Re: [CODE4LIB] Getting started with Ruby and library-ish data (was RE: [CODE4LIB] You *are* a coder. So what am I?)

[James Stuart]

As far as python goes, this has a quick sense of pacing, and has a lot of
interactive exercises, while building something pretty useful in the end.

https://www.udacity.com/ (CS101)

It goes into a little bit more theory then I think is useful for some
folks, but it's still a great resource.


On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 4:25 PM, Karen Coyle  wrote:

> On 2/18/13 12:53 PM, Jonathan Rochkind wrote:
>
>> On 2/18/2013 2:04 PM, Jason Stirnaman wrote:
>>
>>> I've been thinking alot about how to introduce not only my kids, but
>>> some of our cataloging/technical staff to thinking "programmatically"
>>> or "computationally"[1] or whatever you want to call it.
>>>
>>
>> Do you have an opinion of the google 'computational thinking' curriculum
>> pieces linked off of that page you cite? For instance, at:
>>
>> http://www.google.com/edu/**computational-thinking/**lessons.html
>>
>
> I looked at the "Beginning Python" one[1], and I have to say that any
> intro to programming that begins with a giant table of mathematical
> functions is a #FAIL. Wow - how wrong can you get it?
>
> On the other hand, I've been going through the Google online python class
> [2] and have found it very easy to follow (it's youtubed), and the
> exercises are interesting. What I want next is more exercises, and someone
> to talk to about any difficulties I run into. I want a hands-on hacker
> space learning environment that has a live expert (and you wouldn't have to
> be terribly expert to answer a beginner's questions). It's very hard to
> learn programming alone because there are always multiple ways to solve a
> problem, and an infinite number of places to get stuck.
>
> kc
> [1] http://tinyurl.com/bcj894s
> [2] 
> https://developers.google.com/**edu/python/
>
>>
>> Or at:
>>
>> http://www.iste.org/learn/**computational-thinking/ct-**toolkit
>>
>
> --
> Karen Coyle
> kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
> ph: 1-510-540-7596
> m: 1-510-435-8234
> skype: kcoylenet
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] Getting started with Ruby and library-ish data (was RE: [CODE4LIB] You *are* a coder. So what am I?)

[James Stuart]

I'll put a rec out for CodeSchool. They started mostly with ruby, but
they've expanded into a wide array of courses (only a few of which are
free). But they're slick, well thought-through affairs, and Try Ruby/Rails
for Zombies is still I think the best introduction to Rails out there.

http://www.codeschool.com/


On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 2:04 PM, Jason Stirnaman wrote:

> I've heard similar good things about Codecademy from a friend who recently
> wanted to start learning programming along with his teenage son. It seems
> like a good gateway drug :) I introduced my 11-year-old to the
> Javascript-based animation tutorials on Khan Academy and he found them
> really fun. I have him use IRB to calculate his math homework. I don't care
> which, if any, language he prefers. It's more important to me that he's
> able to think "under the hood" a bit about computers, data, and what's
> possible.
>
> I've been thinking alot about how to introduce not only my kids, but some
> of our cataloging/technical staff to thinking "programmatically" or
> "computationally"[1] or whatever you want to call it. For me, Ruby will
> likely be the tool - especially since it's so easy to install on Windows
> now, too.
>
> In her wisdom, Diane Hillman (I think), pointed out the need for
> catalogers to be able talk to programmers. Personally, that's what I'm
> after... to equip people to think about problems, data, and networks
> differently, e.g. "No, you really don't have to look up each record
> individually in the catalog and check the link", etc.
>
>
> 1. http://www.google.com/edu/computational-thinking/
>
> Jason Stirnaman
> Digital Projects Librarian
> A.R. Dykes Library
> University of Kansas Medical Center
> 913-588-7319
>
> 
> From: Code for Libraries [CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] on behalf of Matthew
> Sherman [matt.r.sher...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 10:18 AM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Getting started with Ruby and library-ish data
> (was RE: [CODE4LIB] You *are* a coder. So what am I?)
>
> Getting back to the original point so noting some nice starting tools, I
> find http://www.codecademy.com to be a decent starting spot for those of
> us
> without much computer science background.  I am not sure what professional
> developers think of the site but I find it a helpful to tutorial to start
> getting a basic understanding of scripting, Ruby, JavaScript, Python,
> JQuery, APIs, ect.  Hope that helps.
>
> Matt Sherman
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 7:52 AM, Jason Stirnaman  >wrote:
>
> > This is a terribly distorted view of Ruby: "If you want to make web
> pages,
> > learn Ruby", and you don't need to learn Rails to get the benefit of
> Ruby's
> > awesomeness. But, everyone will have their own opinions. There's no
> > accounting for taste.
> >
> > For anyone interested in learning to program and hack around with library
> > data or linked data, here are some places to start (heavily biased toward
> > the elegance of Ruby):
> >
> > http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/Working_with_MaRC
> > https://delicious.com/jstirnaman/ruby+books
> > https://delicious.com/jstirnaman/ruby+tutorials
> > http://rdf.rubyforge.org/
> >
> > Jason
> >
> > Jason Stirnaman
> > Digital Projects Librarian
> > A.R. Dykes Library
> > University of Kansas Medical Center
> > 913-588-7319
> >
> > 
> > From: Code for Libraries [CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] on behalf of Joe
> > Hourcle [onei...@grace.nascom.nasa.gov]
> > Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 12:52 PM
> > To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] You *are* a coder. So what am I?
> >
> > On Feb 17, 2013, at 11:43 AM, John Fereira wrote:
> >
> > > I have been writing software "professionally" since around 1980 and
> > first encounterd perl in the early 1990s of so and have *always* disliked
> > it.   Last year I had to work on a project that was mostly developed in
> > perl and it reminded me how much I disliked it.  As a utility language,
> and
> > one that I think is good for beginning programmers (especially for those
> > working in a library) I'd recommend PHP over perl every time.
> >
> > I'll agree that there are a few aspects of Perl that can be confusing, as
> > some functions will change behavior depending on context, and there was a
> > lot of bad code examples out there.*
> >
> > ... but I'd recommend almost any current mainstream language before
> > recommending that someone learn PHP.
> >
> > If you're looking to make web pages, learn Ruby.
> >
> > If you're doing data cleanup, Perl if it's lots of text, Python if it's
> > mostly numbers.
> >
> > I should also mention that in the early 1990s would have been Perl 4 ...
> > and unfortunately, most people who learned Perl never learned Perl 5.
>  It's
> > changed a lot over the years.  (just like PHP isn't nearly as insecure as
> > it used to be ... and actually supports placeholders so you don't end up
> 

