docs Program Coordinator"
  src="../../../images_www/articles/interviews/varun-nischal.jpg"
  align="left" hspace="5">Welcome Varun! Please tell us a bit about
 yourself.</h5>
 I am a third-year Computer Science undergraduate student, studying at
 the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology University, Noida,
 India. I am also a <span style="font-style: italic;">Campus Sun Club
 Coordinator</span>. In that role, I organize various NetBeans-related
 events to increase adoption of NetBeans in my university. I love coding
 in C++ and Java and I am an open-source enthusiast with a passion for
 NetBeans! Apart from programming, I enjoy sketching, computer gaming,
 sports and biking.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>How did you get started with the Community Docs
 program and eventually become the program's new coordinator? </h5>
 In August 2007, I took part in a Sun Microsystems contest for Indian
 students called <a
  href="http://in.sun.com/communities/univ/codeforfreedom/">Code For
 Freedom Contest</a>. My entry into the competition was to write
 documentation, and while working on this I met <a
  href="http://amitksaha.blogspot.com/">Amit Kumar Saha</a>, then the
 coordinator of the Community Docs program, and he became my guide.
 Initially, my goal for writing was just to win, but along the way I
 developed an interest in the Docs program as well. I got involved on
 the mailing list, helped out with new contributors and of course,
 submitted material of my own. Amit was hired by Sun and his coordinator
 spot was open. <a href="http://blogs.sun.com/branajam/">James Branam</a>
 asked if I would be interested in helping to run the program and I
 happily accepted his offer. (For the Code for Freedom contest, I was
 acknowledged as a <span style="font-style: italic;">Significant
 Contributor</span>.)<br>
 <br>
 <h5>As the Community Docs Coordinator, what will be your tasks?</h5>
 Well, there are various tasks: Blogging about the latest happenings in
 the program. Inviting bloggers to turn their fantastic entries about
 NetBeans into tutorials, tips &amp; tricks, or screencasts. Reviewing
 contributions and tweaking them if needed for the program's format.
 Spotlighting deserving contributors and promoting the program whenever
 possible.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>How many contributions have you made to the knowledge base? What
 type of topics are you drawn to?</h5>
 To date, six contributions. Four <a
  href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/VarunNischal#section-VarunNischal-TipsTricks">Tips
 &amp; Tricks</a>, one <a
  href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/CheckOutNBSources">article</a> and a <a
  href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/KickStartWithWiki">quick start guide</a>.
 Since joining the NetBeans Community and becoming an open-source
 enthusiast, I have started to explore the technologies that I use, such
 as
 MySQL Server, SCM, Web 2.0 and many more. I try to gain a deeper
 understanding of these technologies and in the process turn my
 experiences and discoveries into documentation.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>As a frequent contributor, you must have tips to share for others
 about writing tutorials. What makes a good tutorial?</h5>
 Since becoming a coordinator, I have already seen some amazing blog
 entries that we have turned into tutorials for the Community Docs
 program. What they have in common is ease of use even if the stated
 technology in the tutorial is unfamiliar--you would
 learn quickly and start to expand your
 knowledge base confidently. But in general, a good tutorial is one that
 emphasizes what its audience should learn
 from the subject matter and how the topic could help them get started
 with NetBeans comfortably. Recent examples are: <a
  href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/CreatingEJB3UsingNetbeansAndGlassfish">Creating
 EJB3 Sessions Beans Using Netbeans 6.1 and Glassfish</a> by <a
  href="http://myjavaworld.wordpress.com/">Jair Rillo Junior</a> and <a
  href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/TutorialOnNetBeansMercurialClone">Cloning
 Using Mercurial In NetBeans 6.1</a> by <a
  href="http://www.tusharvjoshi.com/">Tushar Joshi</a>.<br>
 &nbsp;<br>
 <h5>Will you continue to contribute tutorials? What are you currently
 working on?</h5>
 As mentioned earlier, I contribute documentations based on my
 exploration of technologies; since this is ongoing, naturally I will
 continue to submit tutorials, especially for the Tips &amp; Tricks
 category. These days I am looking into MySQL using NetBeans 6.1 and
 would love to produce docs related to it. But there are already two
 very good examples out there: a <a
  href="https://netbeans.org/kb/60/ide/mysql.html">tutorial</a> and
 an amazing <a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/articles/mysql.html">screencast</a>.
 I will need to dig a bit deeper before I can come up with something
 unique and useful beyond what is already available.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>Are there projects that you have in mind for expanding the program?</h5>
 There are two in progress. During the Code for Freedom Contest, I
 started a <span style="font-style: italic;">Community Docs Mentoring
 Program</span> in which I gave sessions demonstrating the <span
  style="font-style: italic;">Wiki Wizard</span>.
