[EuroPython] Random Interview: Nicholas Tollervey

[info at pycon.it]

We have selected some speakers through random.choice() to be featured on the
EuroPython 2011 blog! Today we introduce you Nicholas Tollervey!

### What's your name and what do you do?


My name is Nicholas and I work as a developer at Fluidinfo. We're building an
openly writeable service for storing, sharing, searching and annotating data,
mainly written in Python.


### How did you start using Python?


I was a .NET developer at an investment bank in the UK and we needed some
means of scripting a tool we'd written. I was given the task of investigating
IronPython. The rest, as they say, is history...


### Name one Python feature you wouldn't live without.


Generators. They're cool.


### What is your talk/training about?


I help to run the London Python Code Dojo - my talk is about what we get up to
and how this relates to the education, development and training of
programmers.


Before becoming a developer I was a musician and teacher and read for a degree
in Philosophy of Education so the talk will involve some reflections upon
these subjects in the context of developer education.


Also, it won't be a "talk" in a traditional sense - I'll be encouraging
interaction and discussion. It'll be fun!


### Tease us with one secret that will be revealed during your talk/training


If there's a piano in the room, I'll play it to illustrate some of my examples
;-) ("Python - the Musical")


### Name another talk you wouldn't miss in the same track on the same day, and
why.


Ali's talk [Latest advances in the Google APIs platform][1] looks interesting.
**Ali is always a great speaker** (he could make a three hour talk on drying
paint interesting) and it's always fun to find out about the cute new
opportunities Google gives us to allow them to mine our personal information
for profit. :-)


### What would you tell someone who is still in doubt whether to register to
EuroPython or not?


I'd weep just like they do in Italian opera* and tell them that the fat lady
hasn't yet sung for the end of registration... ;-)


(*NB - Opera was invented in Florence... how cool is that..?)


## Next Interview Online: May 31th with Alex Martelli!

   [1]: http://ep2011.europython.eu/conference/talks/google-api-platform

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