EuroPython vs PyconUK

[EuGeNe Van den Bulke]

I do realize that the UK is not really part of Europe (no polemic )
but I am nevertheless curious about the logic behind creating another
major Python event in Europe. Wasn't EuroPython enough?

Like many I am sure, I probably won't be able to attend both (and I
really enjoyed the Geneva experience so definitely want to renew "it").
How would you go about selecting which conference to attend?

They are only 2 months apart, 6 would have been easier for the
attendees! Could the organizers liaise one way or another to make
Pythoneers life as easy and fun as the language and give as much
information out as possible as early as possible (early bird early) for
people to make the best decision?

I know marketing matters but ...

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

 

[Steve Holden]

I do realize that the UK is not really part of Europe (no polemic )
but I am nevertheless curious about the logic behind creating another
major Python event in Europe. Wasn't EuroPython enough?

Like many I am sure, I probably won't be able to attend both (and I
really enjoyed the Geneva experience so definitely want to renew "it").
How would you go about selecting which conference to attend?

They are only 2 months apart, 6 would have been easier for the
attendees! Could the organizers liaise one way or another to make
Pythoneers life as easy and fun as the language and give as much
information out as possible as early as possible (early bird early) for
people to make the best decision?

I know marketing matters but ...

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

So by this reasoning there should have been no "Python UK" conference
for the last four years (in case you didn't know it ran as a track of
the C/C++ conference, but ths track has now broadened to include all
scripting languages). And what about the people who can't get the time
and/or money to attend EuroPython?

Diversity is good, so it isn't one vs. the other. And the UK really *is*
part of Europe (no matter how its politicians behave)

regards
Steve

 

[Steve Holden]

EuGeNe Van den Bulke wrote: [...]

Diversity is good, so it isn't one vs. the other. And the UK really *is*
part of Europe (no matter how its politicians behave)

regards
Steve

PS: Have you seen the new "[PyCon Uno Italy] Call For Papers" post? I
hope you are going to rap their knuckles too ;-)

regards
Steve

 

[Fuzzyman]

I do realize that the UK is not really part of Europe (no polemic )
but I am nevertheless curious about the logic behind creating another
major Python event in Europe. Wasn't EuroPython enough?

Like many I am sure, I probably won't be able to attend both (and I
really enjoyed the Geneva experience so definitely want to renew "it").
How would you go about selecting which conference to attend?

I assume you have the same problem with the Italian one?

Seriously though, it is *great* to see the UK Python scene flourishing
(and the Italian one). The more events that happen the better, and I
don't think they need be in competition with each other... I *hope*
the Europython guys don't see it like that.

Fuzzyman
http://www.voidspace.org.uk/ironpython/index.shtml

 

[Donald 'Paddy' McCarthy]

I do realize that the UK is not really part of Europe (no polemic )
but I am nevertheless curious about the logic behind creating another
major Python event in Europe. Wasn't EuroPython enough?

Like many I am sure, I probably won't be able to attend both (and I
really enjoyed the Geneva experience so definitely want to renew "it").
How would you go about selecting which conference to attend?

They are only 2 months apart, 6 would have been easier for the
attendees! Could the organizers liaise one way or another to make
Pythoneers life as easy and fun as the language and give as much
information out as possible as early as possible (early bird early) for
people to make the best decision?

I know marketing matters but ...

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

Growth!

 

[EuGeNe Van den Bulke]

> So by this reasoning there should have been no "Python UK" conference
for the last four years (in case you didn't know it ran as a track of
the C/C++ conference, but ths track has now broadened to include all
scripting languages). And what about the people who can't get the time
and/or money to attend EuroPython?

I am afraid there is a misunderstanding. I have no problem with PyCon UK
but would like to have elements to help me choose (the official language
of PyCon Uno Italy is Italian so that fixes it ).

Diversity is good, so it isn't one vs. the other. And the UK really *is*
part of Europe (no matter how its politicians behave)

I agree that diversity is good (you won't hear me say that there are too
many web frameworks in Python ) but isn't dilution a danger?

If Guido was a rock star and I was a groupie, I would want to know which
festival to attend to see him on stage. I guess there is always Google
Video

More seriously in Geneva there were people from all over the place,
speakers and attendees, which is one of the reason why such conferences
are interesting (or am I deluded?). It is harder for someone from
Australia to come twice to Europe in the space of 2 months than for a
pythoneer lambda to spend a couple of days studying another web
framework to see if it fits how his brain works and the problem he's got
to solve.

Looking at the reactions to my post, I must be wrong. I didn't mean to
offend anyone if I did. I'll go to Vilnius because I have never seen the
city and try to go to Birmingham if the program looks interesting (not
very rational or is it?).

Cheers,

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

 

[EuGeNe Van den Bulke]

I assume you have the same problem with the Italian one?

Not so much because the official language of Pycon Uno Italy is Italian
so I don't feel too concerned (unfortunately my Italian is not quite
good enough).

Seriously though, it is *great* to see the UK Python scene flourishing
(and the Italian one). The more events that happen the better, and I
don't think they need be in competition with each other... I *hope*
the Europython guys don't see it like that.

I agree it is great to see the Python scene grow (everywhere). The AFPY
is organizing "journees python francophones" early June too cf.
http://journees.afpy.org/.

