dimanche 4 avril 2004

Jon Udell on narrated demos

Olivier Deckmyn from Ingeniweb sent me a link to Jon Udell's column this week, which I think might be in the print edition. (I'm on the wrong continent to find out.) If so, well, I'm both flattered and enthused to get a mention.

It's funny how these things happen. I put very little consideration into making that narrated demo. I had posted something about XSLT and said it was easier than advertised. In a weblog comment, someone asked for evidence to back up my assertion. I offered to make a recording, he took me up on the offer, and I spent 15 minutes with no post-production to respond to him.

Now Jon has tied it to the meme he has been articulately pushing for a few months. The way that folks like Jon assemble connections, and the incredible value they play in the big scheme of things, is a story in itself. (See The Tipping Point, a book Tres loaned me, for a full explanation.)

Patrick Phalen and I continue to discuss how this technique of reaching people can unfold. Perhaps Patrick and I can meet up if I make a West Coast trip later this year and put some more energy into the idea.
5:51:13 PM   comment []   

Kendal Clark on PyCon

I really enjoyed Kendall Clark's writeup about PyCon 2003. I have followed his XML Deviant columns for years, and so reading his recap of events in Foggy Bottom was a real pleasure.

There were three places of deep insight that I found specifically interesting. First, his take on community organized events, vs. professionally-planned events, made a deep impression. I've been on both sides of this in the conferences I've helped organize, and in the last years, I've despaired that volunteers just can't pull it off. But I can say conclusively that I'm wrong, as evidenced by the Plone Conference in New Orleans and this report from PyCon. It seems that EuroPython 2004 in Sweden will be another shining example of Kendall's point.

Second, Kendall analyzed the evolution in Guido's project management style over the years, comparing it to the evolution for Linus. I've known Guido for a while and I really took to heart Kendall's point. I'm fascinated by the ingredients that determine success or failure in the open source world. Kendall gave a good recipe for moving from success to permanence.

Finally, I was pleased to see Kendall emphasize the importance of the (hopeful) EU funding for PyPy. I remember sitting at a bar in Charleroi last year, drinking a beer with Holger, and skeptically asking: "So, Python running Python will be faster than Python?"

Anyway, thanks Kendall for an enjoyable and informative read. I'll start looking at XIST today.
5:42:01 PM   comment []