[group-organizers] Starting and running a Python SIG

[Jeff Rush]

Eric Lake wrote:
> I am interested in finding / starting a Python SIG / UG in my home town
> (Lexington, KY). I am curious about what the groups do at meetings, how
> to attract members, and how to keep it all going. I am in the process
> now of learning python myself. With that being said I don't think that I
> would be a good person to lead the discussions so that is a concern of
> mine for leading such a group. Any help / information that you can
> provide would be greatly appreciated.

Eric, I don't know why things are so quiet in here, there are 50 members of
this list, many with extensive experience with usergroups, but I'll give it a
shot.

To get some idea of what happens at meetings, check out the Python usergroups
shared blog:

    http://python-groups.blogspot.com/

on which various organizers post summaries of their meetings.  I think it will
 convey the diversity of activities.  Some groups tend to be social, meeting
over dinner, especially when they are small or lack presentation-quality
meeting facilities.  Others have strong speakers who consistently present on
interesting topics, and yet others get together to work at their laptops, show
off their code and talk while programming on their own stuff.

In starting a group the two key factors are meetings happening consistently
and making others aware of their existence.  All else depends on those.

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.

Come prepared to talk about Python - bring a book or two, brush up on a Python
module so you can initiate a conversation and make a new person feel they can
learn something from attending.

And then the step of getting the word out that these meetings are taking
place.  Write up a couple of paragraphs detailing where you are meeting, when
and perhaps the group focus, if you are a Zope/Plone group versus a general
Python group.  Most groups are general though.  You can send this notice to
the python-announce as the python-users mailing lists.  You can find a roster
of mailing lists on www.python.org under "Community".

    http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo

Send this notice out consistently for several months - not just once.

And if you have a blog, post it there, and to this group-organizers list so we
know you exist.  And speaking of existence, you can add your group to the
global roster of Python usergroups at:

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

It's a wiki so you can just add it yourself.  And the Python wiki is available
for all so you can create a page or more specifically for your usergroup, and
then link to it from the roster of groups.

Another aspect of getting started is creating a usergroup mailing list.   You
can get one on python.org by emailing <postmaster at python.org> and just asking.
 You'll need to come up with a group name and short nickname, for configuring
your list.  On this list post summaries of your "meetings", even if only a vew
people showed up.  It gets archived and others will start finding you and
joining.  Once a minimal number are on the list (or at meetings) bring up
geographic locations and meeting facilities and begin to figure out the most
central spot to meet and whether someone can provide a place more suitable to
technical presentations.

More ideas on getting the word out - locate other usergroups in your area and
politely post to their lists bringing to their attention that you are trying
to get a Python group started.  Don't sound too formal or they'll think it is
SPAM ;-)  Groups like those for Linux, or .NET or PC Users are good ones.
Those groups specifically for other languages may think you are trying to draw
away their members, so you might want to ask their leader first.

If you have a college or bookstores nearby, consider putting a flyer upon
their community bulletin boards.

Getting back to your initial request, it is a challenge to start a Python
group if you are new to Python, but that doesn't mean you can't do it.
Hopefully by taking the initiative you'll attract those more knowledgeable,
some of whom enjoy helping others learn.  Or you'll draw others new to Python
but motivated to learn and form a study group.  In the latter case, set some
conservative learning objectives and agree that by the next meeting each
person will read up on a Python module and then tell the others a bit about
it.  This is how you build a community and it depends more on initiative,
persistence and consideration of others than it does on particular knowledge
of Python.  Leaders are not necessarily gurus, and vice versa.

I hope some of these ideas work for you and I encourage you (and others) to
report to this list on your initial steps and problems encountered, so those
more experienced can support you.  And speaking of those more experienced
folk, hey!, jump in here and offer your own suggestions.  Many of you joined
this list to help groups get started so why are you so quiet?  Tell us the
story of how you started -your- group.

-Jeff