PHP user group

A PHP user group (PHPUG) is a private, GeneRally not-for-profit organization that provides support and/or education for PHP users, particularly for inexperienced users. The term commonly refers to local groups that meet in person, but is also used to refer to online support groups that may have members spread over a very wide area and which do not organize, or which are not based around, physical meetings.

Online PHPUGs

Not all online PHP support groups refer to themselves as "a PHPUG", and the use of the word is sometimes intended to specifically refer to groups of PHP users which organize regular meetings.

Online PHPUGs use mailing lists, bulletin boards and IRC (Channel: #PHP and #PHPUG) as their primary method of communication, with members meeting physically Seldom or not at all. As with local PHPUGs, some groups are limited to technical discussions and others seek to form social bonds between PHP users by having "chat" or "off topic" forums.

Reasons for forming or joining an online PHPUG vary. Some members of online PHPUGs May Be relatively isolated without a local PHPUG accessible or with only a few other PHP users in their area.