Python Trainers, Promote Thyself!

With the recent establishment of the wiki page on python.org of those who offer training services for the Python language, we now have 23 listed, worldwide.

Many of the trainers are individuals or small companies, and it can be hard to get the attention of the big IT houses. While skill credentials and a portfolio of past training gigs are important, perhaps one of the best promoters is when someone has actually experienced one of your classes. They gain insight into your speaking style, how you relate to the students and your ability to explain complex technical subjects in an approachable way. No class syllabus can convey that. The Python community has a valuable resource that can give you the next best thing. Screencasting!

Screencasting is a multimedia creation that focuses on the instructor's desktop, with voiceover guidance. It can be in the format of an online slideshow, a guided sourcecode walkthrough or a follow-along interactive session. They can be as long or short as you wish and they have opportunities for branding, by using custom wallpaper behind your talks desktop and musical lead-in/fade-out.

Screencasts can be hosted on www.showmedo.com or, if done with a large font, video.google.com. They can also be embedded in your website while being hosted elsewhere.

You can learn more about the details with a talk series I put together entitled Casting Your Knowledge, With Style.

But perhaps you're really busy on current projects and short on time. Consider arranging an audio interview about an upcoming seminar you're offering and making it available as a podcast. Ron Stephens of Python 411 makes available an excellent collection of podcasts and may be interested in hosting yours.

Unlike face-to-face presentation opportunities, screencasts/podcasts have the additional benefit that they promote your training offerings while you're busy on other gigs. It's almost like cloning yourself and having more time for promotion. It's all about leverage.

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator

Usergroups Forming: Arizona and Carolina Regions

Two new Python usergroups are being organized!

Arizona

Michael March is starting a group for those in the Flagstaff/Phoenix/Tucson region of Arizona. The first meeting to get organized will be held on Monday July 30th at 6:30pm. Location is not yet set -- need input from potential attendees.

If you are interested, a mailing list and wiki page have been established as well as a Meetup.com group, where you can sign up to receive automated calendar reminders of group activities.

North/South Carolina

While there is an existing group TriZPUG for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region, a new group is being formed for the Charlotte and North-Central South Carolina area. No meetings have yet been scheduled - to participate in discussions join the Google Group:

Other Groups

There are 34 states with Python usergroups, leaving 16 without any Python organizations at all -- and this is just in the United States. We would like to encourage the formation of more groups worldwide. If you've been wishing there were meetings near you, step forward and help initiate or revitalize one. There are experienced organizers waiting to mentor you on the group organizers mailing list.

Usergroups are a lot of fun, a source of employment opportunities and a great way to enhance your programming and teaching skills. The Python Software Foundation and the experienced group organizers are ready to support you in your efforts.

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator

An Update Regarding Python Advocacy

For those who might wonder what I do as advocacy coordinator, I've just updated for the month my list of accomplishments at:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/AdvocacyAccomplishments

My short list of things to tackle next is at:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonAdvocacyCoordinator

Suggestions and feedback are appreciated, as is volunteering to create podcasts, screencasts, artwork or whitepapers. There is a list of writing ideas at:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/AdvocacyWritingTasks

and ideas for articles at:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/ArticleIdeas

For screencasting I'm working with Ian of ShowMeDo.com to create a collection of 5-minute videos targeted at those new to or unsure of Python, to make them aware of the strengths of the language in areas in which they might be interested. We welcome contributions - they're only 5-minute talks and so don't require a large investment of time.

And on the low burner we've got some wiki pages bubbling about how to help new programmers get into Python, at:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/Advocacy/ProgrammingForNewprogrammers

We could use any ideas that might occur to you as you read those wiki pages.

Jeff Rush
Advocacy Coordinator

Organizing Python Representation at OSCON 2007

OSCON 2007 in Portland, Oregon from July 23-27 is fast approaching. This is a professional conference that can give Python a lot of visibility in the IT world and draws a different crowd from our community-run conferences like PyCon.