[CODE4LIB] Aviary, Try 3 - 6pm

[James Stuart]

Hey there! Apparently, trying to get into a bar, yesterday, on Mardi Gras
day is a bad idea.

But we have reservations and assurances that getting there at 6pm will
be a good idea and that we'll just waltz right in.

Those of you who are going to Goose Island, you can totally come by for one
drink or two with plenty of time to catch the bus. This is totally a great
idea which can have no negative consequences at all.

So let's meet at 5:30 right by the exit to the UIC forum. I'm wearing a
grey shirt, and look like I obsess about cocktails.

[CODE4LIB] aviary tuesday drinks 8:40p

[James Stuart]

Hey, so apparently they're closed on Mondays. But open on Tuesdays. So
let's try this again.

Leaving crowne hotel lobby at 8:40p.

Re: [CODE4LIB] C4L2013: Monday Aviary Cocktails

[James Stuart]

Okay! So, we did not appear to get any reservations!

So, plan 2, go! We're going to head out from the Crowne lobby at 8:40. I'll
be tall and in a green jacket. There hopefully won't be any/much of a wait.

If there is a terrible wait, then we'll just deal with it by finding some
other awesome bar and/or coming back to Aviary later on in the night.

Call me/text at 646-206-6418 if you want updates.


On Mon, Feb 11, 2013 at 2:32 PM, James Stuart wrote:

> Alright, so here's the plan:
>
> Aviary is just a few short blocks from the hotel, yay!
>
> http://goo.gl/maps/lzWkL
>
> a) We're going to try and get reservations for 8pm. That means that people
> interested should follow the instructions here, 8pm, for a party of 4.
> http://theaviary.com/
> Email me off list if you get a response back, yes/no. (I'm going to try to
> get a bigger reservation).
>
> If we get a suitable mass of confirmed reservations, I'll email, and we'll
> leave the lobby of the Crowne Metro at 7:40 to walk over.
>
> b) If we don't, we're going to try for walkups later. If so, I'll email,
> and we'll leave the lobby of the Crowne Metro at 8:40 to walk over.
>
>
>
>

[CODE4LIB] C4L2013: Monday Aviary Cocktails

[James Stuart]

Alright, so here's the plan:

Aviary is just a few short blocks from the hotel, yay!

http://goo.gl/maps/lzWkL

a) We're going to try and get reservations for 8pm. That means that people
interested should follow the instructions here, 8pm, for a party of 4.
http://theaviary.com/
Email me off list if you get a response back, yes/no. (I'm going to try to
get a bigger reservation).

If we get a suitable mass of confirmed reservations, I'll email, and we'll
leave the lobby of the Crowne Metro at 7:40 to walk over.

b) If we don't, we're going to try for walkups later. If so, I'll email,
and we'll leave the lobby of the Crowne Metro at 8:40 to walk over.