 (The wizard is an applet that provides a rich-text editor, with
 wiki-syntax highlighting features that make writing documentation
 easy.) The program will resume again once university reopens. Second, I
 am working on a plugin with <a
  href="http://www.novicenetbeans.blogspot.com/">Jay Mahadeokar</a>, a
 Community Docs contributor, that would enable NetBeans Wiki users to
 work on their documentations off-line! Amit and I started the first
 draft in January and then took a break from the project. Now, Jay and I
 have resumed work on it and I will soon blog about our progress. For
 those interested in the program's current and future projects, please
 join our <a href="mailto:%20dev@usersguide.netbeans.org">mailing list</a>
 and visit our blog to get updates.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>Speaking of blogs, you write three! Please give brief descriptions
 and tell us how you find time to manage all three.</h5>
 Actually, I have four blogs. Three of them are technology or
 NetBeans-related. The fourth one is about sports, which I love as well.<br>
 <br>
 <a href="http://bondprogrammers.blogspot.com/">Developer's Kolektiv</a>
 -&nbsp; My first-ever blog and originally named <span
  style="font-style: italic;">prOgramming bOnds</span>. It was a
 collaborative blog comprising of five authors, where we wrote about any
 technology (not necessarily NetBeans-related) that we explored. <br>
 <br>
 <a href="http://nbguru.wordpress.com/">NetBeans Guru</a> – I created a
 NetBeans specific blog where I could present my experience with the
 NetBeans community, mailing lists and supported technologies. To “Learn
 NetBeans, the NetBeans way”. For example, I have started a series in
 which I will <a
  href="http://nbguru.wordpress.com/proj-netbeans/quest-for-a-better-ide/">compare</a>
 the features of NetBeans IDE to Visual Studio .NET.
 Another is a bi-weekly report of the ongoing <a
  href="https://netbeans.org/quiz/">NetBeans Quiz</a> contest.
 Also, through this blog I have worked on entries that have been turned
 into Tips and Tricks documentation for the Community Docs program.<br>
 <br>
 <a href="http://nb-community-docs.blogspot.com/">NetBeans Community
 Docs Blog</a> – A blog specifically for the Community Docs program and
 which only members of the Community Docs Team can write for. We blog
 about the latest we have from Community Docs program, to share with the
 community. Everyone's invited to browse and leave comments and
 suggestions.<br>
 <br>
 <a href="http://manutdmaniacs.wordpress.com/">ManUtd Back With A Bang</a>
 – I guess the blog tagline is enough to give an overview of this blog:
 “Fans that have gone crazy to see Man United make a fabulous comeback
 in English Football”. My friend and I blog here about events related
 to <span style="font-style: italic;">Manchester United</span>.<br>
 <br>
 You also asked about time management. I'm often glued to my computer,
 whether studying or blogging. Initially, it was tough but I gradually
 worked on my time management skills. For example, I develop a raw idea
 for a blog entry, save it as a draft and refine it in stages before
 publishing. This way, I am able to devote other hours to my studies and
 other activities.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>Any closing thoughts? </h5>
 Open source projects exists because of the kind of community support
 they get. Some of that support&nbsp; comes in the form of users
 documenting their experiences with that project, via blogs, articles or
 reviews. I am happy to be a part of that process through the Community
 Docs program.<br>
 <br>
 <h5>Thank you Varun and good luck in your new role!</h5>
 <div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(June
 2008)</span><br>
 </div>
 <br>
 <h2>More Links</h2>
 <a href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/wiki/view/CommunityDocs">NetBeans
 Community Docs Program</a><br>
 NetBeans Community Docs Mailing List: dev at usersguide dot netbeans
 dot org<br>
 <a
  href="https://netbeans.org/community/articles/interviews/comm-docs-branam.html">How
 to Write a Tutorial for NetBeans</a><br>
 <a
  href="http://groups.google.com/group/jiitsunclub/web/sun-clubs-community-docs-mentoring-program">Community
 Docs Mentoring Program</a> (JIIT University)<br>
 <br>
 <br>
 </body>
 </html>
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	<head>
	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../../netbeans.css" media="screen">
	<meta name="author" content="Tinuola Awopetu">
	<meta name="keywords" content="NetBeans IDE, NetBeans Community Docs Program, Varun Nischal">
	<title>NetBeans Interview - Varun Nischal, NetBeans Community Docs Program Coordinator</title>
	</head>
	<body>
	<h1>Varun Nischal - Mining the Blogosphere for Cool NetBeans Tutorials!
