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This week I’ve decided to post about the FileMaker community in general and all the helpful resources that are out there. It’s a sure sign of a good product – one the users believe in – when people are willing to take time out of their schedules and share their knowledge with anyone who needs it. The FileMaker community is definitely one of the most helpful out there.
Let’s look at what FileMaker Inc. offers to its users:
- The FileMaker Resource Centre – this is accessible once you open FileMaker from the Quick Start menu (provided you haven’t disabled it – it’s easy enough to show again if you have: just go to the Help menu and select either Quick Start Screen or Resource Centre). Through the Resource Centre, you will find many videos and tutorials to help you improve your product knowledge. I encourage you to check it out as you never know when you will learn something new. There’s also the FileMaker Forum where you can post questions or search for topics concerning the FileMaker product line.
- FileMaker TechNet is a great resource for those who are more power-users/developers than general end-users. For a nominal fee you get access to much more detailed FileMaker information; one of the best resources is the FSA TechTalk Forum. As FileMaker says themselves – it’s a world of resources at your fingertips!
- Not to be missed is the FMI Knowledge Base – check this online resource for a plethora (word of the day!) of information regarding all aspects of FileMaker products.
There is also a number of community-led groups that are definitely worth checking out. Even if you’re not local to the area, these groups often have forums where you can post questions and receive support from its members.
I know of two groups here in Canada that have proved to be very popular with both developers and end-users alike:
- SOFA (Southern Ontario FileMaker Association) – Meets in the Greater Toronto Area
- FUDGEO (FileMaker Users & Developers Group of Eastern Ontario) – Meets in the Ottawa area
Additionally, try out FMPUG. This is a large, community-based website – they have chapters all over North America and even an international group page for everywhere from A – V (Athens to Vancouver – I couldn’t find one for Z unfortunately – that would have been cool!).
This list is by no means exhaustive and I encourage anyone who knows of a user group/meeting/online forum that has not been mentioned above to post it here in the comments section so everyone can hear about you. Get the word out and join the community. You’ll be glad you did.
In the meantime… Happy FileMaking!
