The New York Network Operators Group (NYNOG) is a local networking group founded by myself and David Temkin, Vice President of Network Strategy and Architecture at Netflix, along with our super star co-organizers, Andrew Baird, Senior Director Marketing and Communications, and Jessica Smith, Senior Marketing Manager of Events, at Telx. Our goal is to provide local network professionals as well as those interested in learning about network technologies and infrastructure, with a casual environment to learn, share stories, and discuss innovation in networking, along with some fun social time over drinks and food. 1. Why is now the right time? The growth of technology in the New York metro area is higher than ever, with New York City being one of the best places to start a company right behind Silicon Valley. Networking and connectivity is essential infrastructure that is needed to run a business in today’s connected world. Influenced by NANOG, the North America Network Operators Group, and the recently formed CHINOG, the Chicago Network Operators Group, we felt now was the perfect time to get people together. There is a massive community of people working in networking in New York City and when you bring people together, magical things can happen.   2. What are the future plans? We plan to hold several meetup events a year, along with more casual happy hours at local venues in New York City. As our community grows, we’ll explore other opportunities around education and networking.   3. How can people get involved? Right now we’ve got most things covered but we are looking for volunteers to help with some specific things. If you’re interested, please send an email to hello@nynog.org. Another way of getting involved is to join our meetup group, where you can engage in discussions about topics you would like to hear about at future events as well as share any other suggestions. http://www.meetup.com/NY_NOG/   4. When is the first event? Our first event will be a meetup after work on Wednesday, May 25, at LMHQ in lower Manhattan. We will have free food and drinks, and an exciting panel on the current state of New York City networking infrastructure to kick things off. You can register now via our site www.nynog.org