[Baypiggies] Advice on how to improve my skills while working at a company that doesn't support Python

[Daniel Nowak]

Hey J,

It sounds like you are off to a good start. I can suggest a couple of
things. First don't let the people who say its not very pythonic
derail you. Find an open source project you have interest in an try to
go in and fix a bug or two. There are often several simple bugs that a
person learning to go can fix. I know my own code there are always
simple bugs that annoy me but I never get to fixing them because I am
too busy fixing the big bugs.

Second reach out and find a python group near you. Tooting my own horn
a bit here but I teach a beginning python class which is free to the
public. After my beginning class another instructor takes over and we
work on a web project in python. Most of the students in the web class
just got out of or are still in my class. So it's a great friendly
place for people to ask questions.  Even if my class is not the one
for you there are other groups around that are open and welcoming.

I don't know where in the bay you are so email if you need any details
about our class.

Cheers,
Daniel


On Jun 3, 2012, at 7:33 PM, "J. R. Carroll" <jrc.csus at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I am new to the list, new to Python (as of a few years ago), and definitely new to programming/scripting.
>
> I work as a practitioner for a company that has very little to do with programming of any kind, and I am the only one at the company that does any work in Python.  Everything I know, up till now, has been self-taught.  I have a substantial background in HTML/JavaScript, but most people don't count those for much of anything.
>
> With that said, I was just curious to know some thoughts on how I could improve my Python skills?  I already "do projects", and I try to do everything I can in Python (I am a statistician at my company), but I am at the point with my Python skills that I am submitting code to stackoverflow or on the Python IRC channel and all I get is a lot of dissension and frustrated posters about how my code can be "optimized better", "why did you do it THAT way?!", or that "it's not pythonic" -- all of which just turns out to be empty criticisms with little suggestions on how to improve my code.  I imagine that if I were at a "Python company" I'd have coworkers that could 'soundboard' with me or give me pointers, but I don't have access to that.  In fact, I don't know anyone else that works in Python...
>
> Is there something you might suggest that I could 'do' to increase my skills as a python'er so the code I write is 'respectable'?
>
> Thanks,
>
> -J
>
>
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