The SoCal Code Camp event took place yesterday and today. I presented an updated version of my PyCon '05 talk, "Agile Testing with Python Test Frameworks". When I submitted my talk proposal, back in October '05, I had no idea the Code Camp will be so much Microsoft-centric. At the time, it seemed like a get-together of coders of all kinds. However, it seems that a lot of Microsoft user groups got involved in the organization, with the inevitable result that it felt like a Microsoft-sponsored event (which it might have been, for all I know). To be fair, the schedule did include a number of Java talks, but it did feel like the overall tone was of the "ode to Micro$oft" type.
Anyway, my talk attracted no less than 5 people! Pretty amazing, isn't it? Joking aside, as the common wisdom goes, if only one person took something away from it, even then it means my goal was met, etc., etc. I did have time to demo Selenium, so I hope that people took that away at least. The other bright side, as I look at it, is that Python got represented at the conference. The only other non-Java, non-.NET language represented was Ruby, with one session on Ruby 101 and the other one on the inevitable Ruby on Rails.
I did enjoy the free "geek dinner" sponsored by a few Microsoft-affiliated companies, where I ran into a couple of fellow xpsocal members, Paul Hodgetts and Paul Moore, who also presented a session on TDD using Java and Eclipse. The dinner sported live rock music, an idea that apparently originated with Das Blonde herself (if you don't know the name, then you haven't been to many Microsoft events/conferences; me neither -- but you and I are in stark minority compared to the people at that dinner...)
Anyway, maybe next year the organizers will split the conference into a Java track, a .NET track, and a "off-the-wall as far as Java/.Net programmers are concerned" track, where my presentation clearly belonged.
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5 comments:
Interesting, we had a Dayton/Cincinnati code camp just this Saturday - also heavily MS. (We knew to expect that, though, since it was put together by a .NET group.) We OS people were welcome, though, and Jim Weirich gave two good Ruby talks.
And yes, it's nice to have deep-pocket sponsors so the free food and swag flow like water. My main job is Oracle work, so I see plenty of that.
I got about 15 people at my Python evangelism talk, only to learn that at least half of them had already used Python. Oh, well, it's a testament to the language that people who know it will get up at 9 to hear more about it even when they know it's only an intro talk. I did a little on IronPython, too, which helped justify eating MS's food.
Catherine -- thanks for the comments. Well, at least I tried to evangelize Python a bit :-)
I also mentioned IronPython during my talk, but did not demo it, since I haven't really used it myself. Maybe I should have called my talk "Agile testing in .NET with IronPython", then I bet it would have attracted more people.
Grig,
Thanks for participating at the SoCal Code Camp. I am sorry you got the impression that it was too much of a MS for you but I tried to get more groups involved. Maybe next year and maybe for the San Diego Code Camp I can get you to help recruit more non-MS groups and speakers.
Thanks again,
-- Woody
Woody,
Thank you too for allowing me to reschedule my talk. I'm not trying to shoot the messenger here :-) Yes, please let me know in advance when the next Code Camp will take place and I'll be glad to help in recruiting some people. In know a lot of people involved in the Python community here in SoCal, and I also know many people involved in the Agile community.
Grig
I'd like to second Woody's invitation here to increase the numbers of other platform presentations...I personally invited many of my java friends like Anant from BEA, etc...and I do a lot of interoperability work and would love to meet more people who do Web services/SOA with java to continue the growth of interop problem solving for example! Definitely help us connect if you can!! I'll do the same!!!
-Michele Leroux Bustamante
www.dasblonde.net
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