[Microbit-Python] Status updates... Open Source and upcoming Python user group MicroPython / micro:bit events

[Nicholas H.Tollervey]

Hi Folks,

More status updates...

I've been making myself available to various UK based PUGs to demo what
we've been up to in the hope that people will get involved in writing
fun projects and contributing educational resources.

So far I have:

Oxford - 22/Oct: http://www.meetup.com/oxfordpython/events/225877957/
Cambridge - 3/Nov: http://www.meetup.com/CamPUG/events/225157789/
London - 12/Nov: https://twitter.com/ldnpydojo
Sheffield - 22/Nov: https://twitter.com/pysheff

I hope there will be more. I have 17 devices "loaned" from the BBC for
such workshops. Very cool.

Also, it appears the BBC are very very close to removing blockers for us
to open source our MicroPython work on the micro:bit. This is yet
another encumbrance out of our way and will help us engage with the
wider community. I can feel a post to HN or Slashdot coming on. ;-)

Finally, many of you will know Steve Hawkes who does the amazing design
work for PyCon UK. He's agreed to volunteer some time to "tart up" our
rather grey and boring TouchDevelop based editor. He's been asked to
make it look "obviously Pythonic" and appeal to 11yo kids. I've just
seen a first draft which he claims has plenty wrong with it - I have a
huge grin on my face. It shows the direction he's moving in and will
definitely improve (see
http://ntoll.org/static/images/pythoneditor_1st_draft.png). We're going
to try to make the snakes in the border of the instructions on the RHS
animated GIFs a la the O'Reilly logo (http://www.oreilly.com/ watch the
creature for about 10 seconds). They'll blink and stick out forked
tongues. Perhaps they should turn their heads when you click "Download",
fix syntax errors or something. Ideas welcome..!

Best wishes,

N.

P.S. A Dutch feller appears to have got hold of a micro:bit from
somewhere and has been tweeting about it...

https://twitter.com/gvanrossum/status/653975453691080704

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