	</h1>
	<br>
	The <a href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/wiki/view/CommunityDocs">NetBeans
	Community Docs Program</a> has acquired a new coordinator: <span
	style="font-weight: bold;">Varun
	Nischal</span>! Learn more about him, how he contributes to the
	NetBeans Community and why great blog entries about NetBeans make him
	happy.<br>
	<br>
	<br>
	<h5><img style="width: 169px; height: 234px;"
	alt="Varun Nischal, NetBeans Community Docs Program Coordinator"
	src="../../../images_www/articles/interviews/varun-nischal.jpg"
	align="left" hspace="5">Welcome Varun! Please tell us a bit about
	yourself.</h5>
	I am a third-year Computer Science undergraduate student, studying at
	the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology University, Noida,
	India. I am also a <span style="font-style: italic;">Campus Sun Club
	Coordinator</span>. In that role, I organize various NetBeans-related
	events to increase adoption of NetBeans in my university. I love coding
	in C++ and Java and I am an open-source enthusiast with a passion for
	NetBeans! Apart from programming, I enjoy sketching, computer gaming,
	sports and biking.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>How did you get started with the Community Docs
	program and eventually become the program's new coordinator? </h5>
	In August 2007, I took part in a Sun Microsystems contest for Indian
	students called <a
	href="http://in.sun.com/communities/univ/codeforfreedom/">Code For
	Freedom Contest</a>. My entry into the competition was to write
	documentation, and while working on this I met <a
	href="http://amitksaha.blogspot.com/">Amit Kumar Saha</a>, then the
	coordinator of the Community Docs program, and he became my guide.
	Initially, my goal for writing was just to win, but along the way I
	developed an interest in the Docs program as well. I got involved on
	the mailing list, helped out with new contributors and of course,
	submitted material of my own. Amit was hired by Sun and his coordinator
	spot was open. <a href="http://blogs.sun.com/branajam/">James Branam</a>
	asked if I would be interested in helping to run the program and I
	happily accepted his offer. (For the Code for Freedom contest, I was
	acknowledged as a <span style="font-style: italic;">Significant
	Contributor</span>.)<br>
	<br>
	<h5>As the Community Docs Coordinator, what will be your tasks?</h5>
	Well, there are various tasks: Blogging about the latest happenings in
	the program. Inviting bloggers to turn their fantastic entries about
	NetBeans into tutorials, tips & tricks, or screencasts. Reviewing
	contributions and tweaking them if needed for the program's format.
	Spotlighting deserving contributors and promoting the program whenever
	possible.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>How many contributions have you made to the knowledge base? What
	type of topics are you drawn to?</h5>
	To date, six contributions. Four <a
	href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/VarunNischal#section-VarunNischal-TipsTricks">Tips
	& Tricks</a>, one <a
	href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/CheckOutNBSources">article</a> and a <a
	href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/KickStartWithWiki">quick start guide</a>.
	Since joining the NetBeans Community and becoming an open-source
	enthusiast, I have started to explore the technologies that I use, such
	as
	MySQL Server, SCM, Web 2.0 and many more. I try to gain a deeper
	understanding of these technologies and in the process turn my
	experiences and discoveries into documentation.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>As a frequent contributor, you must have tips to share for others
	about writing tutorials. What makes a good tutorial?</h5>
	Since becoming a coordinator, I have already seen some amazing blog
	entries that we have turned into tutorials for the Community Docs
	program. What they have in common is ease of use even if the stated
	technology in the tutorial is unfamiliar--you would
	learn quickly and start to expand your
	knowledge base confidently. But in general, a good tutorial is one that
	emphasizes what its audience should learn
	from the subject matter and how the topic could help them get started
	with NetBeans comfortably. Recent examples are: <a
	href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/CreatingEJB3UsingNetbeansAndGlassfish">Creating
	EJB3 Sessions Beans Using Netbeans 6.1 and Glassfish</a> by <a
	href="http://myjavaworld.wordpress.com/">Jair Rillo Junior</a> and <a
	href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/TutorialOnNetBeansMercurialClone">Cloning
	Using Mercurial In NetBeans 6.1</a> by <a
	href="http://www.tusharvjoshi.com/">Tushar Joshi</a>.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>Will you continue to contribute tutorials? What are you currently
	working on?</h5>
	As mentioned earlier, I contribute documentations based on my
	exploration of technologies; since this is ongoing, naturally I will
	continue to submit tutorials, especially for the Tips & Tricks
	category. These days I am looking into MySQL using NetBeans 6.1 and
	would love to produce docs related to it. But there are already two
	very good examples out there: a <a
	href="https://netbeans.org/kb/60/ide/mysql.html">tutorial</a> and
	an amazing <a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/articles/mysql.html">screencast</a>.
