Open Django Central Now Open to Sponsors

The Open Bastion, the subsidiary that runs events and conferences, has announced that its Open Django Central event, new to the calendar this year, is now (yes, we know) finally open to sponsors. Sponsorship is very reasonably priced, and the more money that comes in sponsorship the better we can make the event for the local Django community.

This represents a rare opportunity to connect with a diverse group of “djangstas” from the greater
Chicago and surrounding areas. The conference is targeted not just at technologists but also at
others wishing to engage with the open source world and find out what these technologies can do.

We hope that by adding your name to the roster of those supporting Open Django Central you will
indicate your enthusiastic support of and interest in open source technologies, in particular Django and Python. It's easy to ask about becoming a sponsor.

We are also still looking for speakers, so please let us know of anyone (you included, dear reader) who might be interested in giving a (technical, not marketing) talk at the conference. Slots are from 30-90 minutes.

And please act now, as time is (yes, we know) getting short!

Python for Systems Hackers

Given by David Beazley, Chicago. 3 days, August 17-19 (next week). Details here.

PyCon 2009 Presentations

I've just been thinking about planning for PyCon, and I have a lot to do. The tutorial schedule is a little bare right now, but I am hoping it will be fleshed out soon. There are over 30 tutorials, two of which I am involved in.

Firstly I have to write Python 401: Some Advanced Topics (not my own choice of title), which is supposed to discuss iteration, generators, descriptors and metaclasses. These are all features of Python that could stand some more explanation, but I'd like to put a twist on the material and have the audience suggest potential applications that we can discuss as a part of the tutorial.

There's a second tutorial, Python for Teachers that I'll be presenting jointly with Kirby Urner. The idea behind this one is to try and enthuse those involved with formal education about Python's potential for teaching mathematics of various kinds. Kirby has a lot of experience doing that, and I am supposed to provide irreverent questioning and keep Kirby headed in the right direction. He's the education side, I represent the geeks, if you like. I'm really looking forward to it, but I owe Kirby email about those plans.

Then I have to give an invited talk which I believe will be a plenary session, though that hasn't been confirmed yet. My working title for this is Leading the Python Tribe, in which I want to investigate the shared sense of direction in the Python community, in so far as it currently exists, and offer some thoughts about the roles of the Python Software Foundation.

I am also hoping to run an Open Space session along the same lines as last year's Teach Me Twisted, but this time looking at web testing - an area I would really like to learn more about. I think I have Grig Gheorghiu interested in helping out, but he's a busy guy and hasn't yet committed. If anyone can rope in the knowledgeable web testers we need it's Grig.

To top this all off there'll be the PSF members meeting to chair, sundry sessions in the bar, meals with friends old and new, and all the other wonderful things that happen at PyCon with absolutely no formal scheduling. So I expect to be busy, but I also expect to enjoy myself hugely. See you in Chicago?