Twelve Years a Blogger

Some years were busier than others, but I am still here, and still finding the time to blog occasionally. I try not to be put off by (or unduly stimulated by) thoughts such as “It's been too long since I put something out” or “it's been so long now it would look lame to post something.”

If I have something I think is worth posting and (the kicker) the time to do it then I will by all means write something down. Just been a bit busy this lifetime is all ...

“Life’s what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”—John Lennon

Too Busy Writing About Python to Write About Python

Though the subject line of this post might seem self-contradictory it does in fact reflect why I have blogged relatively little of late, and particularly to the Python channel. I became something of a hermit towards the end of last year to put the third of a series of four Python classes into production with O'Reilly School of Technology.

Given that each class is required to represent the approximate equivalent of forty learning hours, I think we can agree I have been writing about Python. Just not in my blog.

Anyway, this leaves the fourth class, which will complete the basic certificate series. So now I have a somewhat different problem: in this last class I want to focus on making sure that successful students have all the fundamentals in their grasp as they set off to earn their livings or indulge their hobbies hacking in Python. I need to wrap the language up--encapsulate it, if you will--in a way that gives students confidence that they understand the whole thing.

In the past, various denizens of comp.lang.python (python-list at python dot org) have offered to help by reviewing existing materials, but I haven't yet cleared that with O'Reilly. Since I suffered some data loss around Christmas time those addresses aren't currently available to me, but I am hoping if I post a link to this article those who are still interested will make themselves known by commenting here.

If you have anything to add, dear reader, kindly do not hesitate to comment yourself. What bits or bits of Python could you absolutely not bear to be without? Techniques, patterns, representations, algorithms and documentation are all grist to the mill. Favorite pieces of code, and even descriptions of warts (but remember, this is a Python 3 class). Tell your friends, invite the gang around, wire in, have a party.

It would serve students well to have as many external links in the last class's lessons as possible, I think, as well as to offer rules of thumb and handy hints. All contributions making it into classes will be appropriately acknowledged.

Once the series is complete I then have to think about what other topics I might tackle. Or should I take a rest and blog a bit more?

Disclosure: the author of this blog will benefit financially from sales of the courses mentioned above.

Skribit Schmibit?

I just noticed that Skribit log the number of followers for each writing suggestion on the blog, and some of the suggestions that have been made actually have people following them. Presumably this means that people would like to read such posts, so in the New Year I am going to try and pen at least one article a week on a Skribit topic.

This leads me to the question: how do I tell Skribit that a particular piece satisfies one of their suggestions, and should therefore be notified to the list of followers. Or is Skribit just making this information up as they go along? If you can't help me I'm going to have to read the FAQ ...

World Plone Day? Communicate, Dammit!

So just now, somewhat after midday Eastern Time, I discover that today is World Plone Day.

Forgive me for saying so, but as Python Software Foundation chairman I should have expected to hear about this event a little in advance. I would even have welcomed the opportunity to lend PSF resources towards publicizing it, seeing as how Plone is one of Python's showcase applications. Alas apparently nobody thought to try and use the PSF as a channel. So I hope World Plone Day goes well this year, and that it doesn't pass everybody else by as it did me.

For the record, the PSF runs its own blog, whose articles are well-syndicated on the web, and we are also usually happy to put Python-related events as front-page news on the python.org web site.

If you are running some newsworthy event, mail the webmasters (if you aren't savvy enough to work out the correct email address, webmaster at python dot org should get you there) to avail yourselves of the opportunity! However can we achieve world domination if we continually hide Python's light under a bushel?

Ye Olde Blog Spam

For the past two days now both Planet Python and Unofficial Planet Python appear to have been receiving about four copies a day of a blog, amusingly (for someone so apparently clueless) entitled Ye Olde Clue.

Could someone please hit the author with ye olde clue sticke and stop this nonsense? We are all used to seeing occasional glitches, but this blog just seems to go over the top.

Filmic Doppelganger

Ivan Krstic made a light-hearted blog post after eWeek named him the second most influential person in computer security, pointing out that there is an Ivan Krstic in the Internet Movie Database. So of course I had to go and see whether my name was there. Turns out my namesake is a production coordinator on PlayBoy films, and his STARmeter rating went down 40% this week —but you have to join the site to find out why, so I will never know.

I can't help feeling this is the moral equivalent of having a sheep thief in the family tree.

Another Great Python Blog Entry

I've been following Doug Hellman's Python Module of the Week series, but I already know most of the modules he'd covered until along came PyMOTW: logging which describes a module I have always found difficult to understand in terms that make it comprehensible. Nice job!

Wyatt Baldwin Blog - Google Maps

Wyatt Baldwin has recently made a couple of interesting blog entries (I'm just catching up after an extended Windows repair session [spit, spit]. In Google Maps Encoded Polylines he uses Python to draw shapes on Google Maps, and in Creating a (Google Maps) Tosca Widget he explains in considerable detail just how to do that. Both great posts demonstrating Python's power, and much kudos to Wyatt for this excellent work.