[python-uk] The London Python Dojo is this Thursday

[a.grandi at gmail.com]

Hi,

On 12 July 2013 12:00, Tim Golden <mail at timgolden.me.uk> wrote:
> While I'm definitely sympathetic, making sure to involve newbies is not
> that easy a problem to solve. (Though that's not to say we can't try).
> It pretty much comes down to who's in your team. Sometimes you get a
> team which wholeheartedly embraces egalitarianism and passes the
> keyboard round like a conch shell; other times, you've got someone
> desperately keen who just grasps the challenge du jour by the keyboard
> and will hardly let go.

I was offered to take the keyboard (we were in the same team if I'm
not wrong) and do some coding but I refused because I was both too
tired and because I felt I was not at the proper level to code that
problem.

> Which brings me to your suggestion of... well, I'm not sure whether
> you're suggesting "team streaming", ie a team of newbies, a team of
> pros; or whether you're advocating specifically mixing the teams up.
> I'll assume the latter as it seems to make more sense in the context.

wrong assumpion :P

If I'm in a team where other people are way more expert than me, I
will never want to take the keyboard and start coding something.
I think they would be bored by my slowness and by my level. My slow
speed in coding could affect also the whole result (considering also
that we have a stric time to respect)

> We've tried to make this happen maybe once or twice in the past. It's
> actually very difficult in practice, because you need people to identify
> their level of profiency and then divide up on that basis. Actually,
> maybe it's not that hard: we could just ask people to put, say, 0, 1 or
> 2 on their name badge at the beginning to indicate perceived expertise,
> and then somehow use that in the grouping. I don't know: something like
> that could work.

I would put a 1 in my case, hoping to get a easier (and doable)
problem to solve.
If it's still to hard I will try with 0. Better coding something easy
than just watch other people coding.

> I think people are likely to be self-deprecating when identifying their
> level. I liked a question that Bruce Durling used a few years back: "Are
> you more likely to be asking or to be answering questions about Python?".

I won't self depreate ;) if I see that the problem is too easy for me,
I will go to the more difficoult group the next time, no problem at
all.

> re bringing easy / intermediate problems along: well, anyone can propose
> a problem. I think you're suggesting that *different* problems be solved
> during the one evening, some easier, some harder. I don't say we'd never
> do it, but in general we like to have everyone working on the same thing
> so that, when it comes to the show-and-tell at the end, you're seeing
> how another team solved the same problem you solved.

I understand your point, but.....you really risk that people stop
coming to the Python Dojo just because they don't feel to be at the
proper level.

I will probably keep coming anyway, because I really like the "social"
part of the event (beer, meeting people, making new friends, talking
about our jobs etc....), but I will keep watching other people coding.

Another person could simply say: mmm... interesting but... not for my
level. And stop coming. Do you really want this?

> All that said, I'm up for trying anything. I have no issue with having a
> specifically newbie-friendly session; or with having a problem which
> specifically splits into an easier and a harder component; or with
> making teams deliberately mixed ability. But that's just my take.

of course if it's just me wanting this.... no problem, I will adapt
someway, but let's see what the other people think about.

Regards.

-- 
Andrea Grandi -  Software Engineer / Qt Ambassador / Nokia Developer Champion
Ubuntu Member: https://launchpad.net/~andreagrandi
website: http://www.andreagrandi.it