Pycon Australia 2011 Keynote - Audrey RoyPresentation Transcript
Diversity in Python it’s about untapped resources Audrey Roy twitter: @audreyrSunday, August 21, 11
About me Python web developer by day • MIT ’04, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science • Python & Django developer for Cartwheel Web / RevSys • I also like JS, CSS, HTML5, C, C++, Objective-CSunday, August 21, 11
About me Open-source advocate and more by night • President of PyLadies • Co-creator and core dev of djangopackages.com & OpenComparison • Resident artist at LAs Hive Gallery • Fiancée of Daniel Greenfeld (pydanny)Sunday, August 21, 11
Overview I’m going to talk about: • Diversity: untapped resources, and why we need to tap them • What to do with extra developer bandwidth (my wish list) • Recruiting diverse, new “untapped resources” • PyLadies (Python Ladies)Sunday, August 21, 11
Python diversity why we need to tap our untapped resourcesSunday, August 21, 11
What is diversity? Having lots of different kinds of people in the Python community: • racial/ethnic variety • young and old (0-122 years of age) • men, women, and everything in between • various sexual orientations • hidden or visible disabilities • all religions • all corners of the worldSunday, August 21, 11
What else is diversity? Having Pythonistas of varied backgrounds: • First-time coders • Undergrad/grad students • Graphic/CG artists, web designers, illustrators • Writers, photographers, fine artists • Free software activists • Scientists, biologists, hardware engineers • Game programmers, web entrepreneursSunday, August 21, 11
What else is diversity? Having Pythonistas with other types of expertise beyond Python: • JavaScript gurus • HTML5/CSS3 whiz-kids • Perl hackers • Ruby warriors • C/C++ experts • PHP pros • Fortran ninjasSunday, August 21, 11
Do we want diversity? Diversity will make Python better: • Innovation requires new ideas • Python needs constant pushing in new, thought-provoking directions (Note: “Python” refers to the entire Python ecosphere of Python packages, not just Python core)Sunday, August 21, 11
Are we good enough as-is? Don’t we have enough Pythonistas with good ideas? • Most of us are pretty bright • Do we really want new ideas? We barely have time to implement the current onesSunday, August 21, 11
It’s not just about ideas Innovation is: • 10% ideas • 90% Pythonista bandwidth to implement the ideas The opposite of innovation is: • Stability/leaving Python as-is • Falling behind while the rest of the world moves forwardSunday, August 21, 11
So, let’s tap our resources Easy places to start: • women (52% of the world!) • shy men • students looking for thesis projects • non-Python user groupsSunday, August 21, 11
Suppose we have resources what in the world do we do with them?Sunday, August 21, 11
How to put the untapped resources to work Why not start with my personal Python wish list? “What would Audrey do with unlimited bandwidth from an army of smart Python developers” (Disclaimer: I’m about to speak broadly about a lot of topics that I might not necessarily have in-depth knowledge about.)Sunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: Image processing PIL is great, but we could do more: • better scaling algorithms • better encoding/decoding • easier installation Untapped resources to recruit: • Researchers: undergrads, grad students, postdocs • Photographers (eye for detail) • CG artist-nerds • anyone who wants to be noticed by Weta/Pixar/Dreamworks/DisneySunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: Python in the browser Why does it have to be JavaScript? • It makes me sad • Skulpt: was an interesting idea; lost momentum • Pythonistas are so desperate for an alternative that they’ve settled for CoffeeScriptSunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: Python in the browser In jQuery: $(document).ready(function() { // Initialization code goes here }); In CoffeeScript: $(document).ready -> # Initialization code goes here In PythonInTheBrowserScript: jq(document).ready: # Initialization code goes hereSunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: Python in the browser We need an active Python alternative. Untapped resources to recruit: • Students looking for a world-changing project • Hackathon attendees who need an idea to work onSunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: Cross-platform Python for mobile Mobile apps • Look at what JS folks have done with PhoneGap • Why not Python? Mobile games • Look at cocos2d, cocos2d-iphone, cocos2d-android • Why not Python? The future is mobile. We need to catch up. • No time to do this? Recruit untapped resources! • But we have to careSunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: More Python packages There are 16237 packages on PyPI as of August 19, 2011. How many Python devs exist? 50,000? 200,000? • Doesn’t everyone have a Python snippet to contribute? How can we get every PyCon AU attendee to release a package on PyPI? • Every Python dev in Australia? • Every Python dev in the world? • We ourselves are untapped resourcesSunday, August 21, 11
