October 2014 PRPIG Meeting

On October 16, the Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (PRPIG) will celebrate it's recent acceptance as an affiliate of the Open Source Initiative, with a new series of user group meeting cohosted within the University of Puerto Rico. PRPIG will be collaborating with respective campus student associations for computer science (AECC, initials in Spanish), to produce user group meetings for students. 

The user group meetings will feature introductory Python sessions by students and user group members. The October PRPIG meeting will be held at Universidad de Puerto Rico en Bayamón, #170 Carretera 174 Parque Industrial Minillas, in the Reception Hall at 7:00pm.

On November 20^th, PRPIG will collaborate with the UPR Rio Piedras chapter of the AECC to produce the “Puerto Rico Intellectual Property Summit.” The user group meeting will feature sessions from the UPR Law Clinic, Startups of Puerto Rico, and Ferraiuoli LLC. Sessions anticipated include the Puerto Rico implementation of Creative Commons 3.0, intellectual property protection for startups, and a side-by-side comparison of software licenses.

These student collaborations Provide teens with the opportunity to build skill proficiency in open technologies not typically covered locally in the standard proprietary software driven, technology-based degree programs. For participants, they gain valuable skills that will help prepare them for future education and career success.

PRPIG Gains Affiliate Membership in Open Source Initiative

August 24th, the Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (PRPIG) was formally accepted as an affiliate member of the Open Source Initiative (OSI).  With this honor, PRPIG joins a litany of IT (FLOSS) giants, such as Mozilla, the Python Software Foundation, The Linux Foundation, Debian, and the Drupal Association.  #humbling

"We are pleased to have prPIG join our community,” 

said Patrick Masson, general manager of the OSI.

“prPIG captures the very essence of the Open Source movement, where communities of practice self-organize around common goals to share and co-create. prPIG is helping set the standard for peer-driven development across Puerto Rico while also contributing to the larger Python community."

prPIG offers free workshops and seminars to educate about and advocate for the benefits of Open Source. To grow our community and increase our reach we will continue to build bridges among different constituencies, focusing especially on high school and university students.

Victor Vasarely Meets Tina Turtle

I've been playing around with Python Turtle, with the intention of adding finished scripts to trinket.io.  A few months ago, I was successful in porting Victor Vasarely's "Plastic Alphabet" in Python and Tk.  So, as soon as I learned about trinket.io, I've been trying to port the script into Python and Turtle.

After using brute force to get some boxes drawn in Turtle.  This weekend I was able to finish the algorithm to get Turtle to draw columns and rows of boxes.  Needless to say, but the power of trinkets is that you can develop Turtle using your preferred Python IDE, and then simply cut and paste the script into a trinket. Enjoy!

Kahn Academy Interactive Javascript

At the same time I'm checking out trinket.io, I'm trying to brush up on my Javascript. Plus, I wanted to give Kahn Academy's programming courses a trial run. the interactive Javascript window is pretty awesome.  It's a actually a very intelligent IDE as well, which is nice!

Spin-off of "Intro to Coloring"

Made using: Khan Academy Computer Science.

P.S. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to scale the embed script, so it fits here.  But, with a wider template, it should work fine. P.S.S I did find out how to turn off the editor, so you get the final output.

Another trinket.io example

One of the many uses of trinket.io is engagement and measurement. For example, If you're teaching a class on Python, you could simply paste a trinket into your blog or website, and then, with each session opened by a client, the visitor has their own interactive Python environment.


When participants have finished the assignment, they can share the result on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Linked In, Reddit, or Hacker News.  Pretty cool, don't you think?  This portable Python environment really changes everything.  It's a whole new way of engaging with the user group.

Using Trinket To Share Interactive Python

Just discovered this service for posting interactive Python.  Here is a sample from the Trinket website.

Wish For The Future Technology Workshop

“The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed,” William Gibson.   What will you do? How will you make sure that you, or your children, thrive in the future?  Will you settle for merely surviving the future?  Or will you create the future by inventing it? What will do to master the future and make technology work for you, your children, and your business?

The Puerto Rico Python Interest Group, along with Optico Fiber from Critical Hub Networks, is proud to present the first ever “Wish For the Future” (W4TF)  technology workshop.  The week long workshop is open to ages 9 to 99 and will provide an introduction to digital media technologies.  As space is limited, tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis.  Interested participants can find out more information by visiting the PRPIG community on Google Plus, the PRPIG Facebook Page, and Twitter @pr_pig.

