[python-uk] PyCamp UK !

[John Pinner]

Hello,

My first post to this list: I'd wondered why I never got mails from 
python uk except for the monthly list reminder, but thanks to Andy 
Robinson have discovered that I was on a long-defunct starship UK list. 
Now put right, thanks Andy.

Michael Sparks wrote:
> On Monday 05 February 2007 20:21, Richard Smedley wrote:
> ..
> 
>>I barely know what I'm doing today but I think I have a reasonable
>>handle on September ;-)
>>
>>I'd already written to Michael S off-list where, inter alia, I
>>favoured this date - despite the clash with LBW2007.
> 
> 
> I have no idea what LBW is BTW. Leg Before Wicket 2007 doesn't make much
> sense to me :-) 

Especially when listening to the news from Australia.

> :googles
> 
> Oh. That's a bit far for me (Never felt the inclination to go to that).
> 
> 
>>However I note that the W Mids Python group is planning something
>>similar at the same time, and the two parties are now sorting
>>out between them what will happen when, so at the very least we
>>will have a PyCamp this year and next year over the two
>>regions. We could even get two camps per year ;-)
> 
> 
> I chatted to John briefly at lunchtime today, and will be chatting with
> him tomorrow about figuring out how to make this work. I think the plan 
> initially is to find out what the aims of the two things are.
> 
> I have a feeling the two are complementary since it sounds like John's 
> organising a conference and I'm organising an unconference. I'll hold on 
> dates though until chatting with John.

Yes, there's no clash other than possibly with dates, as the ideas are 
indeed complementary :-) Michael and I are meeting in Brum today and no 
doubt will make some proposals afterwards.

> At the end of the day, we'll clash with *something* that much is guaranteed,
> however avoiding some of the more python & scripting language related things
> is my primary aim.

This is always a problem. At the beginning of September, we should aim 
to avoid clashing with the Kernel Summit, which is being held in 
Cambridge 4-6th September, and the UKUUG Linux Conference, which is 
being tied to the Kernel Summit and will probably be held before the KS, 
1st-4th September, as we're trying to get big name kernel hackers to 
speak, maybe even Linus, I think Ted Tso has said he'll be there at least.

UKUUG too is a community conference, with a very high signal to noise 
ratio, and usually some good Python stuff. Last year, for example, Luke 
Casson gave an interesting talk on Python web technologies, and I gave a 
rather more light-hearted talk on how I control my central heating 
system with Python. Past conferences have included Python tutorials.

> Whilst Michael Foord <fuzzyman at voidspace.org.uk> wrote: 
> 
>>I've been looking at the 'Open Space' stuff. It looks very interesting, 
>>but without an agenda or presentations I would be interested in knowing 
>>what the tangible goals of a Python 'unconference' would be?
> 
> 
> This is something I'll be pulling together in the invite. (Given the low
> level of upfront structure, the invite takes on much greater importance)
> I know it sounds like it doesn't work, but it works surprisingly well.
> 
> 
>>* Would presentation equipment be available for groups that might find 
>>it useful ?
> 
> 
> If the venue I suggested is large enough, it has presentation equipment.
> 
> 
>>* Would coding be appropriate or expected for groups that wanted to ? 
>>(bring your own laptop...)
> 
> 
> Absolutely.
> 
> 
> Michael.

Regards,

John
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