[triangle-zpug] Revisiting Use of the Names "PyCamp" and "Bootcamp"

[Jeff Rush]

Greetings from Dallas!  With your permission I would like to open a discussion
with the TriZPUG group regarding use of the term "PyCamp".  I have subscribed
to your mailing list to reach your group, as I understand your community as a
whole owns the name.

Back in February 2007, prior to PyCon, the term accidentally got applied by
Dallas folk to the idea for a first Texas Python "unconference" in Houston,
not realizing you were using it for your series of training events.  Chris
Calloway brought it to our attention, and we backed off our use.

At some point Chris mentioned in an email that TriZPUG chose the name to avoid
infringing on the Python trademark, re "Python(r) Boot Camp".  After reading
the Python Software Foundation guidelines for use of the Python(r) trademark,
that didn't sound quite right so I asked the PSF board to clarify their meaning.

The PSF discussed it internally and came to the conclusions:

  - that they have no problem with anyone using the general term "Python Boot
    Camp" as long as the use is not exclusive and would prefer the addition of
    either a regional or date qualifier to distinguish them:

     - Houston Python Bootcamp
     - 2007 TriZPUG Python Bootcamp

  - that they have no policing interest nor jurisdiction over the term
    "PyCamp" (or indeed any "Py*" name), but would sincerely hope this quite
    general term would be shared throughout the world.

They also felt that the meaning of the terms "PyCamp" and "Python Bootcamp"
are very far apart, where a bootcamp is an intensive, short-term
drill-instructor training session like what TriZPUG offers, while PyCamp has a
correlation to O'Reilly's by-invitation Foo Camp or the spinoff
anyone-is-welcome BarCamp, which are open, participatory workshop-events,
whose content is provided by participants.

Putting on my Python Advocacy Coordinator hat, I do believe worldwide usage of
the term "PyCamp" to describe Python-related unconferences would be a valuable
marketing tool, as it has high recognition association with "BarCamp", and
that it would benefit the advocacy of Python overall.

Therefore I would like to see if we can come together in agreement to let the
name "PyCamp" be used for unconferences and "Python Bootcamp" for intensive
training sessions, with geographic/year qualifiers to distinguish our
respective events.

Jeff Rush
Python Advocacy Coordinator
DFW Pythoneers Organizer


(for those perhaps not familiar with the whole barcamp scene)

Definition of "Unconference"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference

Definition of "Foo Camp"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FooCamp

Definition of "BarCamp"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp