PyCon proposals I'd like to see

PyCon 2013 is current accepting proposals. I'm looking forward to helping review the proposals.

So, what proposals would *I* like to see?

Anything science related, especially bio and chemistry and neuroscience stuff
Anything health related
Anything homestead related - how do you use Python in your home, your garden, your office, your private hobby, knitting, weaving, ...
How Python is being/or could be used in the office and support areas (HR, Marketing, Admin Assistants, Finance)
Anything with robots
Anything about Making stuff
Anything about GAE
Hacking your fitness with Python

Accessibility how-tos
HCI

Here's where to submit your proposal


I'm planning on proposing a talk on "Hello GAE" - an overview for folks who  haven't used it before. Also a "You can be a speaker at PyCon!" session for folks who are considering being a speaker in 2014 but don't know how to start.

I know there will be plenty of my favorite speakers at PyCon - we're starting to get proposals from some of you already.  I'm especially interested in getting proposals from a wide variety of new folks. Entrepreneurs, web designers, interaction designers, chemists, rocket scientists, secretaries, WHO (you know who you are!), fitness geeks, women, people of color, neuroscientists, and anybody else I've never heard speak at PyCon before.

Pycon 2012 was full of win, including the 5k on Satyrday morning! Lots of geeks out running. I loved it. Also, I nominate this 2012 for the BEST FOOD of any US Pycon. Others have already done reviews, but suffice it to say, it was an awesome conference and I highly recommend you attend next year. Better yet, send in a proposal and speak! Never spoke before? Start out at your local Python user group - they're almost always looking for speakers.

It's going to be a busy summer. Besides my urban homesteading (chickens, gardening, canning, dehydrating, cooking, etc), we're going to be doing a lot of travel. Friday, we're off to Omaha for Woodstock for Capitalists aka the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting (yes, we own a couple shares of BRK-B stock). Next, it's off to Singapore for Pycon APAC where Alex and I will both be doing keynotes. Neither of us have been to Asia before so this will be an adventure! Two weeks later, we're in Italy for Europython, followed closely by OSCON in Portland, OR. Whew! In September, I'm heading to the Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, then off to the Tough Mudder in Northern California for a 12k Obstacle Course! Youch. Hope I survive that long!

In the meantime, I've just picked up a review copy of a new book from O'Reilly called Fitness for Geeks by Bruce Perry. I'll review it when I finish. You can also find me posting a fair bit on Fitocracy as annaraven.

We want you!

to volunteer at PyCon!

Come meet the speakers and chair a session, or be a runner!
Sign up at http://us.pycon.org/2011/schedule/sessions/

Other volunteer opportunities remain - Sign up at http://us.pycon.org/2011/volunteer/onsite/ to help out.

If you're attending PyCon, please volunteer. Remember, PyCon is a volunteer-run, community-based conference. That means you!

Why women don't talk enough

So, the call for proposals for PyCon is out and has been out for some time. It's been circulated around. I've personally sent it to a number of women's lists I'm on. So, why don't I see any proposals from women yet? (Besides mine...)

Some reasons I've heard when I've asked women friends over the years about why they haven't proposed a talk:

a. I don't have time
None of us have enough time. I know we women have a lot of "extras" that we do every day and hobbies tend to fall by the wayside. I'm a full-time student at Stanford, with a husband, a house, 2 cats, and a teenager who doesn't want to do his homework. If I can submit a proposal, so can you.

b. I don't know enough
No one knows everything. And if you're closer to the n00b level, you'll understand what a n00b needs to hear better than an expert. Which brings us to:

c. There are experts/package creators there
Even if the creator is there, they may not be speaking, or they may be so deep into the package that they have no idea what real users of the package actually have trouble with and need to know. You do. So tell the rest of us about it. It's okay to have talks about the same package at two different levels!

d. I only use Python for this limited weird niche:
There are a lot of people interested in how to use Python for niches, and the more niches that presenters explore, the more the rest of us learn about the rich breadth of our favorite language.

e. I'm scared to speak in public:
PyCon is one of the friendliest, most tolerant conferences out there. We're all just a bunch of fellow enthusiasts: you're speaking to friends. So get out there and teach us all about something Pythonic that you love. Trust me, before I speak, not only do my knees shake, my *cheeks* shake! (It's hard to speak when your cheeks are shaking - try it sometime. ;-) But people at Pycon are ON YOUR SIDE - they *WANT* you to succeed. So, it's okay if you're a little shaky at the beginning. They'll be polite and listen anyways, because they want to hear about what you're presenting on. And once you've started, you'll be okay. Trust me on this.

So women of Python - please submit your proposals. Don't let the guys have all the fun and glory. I want to see *you* on stage at PyCon!

http://us.pycon.org/2010/conference/proposals/