Wish For The Future

The W4TF is a hub of inspiration, ideas, and activities to facilitate cross-generational learning among kids and adults aged 10 - 99. It’s aim is to foster a creative platform for envisioning a future in which the world will work for 100% of humanity. How do we make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone? If you were the pilot of “Spaceship earth.” how would you operate it to sustain humanity and the planet? What do you want to make of the future?

The workshop is planned for July 28th until Aug 1.  Sessions will be from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm.  Critical Hub Networks has generously donated the theater of the art deco El Telégrafo building in Santurce.

The workshop will consist of workstations that participants will rotate through during the course of the week.  In each workstation the participant will interact with some advanced technology to help create a time capsule with the workshop's collective wish for the future.  The time capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2112.

O'Reilly User Group Program - Free Books for Review

One of the many benefits of participating in the O'Reilly User Group is free books for review.  With this opportunity Puerto Rico Python Interest Group members can complete reviews of any book in their catalog.   PRPIG is standing member in the program, which means if you're a member of PRPIG, you can participate right now!

Not a member? Simply join the PRPIG Google+ Community or like the PRPIG  Facebook Page.

Leave me a comment if you would like to find out more information about this opportunity. I look forward to participating myself. I'll let you know how it works out.

Sample Chapter - Head First Python

PRPIG Offering free access to O'Reilly Python Book Samples

As part of the O'Reilly User Group program, we have access to a library of O'Reilly book samples.  I'll be

sharing some of them that I think might be helpful for our community.

The first is Head First Python.  If you've been struggling with getting started, perhaps the Head First series might be able to help.  Designed and written using a completely new approach to teaching complex topics, the Head First books offer a fresh perspective on learning Python.

Head First Python - Sample

Less than 3 weeks!

#PuertoRico #Python #userGroup hosting an evening of #LightningTalks on February 20th: http://mstrb.us/1n75Kk4

Next python user group meeting is 2/20/14

Map to the Puerto Rico Science and Technology Trust

View Larger Map

February prPIG Meeting

Puerto Rico Python User Group Celebrates First Anniversary

One year ago the Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (prPIG) was founded on one purpose; to create a sustainable user community based on software development in Puerto Rico. On February 20, 2014 we will celebrate our first anniversary with an open format meeting with lightning talks from the community.

prPIG is looking for volunteers from the community that are willing to give a short introduction to their favorite Python library, some popular modules we'd like to see include: math, decimal, datetime, time, dateutil, re, sqlite, json, urllib2, pyquery, and sh. Suggestions are also welcome.

During their first year, the Puerto Rico Python user group hosted 18 events, and established an active community online. According to founder Kevin Shockey, “prPIG has successfully established an online network that is helping to sustain our software development user group in Puerto Rico. We've gained many new partners and collaborators in our first year. They have really helped us and we look forward to more collaborative opportunities.”

The February meeting of prPIG will be held at 7:00pm in 2nd Floor Conference Room, Puerto Rico Science, Research, & Technology Trust, Rd. 21, Río Piedras.

Note: prPIG is kindly sponsored by the Internet Society, through their Community Grant program. We are deeply grateful for all of the support we have received so far, it has been well beyond our wildest expectations.

More on the Python Software Foundation Code of Conduct.

I found this in the Python Software Foundation's explanation of the new Code of Conduct. I'm particularly interested in their(our) effort to grow a more diverse Python community. This section resonates with me:

"we can advance towards a more diverse representation, one that we see throughout the rest of the community being increasingly populated by women, students, and with the popularity of pocket-sized computers, children will soon be in the ranks." 

 I hope that prPIG can embrace that future...

Whose up for some 3D Printing?

Next prPIG meeting will feature +Pablo Tirado and his #MakerBot.

He'll share his experiences with 3dprinters and open up the printer to the community for some free printing.

So get your models ready, but don't forget to get your hands on some printing material.

 Filament can be purchased here: http://store.makerbot.com/filament

Python Software Foundation Code of Conduct

prPIG adopts PSF Code of Conduct

In accordance with the Python Software Foundation, when you're working with members of the community, we encourage you to follow the guidelines identified in the Code of Conduct. These guidelines, will hopefully steer our interactions and keep Python a positive, successful, and growing community.

January 2014 Meeting CFP

On January 16, 2014 the Puerto Rico Python user group will kick-off the new year with our first

meeting.  We are looking for speakers who can share what they know about Python or related FLOSS topics.

The theme of the meeting will be tools.  We would especially like to see lightning talks that give new users an overview of the typical tools a user needs to get the most out of Python and free software.  

Sample tools include: IDLE, Eclipse, Python Tools for Visual Studio, GIT, IRC, Xen or other virtualization software, the GNU toolchain (GNU Make, GCC, Binutils, or GNU Autotools).