April 21, 2014

Neat Notebook Trick

I'm still trying to digest the little I saw of PyCon. Sadly I was pretty wiped out by the three-day recording session for Intermediate Python in California and then the intensive editing work that followed to help the amazing O'Reilly team get the whole thing ready a day before PyCon officially opened.

I also made the tactical (and, as it turned out, strategic) mistake of choosing to stay at the Hyatt in Montreal. This meant a considerable walk (for a gimpy old geezer such as myself) to the conference site, when the Palais des Congres is already intimidatingly large.

So the combination of exhaustion and knee pain meant I hardly got to see any talks (not totally unheard of) but that I also got very little time in the hallway track either. Probably the most upsetting absence was missing the presentation of Raymond Hettinger's Lifetime Achievement Award. As a PSF director I instituted the Community Service Awards, but these have never really been entirely appropriate for developers. This award makes it much clearer just how significant Raymond's contributions have been.

Because of the video releases I did spend some time of the O'Reilly stand, and signed away 25 free copies of the videos. I was also collecting names and addresses to distribute free copied of the Python Pocket Reference. If you filled out a form, you should receive your book within the next three weeks. We'll mail you with a more exact delivery date shortly.

But the real reason for this post is that I had the pleasure of meeting Fernando Perez, one of the leaders of the IPython project. He was excited to hear that the Intermediate Python notebooks are already available on Github, and when he realized the notebooks were all held in the same directory he showed me that if I dropped that URL into the Notebook Viewer site I would get a web page with links to viewable versions of the notebook. [Please note: they aren't currently optimally configured for reading, so it's still best to run the notebooks interactively, but in the absence of a local notebook server this will be a lot better than nothing. It will get better over time].

He also mentioned a couple of other wrinkles I hadn't picked up on, and we briefly discussed some of the interesting aspects of Notebooks being data structures.

The conversation was interesting enough that I plan to visit Berkeley soon to try and infiltrate my way into the documentation team and see if we can't make the whole system even easier to use and understand. One way or another, open source seems to be in my bloodstream.


April 12, 2014

Intermediate Python: An Open Source Documentation Project

There is a huge demand for Python training materials, and there are many people who just don't have the spare cash to buy books or videos. That's one reason why, in conjunction with a new Intermediate Python video series I have just recorded for O'Reilly Media I am launching a new, open source, documentation project.

My intention in recording the videos was to produce a broad set of materials (the linked O'Reilly page contains a good summary of the contents). I figure that most Python programmers will receive excellent value for money even if they already know 75% of the content. Those to whom more is new will see a correspondingly greater benefit. But I was also keenly aware that many Python learners, particularly those in less-developed economies, would find the price of the videos prohibitive.

With O'Reilly's contractual approval the code that I used in the video modules, in IPython Notebooks, is going up on Github under a Creative Commons license [EDIT: The initial repository is now available and I very much look forward to hearing from readers and potential contributors - it's perfectly OK if you just want to read the notebooks, but any comments yuu have about your experiences will be read and responded to as time is available]. Some of it already contains markdown annotations among the code, other notebooks have little or no commentary. My intention is that ultimately the content will become more comprehensive than the videos, since I am using the video scripts as a starting point.

I hope that both learner programmers and experienced hands will help me turn it into a resource that groups and individuals all over the world can use to learn more about Python with no fees required. The current repository has to be brought up to date after a rapid spate of editing during the three-day recording session. It should go without saying that viewer input will be very welcome, since the most valuable opinions and information comes from those who have actually tried to use the videos to help them learn.

I hope this will also be a project that sees contributions from documentation professionals (and beginners they can help train), so I will be asking the WriteTheDocs NA team how we can lure some of those bright minds in.

Sadly it's unlikely I will be able to see their talented array of speakers as I will still be recovering from surgery. But a small party one evening or a brunch at the office might be possible. Knowing them it will likely involve sponsorship or beer. Or both. We shall see.

I think it's a worthwhile goal to have free intermediate-level Python sample code available, and I can't think of a better way for a relative beginner to get into an open source project. I also like the idea that two communities can come together over it and learn from each other. Suffice it to say, if there are enough people with a hundred bucks* in their pocket for a six-hour video training I am happy to use part of my share in the profits to support this project to some degree.

[DISCLOSURE: The author will receive a proportion of any profit from the O'Reilly Intermediate Python video series]

* This figure was plucked from the air before publication, and is still a good guideline, though as PyCon opened (Apr 11) a special deal was available on a package of both Jessica McKellar's Introduction to Python and my Intermediate Python.

A Rap @hyatt Customer Service Request

It's 2am and the wireless is down
@Hyatt ... #pycon
That's why my face is wearing a frown
Even though I'm at ... #pycon

I love all these Canadians
And Montreal is cool
But don't you know how not to run a network
fool?

If I were a rapper
Then you'd have to call me Milton
Because frankly I get much better service
@Hilton

I'm a businessman myself
And I know we're hard to please
So kindly please allow me
To put you at your ease

Your people are delightful
And as helpful as the best
I want to help, not diss you
I'm not angry like the rest

The food is amazing
And the bar could be geek heaven
If only you weren't calling
For last orders at eleven

We're virtual and sleepless
So we need your help to live
And most of us are more than glad
To pay for what you give

But imagine you're away from home
And want to call your Mom
The Internet's our family
So you've just dropped a bomb

I've had my ups and downs with Hyatt
Over many years
But never felt before
That it should fall on other's ears

I run conferences, for Pete's sake
And I want to spend my money
If only I could reach someone
And I'm NOT being funny

PyCon is my baby
So I cherish it somewhat
But this has harshed my mellow
And just not helped a lot

We're bunch of simple geeks
Who get together every year
We aren't demanding, I don't think
Our simple needs are clear

I don't believe that I could run
Your enterprise right here
It's difficult, and operations
Aren't my thing I fear

So please, don't take this badly
But you've really disappointed
Which is why a kindly soul like me
Has made remarks so pointed

We will help you if we can
We know you pay a lot for bits
But I have to know if web sites
Are receiving any hits

You've cut me off, I'm blind
And so I hope there's nothing funky
Happening to my servers
While I'm sat here getting skunky

Enough, I've made my point
So I must stop before I'm rude
The Internet's my meat and drink
You've left me without food.

trying-to-help-while-disappointed-ly yr's  - steve