Re: [CODE4LIB] Stand Up Desks

[James Stuart]

I'm using a sit/stand desk (the aerotouch at work, the geekdesk at home),
and it's wonderful. Definitely +1 on the anti-fatigue mat: here's the one I
use:
http://www.amazon.com/Sublime-Imprint-Designer-Nantucket-Espresso/dp/B0049HA0K0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1304093100&sr=1-3


On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 12:40 PM, Cricket Deane  wrote:

> I work at a Library and I am using an old card catalog table as a standing
> desk.  I am 4 ft 10 and this is a perfect height for me.  I use this all
> day long and wish I had the same thing at home.  I am 65 and never get
> tired from standing.  Chairs have never fit me and my back feels better
> than I can ever remember.  Thomas Jefferson and Donald Rumsfeld used
> standing desks.
> c.deane
>
>
> On 2/7/2013 12:32 PM, Nate Hill wrote:
>
>> My team of four is currently designing/building/recycling together our
>> office space on the 4th floor in Chattanooga- a raw 14,000 sq ft open
>> space.  We have plenty of old desks to use, and on our first iteration we
>> are each giving ourselves a personal sitting desk, but we will have
>> stations for shared standing desks/workbenches.  Something about standing
>> makes me want to make physical stuff rather than just digital stuff. I'm
>> really curious to see how it all works. Happy to report back.
>>
>> Nate
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 12:26 PM, Bohyun Kim  wrote:
>>
>>  I use a bookcase in my office as a standup desk (photo below in the link)
>>> but it is really a matter of willpower I think.  I get tired when I try
>>> to
>>> do concentrated work while standing and my experience is that I cannot
>>> stay
>>> standing and working at the same time more than 15 min even if I try hard
>>> although this may depend on each person. =) Even with the alarm I often
>>> ignore it and don't stand up. Then everything is in vain. Something to
>>> think about before investing in a new piece of furniture.
>>> http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/**archives/2407
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Bohyun
>>>
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: Code for Libraries 
>>> [mailto:code4...@listserv.nd.**EDU]
>>> On Behalf Of
>>> Mark Pernotto
>>> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2013 12:09 PM
>>> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
>>> Subject: [CODE4LIB] Stand Up Desks
>>>
>>> Despite my best efforts of sitting up straight, getting an ergonomic
>>> chair, making sure my desk is a proper height (I'm a tall guy, so my desk
>>> is 'modified' to reflect this), and I make sure I stand up and at least
>>> stretch every 30 minutes (or so), my back still bothers me some days.
>>>
>>> I saw a Wired article a few months back hailing the benefits of stand up
>>> desks 
>>> (http://www.wired.com/**wiredscience/2012/10/mf-**standing-desk/),
>>> and
>>> also found an article in NY Times (
>>>
>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/**12/02/business/stand-up-desks-**
>>> gaining-favor-in-the-**workplace.html?_r=1&
>>> )
>>> and wondered if there were any other developers/list members who used
>>> them.
>>>   In my mind, I'm trading one problem for another, and I'm not sure I
>>> want
>>> to be standing up all day long.  On the other hand, my back is killing me
>>> today.
>>>
>>> Suggestions?
>>>
>>> Mark
>>>
>>>
>>
>>

Re: [CODE4LIB] Group Decision Making (was Zoia)

[James Stuart]

I think that a voting process which involves working both with github, the
issue tracker, and presumably using the network map of branches seems a bit
ornate, puts a barrier to contribution up, and is likely to be confusing.

I think that if a /whatever policy is developed for "how does C4L decide to
resolve conflicts?", that comes first, and then what technological tools
support that should flow naturally from that decision.





On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 4:37 PM, Shaun Ellis  wrote:

> I am uneasy about coming up with a policy for banning people (from
>> what?) and voting on it, before it's demonstrated that it's even
>> needed. Can't we just tackle these issues as they come up, in context,
>> rather than in the abstract?
>>
>>
> I share your unease.  But deciding to situations in context without a set
> of guidelines is simply another kind of policy.  I'm actually more uneasy
> about ambiguity over what is acceptable, and no agreed upon way to handle
> it.
>
> I don't think the current policy is ready to "go to vote" as it seems
> there is still some debate over what it should cover and exactly what type
> of behavior it is meant to prevent.
>
> I suggest there is a set time period to submit objections as GitHub issues
> and resolve them before we vote.  Whatever issues can't get resolved end up
> in a branch/fork.  In the end, we vote on each of the forks, or "no policy
> at all".
>
> Does that sound reasonable?
>
>
> --
> Shaun Ellis
> User Interace Developer, Digital Initiatives
> Princeton University Library
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] Cocktails at the Aviary during Code4Lib 2013

[James Stuart]

Hey all! We're going to make a trip to the Aviary on Monday. I'm going to
try my best to get reservations for us, but if we don't, let's assume we'll
head out there aiming to get there sometime around 9-10. We'll also save on
hospital bills and not be aiming for 10-drink flights. Since reservations
are made the afternoon of, I'll update the C4L list as we get/don't get
reservations with a more concrete plan.