There looks to be a good set of talks on the Python track, with several positioned to promote the use of Python by telling its story:

• Code Like a Pythonista: Idiomatic Python
• SQLAlchemy: Taming ORM with Python
• Super-sizing YouTube
• How to Write a Killer Sugar Activity
• Exploiting Multicore Capabilities from Python
• Python 3000
• Programming for Everybody: CP4E
• Coding with Dynamic Confidence

There also is the opportunity to reach out by holding Python birds-of-a-feather gatherings. The Python community is a friendly group and face-to-face contact is important to convey the human aspect of Python. Proposals for BoFs can be submitted by visiting the OSCON page for BoFs.

I will not be attending this year, so we need one or more who are willing to step forward and loosely organize a bit. Let's discuss this on the Python advocacy mailing list and make it happen this year.

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator

Calling for Python Writers/Authors

For those who write books and articles, I've established a wiki page just as we already have a page for those who offer training services for Python. If you would like to be reachable by those needing writing services of various kinds, please add yourself to the list, along with some indication of what you prefer to work on, your portfolio of work and your experience level:

http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonWriters

I'm open to creative ideas on how to format the information. A link to the page has been added to the sidebar menu.

Jeff Rush
Advocacy Coordinator

Calling Usergroup Organizers (and Wannabees)

We'd like to strengthen and raise the visibility of Python usergroups and foster the creation of new ones, by sharing the valuable experiences of those leaders around the community who make it happen.

1. One step is to make others more aware of what is already happening, perhaps in their own neighborhood re Python meetings. I've created a shared blog and invite organizers of existing groups to send me their email address to get privs to post to it.

   Because these postings will be distributed far and wide, a posting should be of interest to those who did not attend but are considering doing so, or that might be instructive to organizers in other cities. An overview of what was covered in a past meeting, or an announcement with substance on what an upcoming meeting is going to be about are good postings. A simple date and local address, or that the pizza was good last week, is not. ;-)

2. A second step is to encourage and support new organizers in forming groups in their area. There is a strong demand for such meetings, but many are uncertain how to go about it. Therefore I've created a new mailing list on which experienced and new organizers can share tips on getting started, whether about getting the word out, finding a place to meet or getting interesting speakers.

Those of us with a history of involvement in a usergroup often forget that many people have never attended a usergroup meeting, or lack experience in running one, so let's help strengthen this aspect of Python. We could use some videos or photos of group meetings as well, posted to youtube.com/flickr.com and the link emailed to me for use.

I'd also like to ask the existing, successful usergroups to spread the word about their efforts by being interviewed by Ron Stephens on Python411, and/or writing up an article on how your group got started for Tennessee Leeuwenburg of The Python Papers. Even a simple "what a typical meeting is like in my area" is helpful.

It would be especially interesting to see how usergroups operate in various countries around the world, and perhaps help bring together these regions.

In closing, for existing usergroups as well as new ones coming online, please update the entry for your group on the roster of Python usergroups.

Jeff Rush
Advocacy Coordinator

Seeking Four Code Samples for Forrester Research Survey

In working up a response to the survey being conducted by Forrester Research on dynamic languages, there is a section wherein they want to see code samples. The samples must include all code written for the example, and URLs to any frameworks or modules used.

Their objective is to see how efficient/elegant the language is for developers. This is one area in which Python should excel.

1. Render a simple Web page containing text, data, and graphics, as specified in this wireframe mockup. With the myriad number of web frameworks for Python, this is hard but let's pick those a few that are most expressive, as the person evaluating it may not be familiar with Python per se, but be looking for readability.
   
2. Invoke a simple Web service and format/display the results. This can be either web services or REST, whichever one looks cleanest.
   
3. Create a mash-up that overlays local temperature data onto a Google map.
4. Create a simple form for data submission with fields and drop down selects and a submit button, as specified in this wireframe mockup. At least one field should be validated.

To help our community's standing in the survey, and perhaps promotion of your favorite web framework, please consider picking one of these or providing a trimmed down example of existing code. Send it via private email to me, and I'll get it included in the survey response. Forrester's deadline to us is by the end of this week, May 18th.

Thanks,

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator