[BangPypers] Responding to people who lack the curiosity

[Pradeep Gowda]

On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 8:38 PM, Kenneth Gonsalves<lawgon at au-kbc.org> wrote:
> On Friday 12 June 2009 14:30:57 Srijayanth Sridhar wrote:
>> What are your experiences as a person from a "small town"? My question is
>> more directed towards your 'programming culture' now vis-a-vis to your
>> programming culture from your small town?
>
> I am both 'from' and mostly 'in' a small town. My experience is that one has
> to be totally self reliant and solely dependent on the internet. For example,
> I started programming python circa 2002, but the first time I met and discussed
> with a real live python developer was in late 2006. I _did_ see Pradeep G and
> swaroop in a conference in 2004, but was too scared to talk to them ;-) Till
> date I have _never_ asked anyone F2F about any problem in programming - there
> is no one available. The same goes for sysadmin and practically every other
> computer related task. Strangely enough, the same goes for golfers in small
> towns - I have yet to get even a tip from a coach. That is also why I prefer
> to recruit from small towns and non-elite colleges. The people are more self-
> reliant and not so cynical.

Kenneth,

I remember that LB 2004 moment. You were sitting in the first row and
me & Swaroop were sitting
right behind you and gabbing away about some python stuff. You turned
and started talking to us
(something about plone /zope, I think). The "scared" feeling was mutual :D

About asking people F2F about programming/linux, my own first
experience bears repeating.

This happened during  the very first Bangalore-IT.com which had the
Linux pavilion (1997/98?).  I
I had recently discovered linux and having a hard time getting SiS
graphics card working on my PC.

So, during one of the conf. days I boldly walked (after talking myself
into it for couple of minutes)
to this well known Linux person and asked him "how do I get this SiS
card working?".
What my "scared-but-practicing-to-be-bold" self failed to notice is
that he was talking to some one else already.

He laughed and said, "you should stop using that card then".

Yeah, very "cold-water-in-the-face" moment there. I have survived.

+PG