--James


On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 11:14 AM, James Stuart wrote:

> Chicago is my favorite city to visit, and one of the reasons is the
> absolutely amazing food/drink scene, and at the head of that bar scene is
> Aviary, a bar which has a potential claim on the best cocktail bar in
> America, and at the very least, it's certainly the craziest.
>
> Fueled by a lot of fancy molecular gastronomy techniques, they make
> cocktails you pretty much couldn't get anywhere else in the world:
>
> http://www.molecularrecipes.com/molecular-mixology/aviary-cocktails/
>
> Two main ways we can do that (which aren't exclusive):
>
> One is that we can just go some night for cocktails. They serve single
> cocktails and flights, as well as some food. It's tricky but not too
> difficult to get reservations (although they're only day-of), although for
> anything more than 6-8 people, it's nigh impossible. I think the best way
> is to just have a rough idea which day works, and which people might be
> interested, and then grab people and go when the mood strikes.
>
> Two is the crazier, awesomer approach. They have a tasting flight, either
> 7 or 10 drinks long, with food all along the way. It's pricey ($125 /
> $165), and yes, that's really seven cocktails, but I think it'll be
> amazing. This, as far as I can tell, it is possible to get advance
> reservations for.
>
> So, I've created a little section on the social activities wiki. Add if
> you're interested!
>
> http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2013_social_activities#Ideas
>
>

[CODE4LIB] Cocktails at the Aviary during Code4Lib 2013

[James Stuart]

Chicago is my favorite city to visit, and one of the reasons is the
absolutely amazing food/drink scene, and at the head of that bar scene is
Aviary, a bar which has a potential claim on the best cocktail bar in
America, and at the very least, it's certainly the craziest.

Fueled by a lot of fancy molecular gastronomy techniques, they make
cocktails you pretty much couldn't get anywhere else in the world:

http://www.molecularrecipes.com/molecular-mixology/aviary-cocktails/

Two main ways we can do that (which aren't exclusive):

One is that we can just go some night for cocktails. They serve single
cocktails and flights, as well as some food. It's tricky but not too
difficult to get reservations (although they're only day-of), although for
anything more than 6-8 people, it's nigh impossible. I think the best way
is to just have a rough idea which day works, and which people might be
interested, and then grab people and go when the mood strikes.

Two is the crazier, awesomer approach. They have a tasting flight, either 7
or 10 drinks long, with food all along the way. It's pricey ($125 / $165),
and yes, that's really seven cocktails, but I think it'll be amazing. This,
as far as I can tell, it is possible to get advance reservations for.

So, I've created a little section on the social activities wiki. Add if
you're interested!

http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2013_social_activities#Ideas

Re: [CODE4LIB] What is a "coder"? / Coursera fork

[James Stuart]

I've 'audited' a bunch of classes on Coursera, just to get an idea for what
they're doing, and the CS stuff is definitely better suited for online
learning. (I think people are still trying to figure out the right model
for humanities classes through sites like this).

Specifically, I think the coursera course is better for a more general
overview of programming, and getting up to speed on a lot of basic
concepts, while I'd recommend something like Udacity 101 for more of a deep
dive into programming. Or, you know, they're both free! :)


On Fri, Nov 30, 2012 at 4:32 PM, Donahue, Amy  wrote:

