PyCon AU - Connecting the Australian Python Community

For more information, please join the mailing list and follow us on Twitter @pyconau. The list will be used for announcements only and should be very low volume.

Presentation videos

Video recordings of the presentations are available at http://pyconau.blip.tv/ (as of the 4th of July they are starting to appear).

Where and When?

PyCon Australia was held in Sydney on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of June at the Sydney Masonic Center; 66 Goulburn Street, Sydney.

Keynotes

	Saturday: Mark Pesce. Mark is best-known as the co-inventor of VRML, and as panelist/judge on ABC's "The New Inventors". The author of five books and numerous articles, he has a monthly column in NETT magazine, is a frequent contributor to ABC Unleashed, and is a sought-after commentator on both radio and television. Since 2006, Pesce has held an Honorary Appointment in the Digital Cultures Program at the University of Sydney.
	Saturday evening: Anthony Baxter. Anthony has been involved in the open source community for more than a decade, largely working in Python and on Python. He's working for Google now.
	Sunday: Nick Hodge. A Professional Geek at Microsoft in Australia, Nick spends his time with open source communities showing off Microsoft open source cool and shiny toys. Prior to Microsoft, Nick spent many a weekend over 3 years building an internal sales management tool using Python, Excel and SAP to counter-act the evilness of being a sales manager. Please do not ask about these dark times in polite conversations. More info about Nick may or may not be found at http://www.nickhodge.com/

What Is PyCon AU?

Australian Python programming enthusiasts are continuing the global PyCon ("Python Conference") tradition in Sydney.

The first Australian PyCon event is expected to host over 150 Python programming enthusiasts. The weekend will see dozens of presentations on web programming, business applications, game development, science and mathematics, social issues, education, testing, databases, documentation and more.

Unlike formal conferences, PyCons are run by volunteer Python programmers; the users' perspective governs everything from talk selection to conference cost, making an exceptionally worthwhile conference. Participants themselves generate content, which can be as short as a 5 minute Lightning Talk, or as long as a 45-minute "How To" tutorial.

PyCon Australia 2010 will be a great way to meet other enthusiasts, learn new skills, share ideas and establish connections.

About Python

Python is an open-source, dynamically typed, object-oriented programming language that can be used in nearly the entire range of technology applications. It offers an easy learning curve and access to a vast array of libraries. With implementations available for all common operating systems as well as the Java and .NET platforms, Python can be used on virtually any system in existence. Python's power and versatility have made it one of the world's most popular programming languages, currently ranked #6 in the TIOBE index. Like other open-source, dynamic languages, it offers rapid productivity and a vigorous developer community; at the same time, Python's clarity and reliability give confidence to enterprise users.