From DRadman at C-K.com  Thu Jan 17 13:38:57 2008
From: DRadman at C-K.com (Deborah Radman)
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:38:57 -0500
Subject: [group-organizers] Establishing user group
Message-ID: <C73353C6AF62A740B7B686F1AA8387BF0148F97A@nycfs02.ck.c-k.com>

I am looking for tips and best practices when considering the development of a customer users group.  Especially interested in how to effectively blend online and offline forums for members.

Second, does anyone have any suggestions for engaging our customers' consumers in dialog through this forum?

Thanks.

Sent by Good Messaging (www.good.com)


From jeff at taupro.com  Thu Jan 24 09:59:09 2008
From: jeff at taupro.com (Jeff Rush)
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:59:09 -0600
Subject: [group-organizers] Python Training Classes in Houston/Austin?
Message-ID: <4798535D.2000703@taupro.com>

I've been contacted by someone who is seeking Python training classes in
either the Houston or Austin area, for individuals, i.e. they lack the budget
to fly in a professional trainer for a corporate training session.

While there are the list of trainers on the page at:

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

it can be hard to see whether they are in Houston or Austin.  The person says
they have found a few classes but they focus heavily on C++ in their Python
classes and they do not want C++.  Wierd that.

-Jeff

From cbc at unc.edu  Thu Jan 24 17:12:19 2008
From: cbc at unc.edu (Chris Calloway)
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:12:19 -0500
Subject: [group-organizers] Python Training Classes in Houston/Austin?
In-Reply-To: <4798535D.2000703@taupro.com>
References: <4798535D.2000703@taupro.com>
Message-ID: <4798B8E3.5060704@unc.edu>

Jeff Rush wrote:
> I've been contacted by someone who is seeking Python training classes in
> either the Houston or Austin area, for individuals, i.e. they lack the budget
> to fly in a professional trainer for a corporate training session.
> 
> While there are the list of trainers on the page at:
> 
>   http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonTraining
> 
> it can be hard to see whether they are in Houston or Austin.  The person says
> they have found a few classes but they focus heavily on C++ in their Python
> classes and they do not want C++.  Wierd that.

I was notified today that University of Houston and Enfold Systems are 
working again to bring me back to Houston to instruct another PyCamp in 
September. The PyCamp events are ultra-low cost (around $300 for an 
intensive one week class) because they are run as community events 
rather than corporate training. Beginning PyCamp is also pure Python for 
people who don't know C++. :)

-- 
Sincerely,

Chris Calloway
http://www.seacoos.org
office: 332 Chapman Hall   phone: (919) 962-4323
mail: Campus Box #3300, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599





From brad at allendev.com  Sun Jan 27 08:21:17 2008
From: brad at allendev.com (Brad Allen)
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:21:17 -0600
Subject: [group-organizers] Starting and running a Python SIG
In-Reply-To: <4760F405.2010009@taupro.com>
References: <20071007230931.GA25856@localdomain> <4760F405.2010009@taupro.com>
Message-ID: <a06230900c3bfeda48455@[192.168.1.230]>

Jeff Rush said in the Group Organizer's List:
>
>Meeting consistently takes determination, especially in the beginning.  To get
>started, just decide that one evening a month you're going to have dinner at a
>certain restaurant, one suitable for conversation, and then go there whether
>anyone joins you or not.  Hopefully at least the food is worth a monthly visit
>even if you eat alone. ;-)  Then make up a small sign or logo; a prop-up card
>or if you want to get a little fancy, a Python flag on a dowel-rod flagpole.
>The idea is to make it easy for potential members to find you.

Hey, good idea. Maybe we should start a tradition of flying a Python logo
flag at the user group meetings; that would make the meetup easier for
newcomers to identify.

Anyone with a color printer could blow up the PyCon logo and print it
on a durable grade paper; mounting the flag might take a little
more creativity.

Hey, maybe the PyCon organizers will like the idea and stuff all the attendee
bags with Python user group flags!  With that idea in mind, I'm cc'ing
the PyCon organizers list.