> Another little quick comment, adding to the chorus of lurkers and people
> who aren't sure if they're coders.  Someday I hope to get to a code4lib
> conference (if only to tell people in person I knew Jonathan Rochkind way
> back when), but in the meantime I've been on this list on and off (but
> mostly on) since I graduated, and it's been nothing but a wonderful
> resource, and a place I know I can always turn for that time when I have a
> tech question.
>
> But I wanted to point out a possible resource for those of us who aren't
> sure of what we know and who want to know more.  Coursera has been on my
> radar through multiple channels, but not yet on here.  It appears they do
> have some basic programming courses, as well as theory.  I'm curious to
> know if anyone has taken any of these, or has any thoughts on this method
> of learning... https://www.coursera.org/category/cs-programming
>
> Amy
> ---
> Amy Donahue, MLIS, AHIP
> 414.955.8326
> User Education/Reference Librarian
> Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries - Link. Learn. Lead.
> http://www.mcw.edu/mcwlibraries.htm
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Bess Sadler
> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 12:07 PM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] What is a "coder"?
>
> On Nov 29, 2012, at 6:13 AM, Christie Peterson  wrote:
>
> > If this were "training" in the sense of a seminar or a formal class on
> the exact same topics, I would be eligible for full funding, but since it's
> a "conference," it's funded at a significantly lower level. I'll gladly
> take suggestions anyone has for arguments about why attendance at these
> types of events is critical to successfully doing my work in a way that,
> say, attending ALA isn't -- and why, therefore, they should be supported at
> a higher funding rate than typical "library" conferences. Any non-coders
> successfully made this argument before?
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Christie S. Peterson
>
> Christie you are not the only person who can get travel funding for
> training but not for conferences, and you are not the only person on the
> fence about whether you belong in code4lib. In my mind you are exactly the
> kind of person I would like to attract to code4lib, so I very much hope
> you'll join us. Archives in particular are facing significant technological
> challenges right now, and as someone who has been known to develop software
> for born digital archives[1] I have seen how vital it is to have a common
> language and vocabulary, and a common way of approaching problem solving,
> in order to create a system that will actually work according to archival
> principles.
>
> One option to consider would be signing up for one of the pre-conferences.
> Given the background you've described and the challenges you face in your
> career, I think you could make a very strong argument that having a basic
> introduction to programming concepts would be helpful for you. Luckily
> there is a free full-day of training to be had the day before the
> conference starts! Please consider joining us at the RailsBridge and/or
> Blacklight workshops or at any of the other workshops that look interesting
> to you that you think you could pitch as training.
>
> Even outside of the code4lib context, I strongly encourage others who face
> those kinds of travel funding constraints to get creative. Some of the best
> learning opportunities of my life and the best pivotal moments in my career
> happened because members of this community decided there was an unmet need
> and they were going to do something about it. CurateCAMP springs to mind.
> The many regional code4lib meetings are in this category. And also: one
> time when a few code4lib folks were trying to get open source discovery
> projects off the ground we just decided to create an "Open Source Library
> Discovery Summit" in Philadelphia, declared ourselves invited speakers, and
> attended. And it was a very successful meeting and a very good use of
> university funds!
>
> Christie, if there is training or skills development that, if it were
> offered at code4lib, would do you some good, you are certainly not the only
> person who could benefit from it. I strongly encourage you to think about
> what training opportunities are missing in your

Re: [CODE4LIB] anti-harassment policy for code4lib?

[James Stuart]

As a preface, I fully support both of these changes in language.

That said, I think it's both important to balance the idea that sure,
sometimes people are idiots, with that sexism is a prevalent problem right
now at geek conventions, and that it's more than a 'bad and/or drunk
apples' problem.

This list is imperfect (I know several public incidents that aren't on here
(recent DEFCON years aren't listed, The Amazing Meeting/ElevatorGate and
various other skeptic convention incidents aren't on (possibly by
design))), but it's at least a start, and hopefully a picture that sexism
is an endemic, systematic problem right now in the geek convention world.

http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_incidents

--James

PS: I don't know what they are, but I kinda made myself hungry for some
drunk apples right now.


On Fri, Nov 30, 2012 at 6:34 AM, MJ Ray  wrote:

> Esmé Cowles 
> > Also, I've seen a number of reports over the last few years of women
> > who were harassed at predominately-male tech conferences.  Taken
> > together, they paint a picture of men (particularly drunken men)
> > creating an atmosphere that makes a lot of people feel excluded and
> > worry about being harassed or worse.  So I think a positive
> > statement of values, and the general raising of consciousness of
> > these issues, is a good thing.
>
> I'm a member of software.coop, which helps write library software,
> including Koha - we co-hosted KohaCon12 this summer.  Like all co-ops,
> our core values include equality.  I would like to see an
> anti-harassment policy for code4lib.
>
> However, I'm saddened that I seem to be the first to object to the
> hand-waving ("number of reports") and prejudice in the above
> paragraph.  The above problems seem more likely to arise from being
> drunk or being idiots than from being men.  Please, let's treat all
> groups with equal respect and reserve our ire for particular members
> when they give us reason to do otherwise.
>
> The anti-harassment policy should not be developed from a "we need to
> kick men into line" standpoint.  As such, I suggest
>
> https://github.com/code4lib/antiharassment-policy/blob/master/code_of_conduct.md
> should say "Discriminatory language and imagery (including sexual)"
> rather than leading with a special case of "Sexual".
>
> I also suggest generalising "religion" to "religious beliefs" to avoid
> predictable attempts to insult some minorities and claim it's allowed
> because they're not formal, organised or state-approved religions.
>
> Regards,
> --
> MJ Ray (slef), member of www.software.coop, a for-more-than-profit co-op.
> http://koha-community.org supporter, web and library systems developer.
> In My Opinion Only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
> Available for hire (including development) at http://www.software.coop/
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] What about Code4Lib4Women?