I have only been to one conference before so I may be under the wrong
impressions but I don't see how the three events won't be competing for
Ri (as in Shu Ha Ri) speakers for example. Do I sound like a groupie?

Alex Martelli, brilliant speaker and Python evangelist (in my Shu Ha
eyes anyway), lives in the States and is Italian. Busy as you'd expect
from someone working for Google, decides to make the trip to Europe for
a Python related conference, henceforth spends 3 1/2 months in Europe so
he can do Italy in June (he is listed as an organizer), Lithuania in
July and UK in September...

I don't know how the EuroPython guys see it.

Cheers,

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

 

[Michele Simionato]

I do realize that the UK is not really part of Europe (no polemic )
but I am nevertheless curious about the logic behind creating another
major Python event in Europe. Wasn't EuroPython enough?

Like many I am sure, I probably won't be able to attend both (and I
really enjoyed the Geneva experience so definitely want to renew "it").
How would you go about selecting which conference to attend?

They are only 2 months apart, 6 would have been easier for the
attendees! Could the organizers liaise one way or another to make
Pythoneers life as easy and fun as the language and give as much
information out as possible as early as possible (early bird early) for
people to make the best decision?

I know marketing matters but ...

EuGeNe --http://www.3kwa.com

I don't see the problem. In my view EuroPython is the big event in
Europe. If you can
go to only one conference and you have the possibility to travel to
Vilnius, then go to EuroPython.
The national conferences are of interest primarily for people of that
national (of course, not
exclusively). I would be happy with a conference for any nationality.
Each nation will have
its national speakers. EuroPython will have all Europe to chose
speakers from.
BTW, this year I will go both to PyCon It and EuroPython, last year I
went both to
PyUK and EuroPython. The more, the better



Michele Simionato

 

[Alex Martelli]

Alex Martelli, brilliant speaker and Python evangelist (in my Shu Ha
eyes anyway), lives in the States and is Italian. Busy as you'd expect
from someone working for Google, decides to make the trip to Europe for
a Python related conference, henceforth spends 3 1/2 months in Europe so
he can do Italy in June (he is listed as an organizer), Lithuania in
July and UK in September...

I like the kudos, thanks!, but I'm not quite sure what you're saying
about my travel plans... just to clarify, once again I'll have to miss
EuroPython _and_ PythonUK, two events I attended most assiduously when I
was living in Europe (but then, for two years running I've also missed
PyCon, _despite_ living in the US, sigh).

Besides Pycon Uno, in my short trip in early June, I hope to also visit
Cracow, and perhaps give a Python talk at the University there if my
Polish colleagues can arrange things, but that will be it.

It's not so much about working for Google, which isn't stopping e.g.
Guido from attending conferences of his choice -- it's more about my
also having accepted managerial responsibilities there, which means I
can't really do my "primary" job all that well by logging in remotely
from my laptop.


Alex

 

[EuGeNe Van den Bulke]

I like the kudos, thanks!, but I'm not quite sure what you're saying
about my travel plans... just to clarify, once again I'll have to miss
EuroPython _and_ PythonUK, two events I attended most assiduously when I
was living in Europe (but then, for two years running I've also missed
PyCon, _despite_ living in the US, sigh).

I was just using your possible travel plans as an example to express my
"concerns"

Re your effective travel plans, thanks God for Google Video then

Cheers,

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

 

[EuGeNe Van den Bulke]

> I don't see the problem. In my view EuroPython is the big event in
Europe. If you can
go to only one conference and you have the possibility to travel to
Vilnius, then go to EuroPython.
The national conferences are of interest primarily for people of that
national (of course, not
exclusively).

Thanks, I didn't see it that way but that was ignorance on my behalf. I
was WRONGLY under the impression that we were in front of a classical
European pattern named "what WE can do collectively I can do better
alone" - known use : European constitution (but I am digressing ).

BTW, this year I will go both to PyCon It and EuroPython, last year I
went both to
PyUK and EuroPython. The more, the better

The more the merrier indeed in that respect! I learnt a lot from your
"Using decorators" talk last year. Thanks.

EuGeNe -- http://www.3kwa.com

 

[Steve Holden]

I am afraid there is a misunderstanding. I have no problem with PyCon UK
but would like to have elements to help me choose (the official language
of PyCon Uno Italy is Italian so that fixes it ).


I agree that diversity is good (you won't hear me say that there are too
many web frameworks in Python ) but isn't dilution a danger?

If Guido was a rock star and I was a groupie, I would want to know which
festival to attend to see him on stage. I guess there is always Google
Video

More seriously in Geneva there were people from all over the place,
speakers and attendees, which is one of the reason why such conferences
are interesting (or am I deluded?). It is harder for someone from
Australia to come twice to Europe in the space of 2 months than for a
pythoneer lambda to spend a couple of days studying another web
framework to see if it fits how his brain works and the problem he's got
to solve.

Looking at the reactions to my post, I must be wrong. I didn't mean to
offend anyone if I did. I'll go to Vilnius because I have never seen the
city and try to go to Birmingham if the program looks interesting (not
very rational or is it?).

If you're traveling from Australia or similarly distant locations then
I'd have to say EuroPython would be the one where you'd see most
Pythonistas from most places.

regards
Steve
--
Steve Holden +1 571 484 6266 +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC/Ltd http://www.holdenweb.com
Skype: holdenweb http://del.icio.us/steve.holden
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