[Events] Planning for UMD: some thoughts, and a request for feedback

[Asheesh Laroia]

Excerpts from Jessica McKellar's message of Sun Feb 19 12:59:54 -0500 2012:
> Hi Asheesh,
> 
> Thanks for writing up this material. Some comments:
> 
> > Command-line skills have to be taught early
> > -------------------------------------------
> >
> > At Penn, not everyone had command line skills. The quickest way to teach the
> > basics is probably to use the Boston Python Workshop's quick CLI tutorial,
> > as part of Laptop Setup Time.
> 
> Definitely definitely. Want me to work up an extended wiki page on
> this, adapting the BPW material? I like the idea of bonus material and
> can draft a wiki page for that (I have some ideas for cribbing from
> 6.033, the intro to systems class at MIT, which has CLI exercises
> sprinkled throughout the curriculum).

That would mega rule. Thank you!

I think this might mean the demo programs have to be written in perl,
since that'll be the only interpreter we can assume people have. Unless
we also ask them to install Python, which maybe is worthwhile.

> Question about IRC: at Boston Python events we frequently hit the
> Freenode max connection limit. Are we going to be NATted such that
> this is a potential problem? What can we do to make sure this doesn't
> happen?

I'll ask about this.

> I'm happy to lead the IRC section or more broadly the "Communicating
> as a user" section.

I would love if you'd take the "Communicating as a user" section.

> Question about "Getting, modifying, and verifying open source software
> (getting code; local patching)": I don't see the diff/patch mission
> mentioned in the outline. Did you want students to go through that?

Yes. Will adjust in the morning.


> I would also not give students a choice between git and svn -- I'd
> pick whichever we think is in the best shape / most robust right now
> and have them do it. They can do the other as a bonus exercise if they
> want.

Agreed. I meant the instructor picks, not the student. Adjusted the wiki page
to say 'git', since I think that mission is more relevant nowadays.

> I'm happy to teach any of the modules.

Awesome.

> If you can summarize for me which parts you want me to take, as soon
> as possible, I'll start practicing the material.

Take the above for now, and I'll maybe assign you one or two other things
soon!

-- Asheesh.