One kiloPythonista?

With only days to go to the end of pre-conference registration the numbers for PyCon 2008 are tantalizingly close to the thousand mark (as I write, 941 registered, and the possibility of a few additions in the pending changes). It would be nice to be present at the first kiloPythonista gathering, and there is often a minor surge at the very end of the registration period. Whatever happens, this conference represents a new high-water mark in Python interest.

Since I missed out on the (apparently very entertaining) Twisted BoF last year I have attempted to make amends by setting up a session in which I try to learn Twisted in public. I'm not sure how much I will manage to learn, but I hope it will be entertaining. We might even manage to generate some useful notes for others faced with the same task.

There's been a lot of talk about the catering on the organizers' list recently, leading to no real conclusion except that you can't please everyone. I am sure nobody will starve, though, and that's the main thing.

The Chicago Python group are meeting on the Thursday evening before the conference proper starts. I wanted to join them, but I am signed up for an evening tutorial which continues until after the end of the meeting. I hope they will publicize the location of the after-meeting meeting, and maybe we can share a drink.

Plans to promote a bid for PyCon to return to DC in 2010 have been shelved, as I don't have the time to do much about them. I was skeptical of the value of using a conference organizing company, but several of those who have been involved in the planning say that the assistance has been invaluable. It looks as though there may be a Python BarCamp in DC in the fall, though, and I am now setting my sites a little further out for the next DC PyCon.

All in all I am really looking forward to this PyCon, number six in the series. Hope to see you there - please look out for me (my photo is in my Blogger profile, among other places) and introduce yourself!