一句话：通过访谈和问卷调查，揭示软件从业者参与本地技术聚会的主要动机、获取知识的类型及其对软件工程实践的补充作用。
非正式技术聚会已成为软件开发社区的重要部分，定期吸引数千名从业者，但人们对他们参与其中的动机、所获信息的类型与有用性，以及本地聚会与其他软件工程信息沟通渠道的差异与互补关系知之甚少。本文访谈了技术导向的Meetup小组领导者，并通过向技术导向小组参与者发放问卷收集定量信息。研究发现，这些小组的参与者主要是经验丰富的软件从业者，他们利用Meetup了解最新发展、建立本地网络，并与同行进行丰富的隐性知识转移以改进实践。研究还表明，面对面会议是交换隐性知识和软件工程实践所需情境信息的有效论坛。
Informal technology 'meetups' have become an important aspect of the software development community, engaging many thousands of practitioners on a regular basis. However, although local technology meetups are well-attended by developers, little is known about their motivations for participating, the type or usefulness of information that they acquire, and how local meetups might differ from and complement other available communication channels for software engineering information. We interviewed the leaders of technology-oriented Meetup groups, and collected quantitative information via a survey distributed to participants in technology-oriented groups. Our findings suggest that participants in these groups are primarily experienced software practitioners, who use Meetup for staying abreast of new developments, building local networks and achieving transfer of rich tacit knowledge with peers to improve their practice. We also suggest that face to face meetings are useful forums for exchanging tacit knowledge and contextual information needed for software engineering practice.