Python user groups 2013

Goals

Between June 1 2013 and Dec 1 2013:

• At least 3 intro / diversity events get run after consultation with the fellow in each of the first and second half of the fellowship

• At least 3 user groups improve their speaker diversity in the first half of the fellowship and at least 5 user groups improve their speaker diversity in the second half of the fellowship

Plan

Within the first month:

• Will announce the project to the group-organizers mailing list.
  • By Mon June 10.
    • Will actually send Fri June 14; blog post will go live today.

• Write an outline for the informational index page that has info for user group organizers.
  • If time this month, turn that into a high-clarity web page.
  • Will probably try to get in person feedback from Michelle Rowley when I visit Portland for Open Source Bridge.
  • Will publish the source to the website as a git repository on presumably Github, to accept pull requests and other feedback.
  • Outline by June 17.

• Identify 20 Python user groups and get in touch with their organizers, presumably by email, indicating these goals of the meta-organizer fellowship, linking to the guide, and asking if they'd like to participate and/or chat about the guide.
  • To help me do the contacting in batch, first I'll be making a spreadsheet or similar table of these groups, with estimates for their sizes.
  • Initial contact by Wed June 26.

Info website

Let's start by making it Asheesh's tips for a great user group.

Those are:

• Think about newcomer-friendliness in your topics
• Don't do it alone (see also Yannick summary)
• Host lightning talks
• Have a social thing after the talks
• Run a BPW clone
• Keep track of your success
  • Random sampling is a good tool in general, if you can't reach everyone
• Funding tips
  • PSF wants to fiscally sponsor you probably/possibly
  • Get your Meetup fees refunded

What else?

Status: http://user-groups-beta.openhatch.org/

I also already know some text changes I should make, having used the text as part of convincing ChiPy to do project nights.

Pinging user groups

Being tracked in Trello. Specifically:

• Project Night candidates (board open for public viewing)
• Future board to be made.

Groups where I think I can make a difference

• ChiPy http://www.chipy.org/
  • Pinged someone there to have a Hangouts conversation. Hoping to hear back by Mon Aug 26.
  • This could lead to 1/3 speaker diversity goals.
  • Other relevant groups
    • http://www.meetup.com/WomanDevelopers/
    • http://www.meetup.com/Girl-Develop-It-Chicago-IL/
  • Project night status: they want to have one, but I don't know who can "run" it. I just pinged aeva to see if it makes sense as a one-off to organize something that's theoretically a PS:1 + ChiPy collaboration.
• SF Python http://www.meetup.com/sfpython/
  • Pinged them with a possible speaker.
  • This could lead to 1/3 speaker diversity goals.
• DC Python http://www.meetup.com/dcpython/
  • 1 woman speaker in the past year
  • It seems likely that I can help connect them with speakers. Next unmet speaker slot is in December.
    • Though I wonder if it'd be interesting to have, like, DC Python Data Science lightning talks at the upcoming data science-y one.
  • Encouraged to apply for Meetup reimbursement on 2013-10-03; no answer yet.
  • Other relevant groups:
    • http://www.meetup.com/dc-pyladies/
• Baltimore Python
  • Had phone call; maybe will run a Project Night soon.
  • Encouraged to apply for Meetup reimbursement on 2013-10-03; no answer yet.
• ~200 peoplle Vancouver Python http://www.meetup.com/vanpyz/
  • I sent them a ping. Could be a good target for a project night.
  • I should send them a fresh ping.
• Paris Python http://www.meetup.com/Paris-py-Python-Django-friends/
  • Probably they'd love to do a project night. Yay Sylvain Zimmer.
• ~200 Python Ireland http://www.meetup.com/pythonireland/
  • Super healthy group: women leader, seems to be fairly diverse in attendance and speaking.
  • 20-40 attendees per meeting
  • Could possibly add a project night. Pinging.