[James Stuart]

+1

At least in the speculative fiction community (and I see it elsewhere), PoC
(person of color) is the most in-use term for replacing the traditional use
of minority.

--James


On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 3:39 PM, Bohyun Kim  wrote:

> ++1
>
> ~Bohyun
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Salazar, Christina
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 3:35 PM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: [CODE4LIB] What about Code4Lib4Women?
>
> And/or Code4Lib4[I hate that word minority, but cannot think of another
> for here, but maybe you get what I mean]
>
> Not trying to splinter, but that might be one way to encourage diversity
> but again, without implication that ANYONE would be excluded.
>
> (Inspired by http://www.meetup.com/Los-Angeles-Womens-Ruby-on-Rails-Group/)
>
> Christina Salazar
> Systems Librarian
> John Spoor Broome Library
> California State University, Channel Islands
> 805/437-3198
> [Description: Description: CI Formal Logo_1B grad_em signature]
>

[CODE4LIB]

[James Stuart]

I think questions of proportionality are meaningful, but regardless of how
we're doing by that standard, there's still work to be done. I want to see
the tech community become a lot less white and male, and if that means that
the community spends a little time explicitly encouraging a more diverse
group of presenters, then sign me up for that job.

--James


On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Ross Singer  wrote:

> On Nov 27, 2012, at 10:03 AM, Chad Nelson  wrote:
>
> > Rosalyn,
> >
> > If we are only 17% women, when we are subset of the broader Library
> > community, which is majority women, then we are doing something wrong.
> And
> > that deeper question, what do we need to do to encourage more women to
> > participate in the community, to make the community as a whole appealing
> > and safe, is the question I am really asking.
> >
>
> I'm not entirely sure I agree with this.  The issue is less about where
> the number is now than where it's going (and how quickly).
>
> Is our (completely hypothetical) 17% up from 2006 (or whenever), when
> Code4lib started?  If so, then I'm less inclined to panic about the
> statistics and just continue working towards making the community amenable
> to more groups.
>
> If it has plateaued or regressed, then, yes, we need to be extremely
> concerned.
>
> -Ross.
>
> > Chad
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 9:57 AM, Rosalyn Metz 
> wrote:
> >
> >> I think first we would need to do a survey of how many women are in the
> >> community.  if it turns out that this community is only 17% women then
> >> we're on target.  who knows, maybe we're actually 10% women and we're
> way
> >> above target.  in which case the real question might be "how do we get
> more
> >> women in tech."
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 9:11 AM, Chad Nelson 
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Ooops. Hit the wrong key.
> >>>
> >>> So, about our presenters...
> >>>
> >>> Is it a problem that only 4 of our 33 presenters are women? Or that
> only
> >> 16
> >>> of 95 proposers were women?
> >>>
> >>> Is there something this community needs to do to encourage more women
> to
> >>> feel like they can and should speak / propose sessions?
> >>>
> >>
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] anti-harassment policy for code4lib?

[James Stuart]

Also, one of the advantages for most anti-harassment policies is that they
define the behavior in terms of the recipient feeling
uncomfortable/threatened. You'd be surprised how many of the recent ugly
con situations in the geek communities had people whose defense was: "But I
wasn't being an asshole!" or "How could I know?"


On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 7:47 PM, Michael J. Giarlo <
leftw...@alumni.rutgers.edu> wrote:

> Hi Kyle,
>
> IMO, this is less an instrument to keep people playing nice and more an
> instrument to point to in the event that we have to take action against an
> offender.
>
> -Mike
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 7:42 PM, Kyle Banerjee  >wrote:
>
> > On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 4:15 PM, Jon Stroop 
> wrote:
> >
> > > It's sad that we have to address this formally (as formal as c4l gets
> > > anyway), but that's reality, so yes, bess++ indeed, and mjgiarlo++,
> > > anarchivist++ for the quick assist.
> > >
> >
> > This.
> >
> >
> > > To that end, and as a show of (positive) force--not to mention how cool
> > > our community is--I think it might be neat if we could find a way to
> make
> > > whatever winds up being drafted something we can sign; i.e. attach our
> > > personal names
> > >
> >
> > Diversity and inclusiveness is a state of mind, and our individual and
> > collective actions exert that force than any policy or pledge ever could.
> >
> > I'm hoping that things can be handled with the minimum formality
> necessary
> > and that if something needs to be fixed, people can just talk about it so
> > things can be made right. If we need a policy, I'm all for it. But it's
> > truly a sad day if policy rather than just being motivated to do the
> right
> > thing is what's keeping people playing nice.
> >
> > kyle
> >
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] anti-harassment policy for code4lib?

