Minutes 2010/03/13

• Talks on packaging tied well together - notes at TalkPackaging

Feedback from Python Training

First training course run last week

• 5 people (6 registered, the maximum, but one pulled out)
  • Filled up really quickly - could easily run more courses
• Feedback was pretty positive
• Preparation could be better
  • Graeme and Simon spent 2-3 hours preparing
  • Simon wrote the examples - the idea was to alternate, Simon did a larger proportion though
• This was designed as Python for Programmers, but there was too much squeezed in, and so ran out of time
  • It was an interactive workshop, but got less so as time ran out
  • Mean to run from 11-3, but ran till 4 and still didn't cover anything
  • There wasn't really anything that could be easily taken out - more time is needed for a basic Python course
• May help to cater to particular languages people already know in
  • It would probably help more to separate out courses for people with different skill levels
  • But it's difficult to assess skill levels before the course
• Did a whole section on different numeric types - difficult to know what stuff people would need
• CD with a whole bunch of docs, links and source code
• Ways to improve:
  • A lot more detailed documentation would help - then people can branch into topics that suit them
  • Focused details - subset of most commonly used aspects rather than full coverage, pointers to where to look for more
  • Should probably be 2 4-hour sessions (consecutive Saturdays, or following days)
  • Having a week in between would help people to get to grips with the concepts from the first course
  • Could have a bunch of problems to work on in between sessions
  • Finding good materials that people could use themselves in between could help
• Need to discuss what future courses to offer - for non-programmers, focused on particular issues, etc