Facebook’s Developer Circles Draws Social and Online Learning Community Worldwide

Facebook last week at its F8 developer conference unveiled a program that aims to connect developers around the world and foster collaboration in computer science.

The new Developer Circles from Facebook program is free, community-driven and designed to create locally organized communities for developers, according to a company blog post. Local circles are run by “circle leads” who organize meetups, hackathons and other events and help promote events online. (Circle leads are selected by Facebook via application, but are not sponsored by Facebook in any way.) Membership is open to developers with varying experience and expertise, ranging from industry professionals to college students.

Aside from in-person events, members can “share knowledge, collaborate, build new ideas and learn about the latest technologies from Facebook and other industry leaders” in their designated Facebook Groups online, the blog post states. The program is in its early stages, but Facebook has already started piloting features in Facebook Groups like subject-specific “social learning units composed of sequential trainings,” the blog post states. Facebook partnered with online learning company Udacity to launch training programs that are tailored to the Developer Circles community, like classes on how to create a seamless user experience for mobile apps, for example.

Developer Circles is now available globally, with more than 20 active chapters already launched across Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, according to the program FAQ. Interested individuals can find a circle nearby or start their own.

Learn more by watching the video below or visit the program site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • AI-inspired background pattern with geometric shapes and fine lines in muted blue and gray on a dark background

    IBM Introduces Granite 3.0 Family of Advanced AI Models

    IBM unveiled its most advanced family of AI models to date, Granite 3.0, at its annual TechXchange event. The new models were developed to provide a combination of performance, flexibility, and autonomy that outperforms or matches similarly sized models from leading providers on a range of benchmarks.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs Off on AI Content Safeguard Laws

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills into law, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • a digital lock symbol is cracked and breaking apart into dollar signs

    Report: Ransomware Costs Schools Nearly $550,000 per Day of Downtime

    New data from cybersecurity research firm Comparitech quantifies the damage caused by ransomware attacks on K-12 and higher education institutions.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Bill, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.