[James Stuart]

+1 and willing to volunteer as well.


On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 5:28 PM, Frumkin, Jeremy <
frumk...@u.library.arizona.edu> wrote:

> Wholehearted support.
>
> -- jaf
>
> 
> Jeremy Frumkin
> Assistant Dean / Chief Technology Strategist
> University of Arizona Libraries
>
> +1 520.626.7296
> frumk...@u.library.arizona.edu
> 
> "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more
> complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in
> the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "To clarify, add detail. Imagine that, to clarify, add detail. Clutter
>  and overload are not attributes of information, they are failures of
> design. If the information is in chaos, don¹t start throwing out
> information, instead fix the design."
> ‹Edward Tufte
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 11/26/12 3:27 PM, "Roy Tennant"  wrote:
>
> >I'd be happy to join this effort, and would like to suggest a friendly
> >amendment. We need, as a community, to have an anti-harassment policy that
> >governs ALL of our collective interactions (e.g., the chatroom, for
> >example), not just for the conference.
> >Roy
> >
> >
> >On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 2:16 PM, Bess Sadler 
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Dear Fellow Code4libbers,
> >>
> >> I hope I am not about to get flamed. Please take as context that I have
> >> been a member of this community for almost a decade. I have contributed
> >> software, support, and volunteer labor to this community's events. I
> >>have
> >> also attended the majority of code4lib conferences, which have been
> >>amazing
> >> and life-changing, and have helped me do my job a lot better. But, and
> >>I've
> >> never really known how to talk about this, those conferences have also
> >>been
> >> problematic for me a couple of times. Nothing like what happened to
> >>Noirin
> >> Shirley at ApacheCon (see
> >> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Noirin_Shirley_ApacheCon_incident if
> >> you're unfamiliar with the incident I mean) but enough to concern me
> >>that
> >> even in a wonderful community where we mostly share the same values, not
> >> everyone has the same definitions of acceptable behavior.
> >>
> >> I am watching the toxic fallout from the BritRuby conference
> >>cancellation
> >> with a heavy heart (go search for "britruby conference cancelled" if you
> >> want to catch up and/or get depressed). It has me wondering what more we
> >> could be doing to promote diversity and inclusiveness within code4lib.
> >>We
> >> have already had a couple of harassment incidents over the years, which
> >>I
> >> won't rehash here, which have driven away members of our community. We
> >>have
> >> also had other incidents that don't get talked about because sometimes
> >>one
> >> can feel that membership in a community is more important than one's
> >> personal boundaries or even safety. We should not be a community where
> >> people have to make that choice.
> >>
> >> I would like for us to consider adopting an anti-harassment policy for
> >> code4lib conferences. This is emerging as a best practice in the larger
> >> open source software community, and we would be joining the ranks of
> >>many
> >> other conferences:
> >> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Adoption.
> >> The Ada Initiative has a great discussion of why adopting an
> >> Anti-Harrassment policy is a good choice for a conference to make, as
> >>well
> >> as some example policy statements, here:
> >> http://adainitiative.org/what-we-do/conference-policies/ Here is a
> >> summary:
> >>
> >> > Why have an official anti-harassment policy for your conference?
> >>First,
> >> it is necessary (unfortunately). Harassment at conferences is incredibly
> >> common - for example, see this timeline (
> >> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/index.php?title=Timeline_of_incidents) of
> >> sexist incidents in geek communities. Second, it sets expectations for
> >> behavior at the conference. Simply having an anti-harassment policy can
> >> prevent harassment all by itself. Third, it encourages people to attend
> >>who
> >> have had bad experiences at other conferences. Finally, it gives
> >>conference
> >> staff instructions on how to handle harassment quickly, with the minimum
> >> amount of disruption or bad press for your conference.
> >>
> >> If the conference already has something like this in place, and I'm just
> >> uninformed, please educate me and let's do a better job publicizing it.
> >>
> >> Thanks for considering this suggestion. If the answer is the usual
> >> code4lib answer (some variation on "Great idea! How are you going to
> >>make
> >> that happen?") then I hereby nominate myself as a member of the
> >> Anti-Harrassment Policy Adoption committee for the code4lib conference.
> >> Would anyone else like to join me?
> >>
> >> Bess Sadler
> >> b...@stanford.edu
> >> Manager, Application Development
> >> Digital Library 

Re: [CODE4LIB] Mobile device usage (iOS vs. Android)

[James Stuart]

There's fairly well established data on that iOS devices, despite
smaller market share, have much higher shares of mobile web usage. A
google search for "ios web traffic versus android" reveals a lot of
results in that same 60-70% range you're seeing.

