[Baypiggies] Follow-up: Events past and present

[Glen Jarvis]

I want to send out a thank you to our community for everyone
who participated in some recent events. I just want to follow-up regarding
some recent events and comment on possible future events...


If you have any comments, suggestions, I'd happily take them (on or off list
- whatever is most appropriate).



PyCon videos: We had a pretty good turn out. The environment was a bit noisy
and it wasn't as smooth as I wanted. But, it happened and people seemed to
get stuff out of it. It's a definite repeat for next year after PyCon.

Subversion Class: We had at least two bayPIGgies at this event. We didn't
advance quite as far as I had planned since we were at different skill
levels; but we were 95% there. I do believe all that attended got value from
it and learned some core concepts they didn't know. I need to organize the
path through the material better, in the future however. I'd definitely do
this class again when we get interest for it. We have an outstanding request
from a BayPIGgies member to do an intermediate level for this. That would
take more planning and preparation to do properly.

Introduction to Python (beginners): This was tabled so many times because
getting a meeting location has been a nightmare. The moment I find a meeting
place, the group of people interested shifts, and then they wanted to meet
in a new city. I've switched between SF and Mountain View so many times I'm
dizzy and put everything on hold. I'd *love* to do this at my work (UC
Berkeley) - but no one wants to come to Berkeley. :(    I also will be
taking some classes in the middle of the summer and can't make such a big
commitment... So, this one is tabled until *at least* October.

Introduction to Django: We have the most interest in this (than anything
else), but I don't have a clear set of training materials to take people
from point A to point B. Most people also need a bit of a foundation in
Python. Donna's trying something similar now, so I don't want to cut into
her audience. Same longer-term commitment concerns as Introduction to Python
above. Tabled for now -- until at least October or much later.


Future

A Day of Decorators: Rami, Daniel and I have had great fun talking about
decorators and trying to describe them recently. We each took turns
explaining them in different ways. I'd love to turn this into a "Day of
Decorators" where we have an already designed set of homework assignments
that takes you from the beginning (making a basic function (i.e., def
func(): pass), to using someone else's pre-written decorators, to writing
your own simple decorators, all the way through to the more advanced
concepts).  This requires us to plan more up front and to make the homework
assignments for it.   The concept is that each person comes in, works
through the assignments, and get individual help when they get stuck, don't
understand a concept, etc.  This is totally vaporware at this stage and will
be until we get a grain of sand to make a pearl out of it.


A Tutor/Bioinformatic hack day -- if there's interest, it's easy to put
together. No real planning other than some basic explanation of concepts and
then trying to coordinate everyone's efforts. This could happen very soon if
there's interest. (It'll be a more chaotic event--most people working
individually and sharing/comparing results).













-- 
Whatever you can do or imagine, begin it;
boldness has beauty, magic, and power in it.

-- Goethe
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