Developer communities are one of the best ways to get help on any topic. There are plenty of resources out there with many different focuses, and they can help solve problems or get advice from other people who are like-minded and skilled in that area. There are several communities out there that you can join, but finding the right one for you might be tricky. That's where this guide comes in. We'll give you the rundown on some of the best developer communities today so you can decide which to join and gain from.
Stackoverflow.com
It is the biggest and most popular Stack Overflow community. It's been around since 2008 and has over 800,000 members in 6 different language groups. That's a lot of developers who are on a site dedicated to helping each other. Additionally, their rules are stringent, which is good because it prevents people from using their site to ask questions that they might be trying to answer themselves. This way, the community does all the work for them, making it easier for everyone. Messaging is also available for all site users, so you can create an account and start asking your question or answering someone elses' directly from within that account. Stack Overflow is an excellent resource for any developer looking to learn or help others. If you're interested in joining, you can use the site at no cost to see if it's right for you.
Devhubby.com
This site is excellent for developers looking to hone their skills and get better at what they do. It's a programmer-specific forum where development experts will help you with any problems you might be having, and there are also chat features available if you'd rather discuss things in real-time. The community here is focused on learning, and the environment is very relaxed and casual, which makes it easier to ask questions. For example, if someone doesn't understand something, they can ask about it within the relevant thread, get an answer, and then everyone continues. There's also a section on this site where people can post jobs they're looking to fill, so you can check that out if there's anything that catches your eye.
Phparea.com
This site is specifically for PHP developers. There are various forums specific to every programming language, so you can browse through them and find the one that's most interesting to you. Members can ask questions, offer advice and help out other members. There are also active chat rooms for people to discuss things related to programming in general. Nothing else needs to be said about this site because the userbase is already highly focused on programming. There's vital moderation in place, so only the best quality questions and answers will be posted. The community is amicable and welcoming and consists of experienced developers willing to help out friends and family members.
Ubuntuask.com
It is a Ubuntu forum focused on helping others with Linux distribution. It's excellent for questions about Ubuntu, the software that comes with it, and the community. You can even create an account and get involved when you're ready to answer questions or ask your own. This group is very supportive and welcoming, so many people feel free to ask questions or offer help to others who come through. It's a perfect place to go if you're new to Ubuntu and need some assistance.
Crapcodes.com
There are a lot of people out there that work for big companies and can write software. They might not be the best programmers, but they are good at the little things and don't let that stop them from sharing their knowledge. These people are called developers, and while they do all of this work on the side, they post a lot of it on forums because it helps them learn new things about the process. The community for this one is tiny so you won't encounter many problems with other members, but if you do, some moderators will help you.
The five developer communities that can be used for questions and answers are outstanding and supported by active users. As you go through this list and access each community, you can choose the one that works best for you. If you are new to the development process, Stack Overflow is a great starting point, and if you have been working with PHP for a while, PHP Area is an excellent place to learn new things. If you are not interested in any of these communities and would like to ask questions related to programming in general, then Forum.phparea.com is what you should be looking at because it is focused on just that.