Example I have a friend in LA who is a linguistics expert. The same month she learned Python, she wrote these functions: • syllable_count() • automated_readability_index() How does my friend put her work on PyPI? If you can write a function... • Function -> Module -> Release to the Python ecosphereSunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: Lower packaging barrier to entry Current docs are good but could use improvements • Need to explain jump from Function -> Module -> PyPI package • See http://jacobian.org/writing/great-documentation/ What else might help? • Need cheat sheet • Web form to generate setup.py? • Packaging workshops at user groups?Sunday, August 21, 11
Wish list: There’s more This is just the tip of the iceberg. So many possibilities. See my Kiwi PyCon 2011 talk: “Python and the Web: Can We Keep Up?”Sunday, August 21, 11
Summary so far What we need to do: • Recruit diverse new untapped resources to Python • Lower the barrier of entry to contribution • Provide ideas/help them get started • Teach them how to package If we do it, then Python will flourish.Sunday, August 21, 11
Recruiting the untapped resources how do we get them to help us?Sunday, August 21, 11
How to recruit untapped resources Does your open-source Python project need more developers? • Volunteer for Python events. Or start them. Does your open-source Python project need JavaScript experts? • Volunteer to present/help with JS meetups. Or start them. Does your open-source Python project need more women? • Volunteer for Python women’s events. Or start them. • Be friendly & helpful in IRC channel #pyladiesSunday, August 21, 11
Recruiting in any context Open source project recruiting is interchangeable with company recruiting. The best Python devs are open source devs. The best Python companies ACTIVELY support open source.Sunday, August 21, 11
Case study: Mozilla Leads women’s Python workshops (PyStar) Sponsored women’s grants for DjangoCon US (PyLadies) Regularly sponsors other Python open-source events & conferences Several Mozilla devs actively participate in #pyladies on IRC Contributes to open source Result: • Constant attention from open-source folks like me • Top developers are flocking to work thereSunday, August 21, 11
Case study: Cars.com Brings mentors to LA PyLadies workshops and sponsors them Hosts hackathons at their office Sponsored women’s grants to DjangoCon US Volunteers countless hours helping PloneConf, Pylonscon, Pyramidacon Actively participates in IRC channels #pyladies, #pyramid, and others Contributes to open source Result: • Has been filling their job vacancies faster than other LA companies • Is one of the top LA Python companies to work forSunday, August 21, 11
Future case study: Your company Don’t just host Python diversity events; actively participate in/run them. Encourage your dev team to be active in the open-source Python community. Sponsor Python advocacy initiatives. Contribute to open source. Result: • The Python community will thank you 100x.Sunday, August 21, 11
Python Ladies (“PyLadies”) the growing women’s Python movementSunday, August 21, 11
Patterned after sister groups PyLadies / Python Ladies is along the DevChix lines of: Systers Ladies Learning Code PHP Women DrupalChix (apologies if I forgot to list a group - LinuxChix/AussieChix there are so many!) Ubuntu Women Debian Women Fedora Women BSDChix FOSSChix Apache Women GNOME Women KDE Women Women 2.0 (women tech entrepreneurs) CodeChixSunday, August 21, 11
Turning smart ladies into Python ladies Run a women +1 workshop; use a free Python workshop curriculum. PyStar • Earn badges by doing Python tasks • Designed to be customized (forks encouraged) • Less well-tested, but easy to modify/contribute back Learn Python the Hard Way • Type out exercises exactly as written, like music lessons • Designed to be used as-is • Very well-tested examples; book is free onlineSunday, August 21, 11
Turning Python ladies into Python leaders Not all Python ladies are beginners! • Get non-beginner PyLadies to mentor at workshops • Help Python ladies submit/revise/practice PyCon AU talks • Help female friends package (more) code • Host local Python ladies’ dinners • Be encouraging on IRC, Twitter, blogs, etc. • Get Python ladies you know to join Core Mentorship, Web SIG, etc. Don’t forget, you can: • Replace “ladies” with any other under-represented group.Sunday, August 21, 11
Things are getting better Stay positive! Focus on what you can do. Encourage people to get out of their seats and help. PyCon AU: 2 female keynote speakers, 3 female regular speakers (20%), 35 female attendees (11.6%) up from 10 last year (5%), women’s breakfast Kiwi PyCon: 1 female keynote speaker, women’s breakfast, lots of PR about being woman-friendly DjangoCon US: 0 female keynote speakers, 5 female regular speakers (8 applied, up from 1)Sunday, August 21, 11
Need more convincing? Python advocacy is funSunday, August 21, 11
Women’s Python workshops (taught by and/or for women)Sunday, August 21, 11
All-day Python project eventsSunday, August 21, 11
Python ladies’ nights, social hoursSunday, August 21, 11
Promoting diversity of web frameworksSunday, August 21, 11
Advanced testing talkSunday, August 21, 11
DC Python presentation on PyLadiesSunday, August 21, 11
The future of PythonSunday, August 21, 11
Thank you Find me if you want to: • teach a diversity-oriented Python workshop • form a local PyLadies (Python Ladies) chapter • build an army of Python developers from untapped resources • just talk Python :) Audrey Roy audreyr@pyladies.com twitter: @audreyrSunday, August 21, 11
Nikolai Kristiansen