The why is probably a wide mix of factors, but three guesses come to
mind immediately:
* android phones, especially low-end ones which make a substantial
chunk of the market, are going to customers with no or very small data
plans
* part of that wide market for android involves people who aren't very
interested in doing mobile web browsing
* the market share of iOS of students at college libraries is possibly
higher than in the general market.

--James Stuart


On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 4:23 PM, Park,Go-Woon  wrote:
> I am wondering if any of you can share wisdom of interpreting the mobile
> device usage statistics. The market trends predict that the number of
> Android devices are exceeding iOS devices. In my campus, the visits
> using iOS devices are over 70% of total mobile usage. It is even up from
> over 65% last year. I feel odd with this unusually high number. Any
> thought?
>
> Sarah Park

Re: [CODE4LIB] Issue Tracker Recommendations

[James Stuart]

We have the heavyduty solution (JIRA/Greenhopper), but there's a lot
of nice relatively cheap web stuff that I think might fit your bill.

Just one of the many, many solutions out there:
Github for documentation/lightweight issue tracking
getdonedone can link to your github and has a lot more features.

Luckily, almost every piece of web issue tracking has a free trial:
so, it's really easy to see which ones feel nice.

It is really up to you whether
http://www.redmine.org/projects/redmine/wiki/RedmineInstall counts as
minimal effort. I'd say, unless you've already got ruby 1.8 passenger
stacks ready to go, it's probably not so much.

On Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 1:26 PM, Varnum, Ken  wrote:
> Unless your alternative is Footprints. Gah.
>
> On 2/22/12 12:59 PM, "Sean Hannan"  wrote:
>
>>Not Jira.
>>
>>-Sean
>>
>>
>>On 2/22/12 12:36 PM, "Cynthia Ng"  wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> We're looking at implementing an issue tracker for internal use, so
>>> I'm looking for recommendations.
>>>
>>> What's key:
>>> 1) minimal effort in install/setup i.e. ready to use out of the box
>>> 2) small scale is okay, we have a very small team
>>> 3) ideally, have an area for documentation and issue creation via email
>>>
>>> What does your institution use?
>>> What do you like and dislike most about it?
>>> Would you recommend it to others?
>>>
>>> Responses (short or detailed) would be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Cynthia

Re: [CODE4LIB] Veg*n Dinner Tonight

[James Stuart]

I will also lead the vegans. Also, the vogons.

--James

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 3:05 PM, James Stuart  wrote:
> I will totally (potentially) lead the vegetarians. Meet at 6 in the hotel 
> lobby!
>
> On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 2:38 PM, Jason Ronallo  wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I was really looking forward to having dinner with you all tonight,
>> but I'm not feeling well right now. I'm uncertain whether I will make
>> it out tonight. Is there someone who would be willing to serve as a
>> backup in case I don't make it? I'll try to check back in later.
>>
>> Jason

Re: [CODE4LIB] Veg*n Dinner Tonight

[James Stuart]

I will totally (potentially) lead the vegetarians. Meet at 6 in the hotel lobby!

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 2:38 PM, Jason Ronallo  wrote:
> Hi,
> I was really looking forward to having dinner with you all tonight,
> but I'm not feeling well right now. I'm uncertain whether I will make
> it out tonight. Is there someone who would be willing to serve as a
> backup in case I don't make it? I'll try to check back in later.
>
> Jason

Re: [CODE4LIB] math problem

[James Stuart]

 255 * (point - data.min) / (data.max - data.min)

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 11:57 AM, Nate Hill  wrote:
> Here's a brain teaser for the mathematically inclined:
>
> I've got a set of values that I want to scale to the 0-255 range so that I
> can adjust colors in my CSS.
> Say I have the following data: (6, 457, 97, 200, 122).
> I'd like to scale those numbers so that the highest one, 475 = 255.
> and the lowest one, 6 = 0.
> All of the other numbers, 97, 200, and 122 should be scaled proportionally
> to fit within the range.
>
> This way, when I loop through and hit my CSS {background-color:rgb(255,
> **data**, 255);} each piece of data will generate a different color and
> I'll have the maximum spread in proportionally correct colors from 0-255.
>
> There's probably some math operation to do this, but I know I paid far too
> little attention in math class as a kid.  "When will I ever need to use
> this stuff in *real life*", I asked the teacher with a sneer.
>
> If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it.
>
> --
> Nate Hill
> nathanielh...@gmail.com
> http://www.natehill.net