Deb Nicholson's Keynote for PyCon Africa

This talk covers some of the great things you can do with Python, how the Python Software Foundation works and how you can get involved.

1. Python: We‘re all
in it together!
Deb Nicholson
PyCon Africa 2024
CC.BY.SA Purple Presipice by Paolo Marco Mañalac

2. The “new” executive director
of Python Software Foundation
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

3. Before PSF:
Open Source Initiative
Software Freedom Conservancy
Open Invention Network
Free Software Foundation
Before Open Source:
Civil Liberties
Worker’s Rights
Fair Elections
Peace
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.BY Massachusetts Statehouse by Tim Pierce

4. Learning to code is fun,
but what I care more about
what it can do for you
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

5. Python is great because
you can use it to
do lots of things
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

6. People are always telling me
what they use Python for
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

7. Control the
thermostat or
the lights in
their house
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.BY Cute Lamp by Robin Zebrowski

8. Automate chicken coop doors
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.NC by Adam Monsen

9. Write music, make
animations, create
knitting patterns
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.BY.SA kitty hat by Meg

10. Make accessible
websites and
analyze data from
the web
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

11. Compile
data on
working
conditions
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.BY Union Workers vs Wal Mart by Brave New Films

12. Marine biology
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.BY dolphin by Tristan Ferne

13. Organizing paint
samples from
Pompeii
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.BY Pompeii panoramio By Tanya Dedyukhina

14. Analyze data
from deep space
telescopes
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
Public Domain Webb Telescope infrared-comparison

15. Working to cure
cancer in children
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

16. Python should be
for everyone
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

17. That’s why it is important that
we are a vendor-neutral charity
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

19. ...support and facilitate the growth
of a diverse and international
community of Python programmers.
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

20. Thank you to the
community members
who wrote the open letter.
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

21. Feedback == trust
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

22. @baconandcoconut
@freeradical.zone
@thePSF
@fosstodon.org

23. North Americans
and Europeans were
getting the most money
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

24. The letter highlighted
the issues in the asking
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

25. We were also asked about
the time it takes to decide to fund
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

26. @baconandcoconut
@freeradical.zone
@thePSF
@fosstodon.org

27. @baconandcoconut
@freeradical.zone
@thePSF
@fosstodon.org

28. Review our process, so that
fewer applications get stuck
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

29. Improve documentation so
applications can be more complete
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

30. Continue to explore how we
can best support events
in under-served communities
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

31. Annual Transparency Report
so everyone can be
part of the conversation
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

32. Monthly Office Hours
to support grant applicants and
see where we could improve
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

33. @[email protected]
@[email protected]

34. @baconandcoconut
@freeradical.zone
@thePSF
@fosstodon.org

35. @baconandcoconut
@freeradical.zone
@thePSF
@fosstodon.org

36. On track to support African
events with over $140K
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

37. This level of success
in giving money away
presents it’s own issues
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

38. What else does the PSF do?
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

39. Support CPython
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

40. There are around 8.2 million Python
users in the world!
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

41. And 32 million
Linux Desktop users
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

42. Support Core Developers
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
Core Developers Sprint 2023

43. Plus three Developers-in-Residence
and a Community Liaison
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

44. @[email protected]
@[email protected]

45. PyPI grew 57% in 2022 and then
grew another 43% in 2023
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

46. As of May 2024,
more than 530,000 packages
are available on PyPI.
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

47. Infrastructure
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

48. Infrastructure
(Thank you, Fastly!!)
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

49. Security measures
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

50. Security improvements from the last year:
* Software Bill of Materials for CPython
* Reproducible Builds for CPython tarballs
* Registered as CNA, for vulnerability reporting
* Require 2FA for PyPI project maintainers
* Better support PyPI user issues
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

51. Support Community Organizers
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

52. Fiscal sponsorees
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

53. Look after Python’s
Trademark and Copyrights
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

54. @[email protected]
@[email protected]

55. PyCon US this year had
over 2700 people in person
and almost 400 online
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

56. So, who is at the PSF?
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

57. Board of
Directors
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
Photo by KwonHan Bae at the 2023 Board Retreat

58. ...which is elected by members
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

59. Voting Membership types
* Supporting Members: $25 – $99 USD (or more is fine too)
* Contributing Membership: if you volunteer five hours per
month on events, code, translations, documentation, helping
newcomers, then you qualify!
* Fellows: are nominated by the community and then chosen
by a committee to be lifetime members
https://www.python.org/psf/membership/
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

60. Board Committees
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

61. Board Committees
* PyCon US Organizing Committee
* Finance Committee
* Membership Committee
* User Success Committee
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

62. Working Groups
* Grants Work Group
* Diversity & Inclusion
* Conduct Work Group
* Trademark Work Group
* Infrastructure Work Group
* Fellows Work Group
* Python Job Board
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

63. https://www.python.org/jobs/
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

64. Staff & Contractors
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.NC from Kushal Das at PyCon US 2024

65. Read more here:
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

66. Want to be more involved?
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

67. https://www.python.org/psf/membership/
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

68. Participate
in a sprint!
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
Core Developers Sprint 2022

69. Join a work
group of like-
minded
community
members
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

70. Help the PSF with PyCon US
(especially talk review!)
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

71. Study Python or
the community for your
school research project
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

72. Help the PSF with writing,
fundraising, talking to newcomers,
improving the membership program
…and soon we will need your
opinions about our website.
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

73. Organize your
local community!
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

74. Learning
to code
alone
is hard!
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
CC.NC by Kushal Das at PyCon US 2024

75. Thank you for listening!
[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]