[EuroPython] Sponsorship

[kirby urner]

> Microsoft sponsored PyCon UK last year. They were enthusiastic and
> helpful, unlike certain other large corporations.. Knowing my views on
> proprietary software, it may surprise you to hear me say this.
>

I'm fine with judging companies as to friendliness etc.  However, I'm not
thinking sponsors should feel bound to compete on that basis.  Some
important companies are officially "not nice" without being "evil" -- I realize
there're some nuances there (some other time maybe).

>> I especially brought up this idea to avoid being called a Google Show.
>> As much as I like and prefer the big G, competition is healthy esp. in
>> the job market :)
>
> They aren't necessarily the cuddly company people would have you
> believe. Any monopoly is a 'bad thing', especially when they're
> collecting all that personal data.

Right, "cuddly" is probably not a good word for Google, though maybe.

Think of rock bands.  They don't all win a reputation based on their
being cuddly.  Some go for shock value (not saying Google does
that).

>
>> Can you point out the sponsorship to Jim and ask him to pass it to
>> someone doing this kind of stuff?
>
> Jim doesn't answer (read?) his emails! However we did make personal
> contact at PyCon US, and his family situation is such that he plans to
> make only one trip outside the US this year, so we're unlikely to get
> him. I believe his one trip will be a visit Microsoft's lab at
> Cambridge at some time, if that coincides with a conference there's a
> possibility...

The request was to pass the invite on the Microsoft, maybe through
Jim, not to snag the guy as a speaker necessarily, I guess you weren't
really following.

Anyway, done.  We'll see what they say.  Knowing Microsoft, the
response will likely be encouraging, even if they decline.  There's a
feeling in Europe that MSFT has been too domineering and they're
sensitive to that, have to weigh sponsorship versus getting demonized.

Anyway, I'm glad IronPython and IronScheme are both CLR/DLR
languages, as that's another community we've had some tensions
with (long story, again some other time).

> Probably the best place to get Microsoft sponsorship is with the local
> MS operation, wherever that is: they will be the ones with the
> marketing budget. For PyCon UK we got in touch with (relatively)
> random people at MS UK until they passed us to the right person.
>
>> Again question to the list: who knows someone at Y and Amazon?
>>
>
> Not me.
>
> John

What's Y?  Yahoo?

Kirby Urner
4dsolutions.net
Portland, Oregon