Groups where further research is required:

• NYC Python http://www.meetup.com/nycpython/
• SF Django http://www.meetup.com/The-San-Francisco-Django-Meetup-Group/
• Austin Python
• NYC Django http://www.meetup.com/django-nyc/
• Sydney Python http://www.meetup.com/sydneypython/
• Brisbane Python http://www.meetup.com/Brisbane-Python-User-Group/
• Oslo Python http://www.meetup.com/oslo-python/
• Miami Python http://www.meetup.com/python-miami/
• Pune Python http://www.meetup.com/PythonPune/
• Hyderabad Python http://www.meetup.com/Hyderabad-Python-Meetup-Group/
• Cleveland Python http://www.meetup.com/Cleveland-Area-Python-Interest-Group/
• Django Stockholm http://www.meetup.com/djangosthlm/
• Pittsburgh Python http://www.meetup.com/pghpython/
• Python Chile http://www.meetup.com/python-chile/
• Central Ohio Python http://www.meetup.com/Central-Ohio-Python-Users-Group/

Groups that seem OK:

• Boston Python http://www.meetup.com/bostonpython/
  • I presume they have things under control, but maybe I should check in anyway.

• FIXME: Add socal linux stuff per #openhatch conversation 2013-08-30

Status

Dates

Started: June 1, 2013

Mid-way: October 16, 2013

Extended end: March 1, 2014

First half of grant period

Groups running intro & diversity events:

1. SF Python started running Project Nights
2. An introductory Python lecture in a new user group in Bhubaneswar, India, run by Tarashish Mishra. This led to the creation of PyBBS.

Groups with gender diversity improvements in speakers:

1. SF Python

Goals were:

• At least 3 intro / diversity events get run after consultation with the fellow in each of the first half of the fellowship (2 of 3 achieved)
• At least 3 user groups improve their speaker diversity in the first half of the fellowship (1 of 3 achieved)

Second half of grant period

(Caret (^) means the event either happened already, or is scheduled and progressing along toward success. High certainty.)

(Star (*) indicates not yet scheduled, but seems very likely to happen. Moderate certainty.)

(Question (?) indicates that it is planned, but not scheduled yet. Low certainty.)

(Plus (+) indicates that it is expected, but after the end of the grant period. This by itself does not affect certainty.)

Groups running intro & diversity events:

1. (^) Python Dominican Republic ran a Project night, Nov 19. [1]
2. (^) Chicago Pythonistas ran a Project Night, Feb 27. [2]
3. PhillyPUG is running Project Nights again; the first new one in a while is the result of a conversation I had with Dana Bauer. It took place Feb 17. [3]
4. (^) PyLadies NYC organized a Linux Beginners Tutorial (their idea!) and I'm helping them with scripts and general support. [4]
5. (+) A multi-week intro Python event in Seattle is going to be organized by Mako.
6. (+) (*) PyLadies SF is organizing an Intro to Django event on April 26. my role, as I understand it, was to help connect people. [5]
7. (+) (?) PyLadies Boston is interested in running a Django-oriented newcomer's tutorial. Expected in May or so, after PyCon.

Groups with gender diversity improvements in speakers, due to my collaboration with them:

1. (^) (+) PDX Python has booked Mele Sax-Barnett to speak in March [6].
2. (*) (+) I helped connect SF Python with more women speakers again. This will come to fruition on March 12 (but is not published yet).
3. (*) (+) Connected Stacey Sern and Allison Kaptur with NYC Python for the PyCon warm-up talks in April (meetup page here: [7] but their names aren't mentioned yet).
4. (^) (+) For the first time in its history (as I understand it), Python Barcelona has talk proposals from women. Their upcoming lightning talks will have more diverse speakers, at their upcoming "Learn Some Python" event on March 30. [8].

Goals were:

• At least 3 intro / diversity events get run after consultation with the fellow (3 of 3 achieved, 6 if you count events after the end of the grant period, 7 if you count maybes)
• At least 5 user groups improve their speaker diversity in the second half of the fellowship (0 of 5 achieved, 4 if you count events after the end of grant period)