	I will need to dig a bit deeper before I can come up with something
	unique and useful beyond what is already available.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>Are there projects that you have in mind for expanding the program?</h5>
	There are two in progress. During the Code for Freedom Contest, I
	started a <span style="font-style: italic;">Community Docs Mentoring
	Program</span> in which I gave sessions demonstrating the <span
	style="font-style: italic;">Wiki Wizard</span>.
	(The wizard is an applet that provides a rich-text editor, with
	wiki-syntax highlighting features that make writing documentation
	easy.) The program will resume again once university reopens. Second, I
	am working on a plugin with <a
	href="http://www.novicenetbeans.blogspot.com/">Jay Mahadeokar</a>, a
	Community Docs contributor, that would enable NetBeans Wiki users to
	work on their documentations off-line! Amit and I started the first
	draft in January and then took a break from the project. Now, Jay and I
	have resumed work on it and I will soon blog about our progress. For
	those interested in the program's current and future projects, please
	join our <a href="mailto:%20dev@usersguide.netbeans.org">mailing list</a>
	and visit our blog to get updates.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>Speaking of blogs, you write three! Please give brief descriptions
	and tell us how you find time to manage all three.</h5>
	Actually, I have four blogs. Three of them are technology or
	NetBeans-related. The fourth one is about sports, which I love as well.<br>
	<br>
	<a href="http://bondprogrammers.blogspot.com/">Developer's Kolektiv</a>
	-  My first-ever blog and originally named <span
	style="font-style: italic;">prOgramming bOnds</span>. It was a
	collaborative blog comprising of five authors, where we wrote about any
	technology (not necessarily NetBeans-related) that we explored. <br>
	<br>
	<a href="http://nbguru.wordpress.com/">NetBeans Guru</a> – I created a
	NetBeans specific blog where I could present my experience with the
	NetBeans community, mailing lists and supported technologies. To “Learn
	NetBeans, the NetBeans way”. For example, I have started a series in
	which I will <a
	href="http://nbguru.wordpress.com/proj-netbeans/quest-for-a-better-ide/">compare</a>
	the features of NetBeans IDE to Visual Studio .NET.
	Another is a bi-weekly report of the ongoing <a
	href="https://netbeans.org/quiz/">NetBeans Quiz</a> contest.
	Also, through this blog I have worked on entries that have been turned
	into Tips and Tricks documentation for the Community Docs program.<br>
	<br>
	<a href="http://nb-community-docs.blogspot.com/">NetBeans Community
	Docs Blog</a> – A blog specifically for the Community Docs program and
	which only members of the Community Docs Team can write for. We blog
	about the latest we have from Community Docs program, to share with the
	community. Everyone's invited to browse and leave comments and
	suggestions.<br>
	<br>
	<a href="http://manutdmaniacs.wordpress.com/">ManUtd Back With A Bang</a>
	– I guess the blog tagline is enough to give an overview of this blog:
	“Fans that have gone crazy to see Man United make a fabulous comeback
	in English Football”. My friend and I blog here about events related
	to <span style="font-style: italic;">Manchester United</span>.<br>
	<br>
	You also asked about time management. I'm often glued to my computer,
	whether studying or blogging. Initially, it was tough but I gradually
	worked on my time management skills. For example, I develop a raw idea
	for a blog entry, save it as a draft and refine it in stages before
	publishing. This way, I am able to devote other hours to my studies and
	other activities.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>Any closing thoughts? </h5>
	Open source projects exists because of the kind of community support
	they get. Some of that support  comes in the form of users
	documenting their experiences with that project, via blogs, articles or
	reviews. I am happy to be a part of that process through the Community
	Docs program.<br>
	<br>
	<h5>Thank you Varun and good luck in your new role!</h5>
	<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(June
	2008)</span><br>
	</div>
	<br>
	<h2>More Links</h2>
	<a href="http://wiki.netbeans.org/wiki/view/CommunityDocs">NetBeans
	Community Docs Program</a><br>
	NetBeans Community Docs Mailing List: dev at usersguide dot netbeans
	dot org<br>
	<a
	href="https://netbeans.org/community/articles/interviews/comm-docs-branam.html">How
	to Write a Tutorial for NetBeans</a><br>
	<a
	href="http://groups.google.com/group/jiitsunclub/web/sun-clubs-community-docs-mentoring-program">Community
	Docs Mentoring Program</a> (JIIT University)<br>
	<br>
	<br>
	</body>
	</html>