PyCon comes but once a year and whether you’re a new Python Programmer or you’ve been a core developer for the last 20 years, I think you should check PyCon out. Take some time to load up on some PyCon info so you can give your employers the low down about why they should pay you to go or why you should invest your hard earned greenbacks in a conference that only covers one programming language!
Tutorial Days
PyCon unofficially kicks off with two jam-packed tutorial days before the conference itself starts. The tutorials range from the simple to the advanced. You can learn about desktop GUI creation, the Google App Engine or just learn some random recipes. They even cover documentation!
The Conference Proper
The conference is where the big guns come out. They cover everything: Django, Javascript, Mock testing and even robots! This year they have an “Extreme” track, which is a set of talks that tosses the introductory material out the window and gives the attendees nothing but the bacon. Anything in the schedule that’s marked with an “E” will be Extreme.
The conference also has vendors, a poster session and the new Startup Row, where you can get face-time with people who are in Python startup companies. If you want to get a new job, then this is a good place to go!
Sprints
After the conference is over, there are several days of sprints. You can join any of these and help various projects get completed. They need help with documentation, simple bugs, enhancements and maybe even porting from 2.x to 3.x. What that means is that they will accept seasoned professionals to people that have just begun in their Python careers.
Are You Going?
So, are you going? I still haven’t found out if I am, but I hope you’ll give it a go. The popular pydanny wrote about why people should go to PyCon as well, so be sure to read his article too!