Python Software Foundation News

Announcing Python Software Foundation Fellow Members for Q1 2022! 🎉

2022-04-21T08:31:00.003-04:00

The PSF is pleased to announce its first batch of PSF Fellows for 2022! Let us welcome the new PSF Fellows for Q1! The following people continue to do amazing things for the Python community:

Denny Perez

LinkedIn, Twitter, GitHub

James Lopeman

John Hawley

Twitter

Thank you for your continued contributions. We have added you to our Fellow roster online.

The above members help support the Python ecosystem by being phenomenal leaders, sustaining the growth of the Python scientific community, maintaining virtual Python communities, maintaining Python libraries, creating educational material, organizing Python events and conferences, starting Python communities in local regions, and overall being great mentors in our community. Each of them continues to help make Python more accessible around the world. To learn more about the new Fellow members, check out their links above.

Let's continue recognizing Pythonistas all over the world for their impact on our community. The criteria for Fellow members is available online: https://www.python.org/psf/fellows/. If you would like to nominate someone to be a PSF Fellow, please send a description of their Python accomplishments and their email address to psf-fellow at python.org. We are accepting nominations for quarter 2 through May 20, 2022.

Are you a PSF Fellow and want to help the Work Group review nominations? Contact us at psf-fellow at python.org.

PSF Welcomes New Executive Director Deb Nicholson

2022-04-07T10:41:00.000-04:00

The Python Software Foundation (PSF), the non-profit home of the Python programming language community, welcomes Deb Nicholson as its new Executive Director. With 15 years of open source experience and over 25 years of non-profit experience, Deb is joining the organization just in time for the first in-person PyCon US since 2019. Community members and supporters will have a chance to meet her at this year’s conference, later this month in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lorena Mesa, PSF Chairperson comments, “After many years of successful growth under former PSF Executive Director Ewa Jodlowska’s leadership, the PSF has matured into a stable organization and is uniquely positioned to expand upon on our successes, while continuing to lead the way in diversity and inclusivity for Pythonistas and the broader community of technology users and creators alike.”

Following inaugural PSF Executive Director Ewa Jodlowska, who was with the PSF for nearly eleven years, Deb is taking the reins from Thomas Wouters who has been serving as the Interim General Manager. Ewa grew the PSF from a small organization into a financially sustainable home for the world’s most popular programming language, for which the community will be forever grateful.

“Deb is an incredibly community-minded person with a wealth of experience that will help the Foundation grow and deepen our connections with Python users around the world. I’m looking forward to working with her and seeing what the PSF will accomplish next with her at the helm,” said Thomas Wouters, Board Director and Interim General Manager.

Deb Nicholson most recently served as the Interim General Manager for the Open Source Initiative during a transitional year for the critical policy organization. She’s also been a longtime supporter of the Python community with her work as a founding Board member and tutor at OpenHatch and local organizer for the Boston Python User Group. She’s looking forward to combining her experience in non-profit management and open source communities in service of the Python community.

Please join us in welcoming Deb to the PSF! If you have any questions, please email psf@python.org.

Meta deepens its investment in the Python ecosystem

2022-03-22T12:41:00.001-04:00

As the backbone to many Meta Services ranging from Instagram to its AI and data infrastructure, Python is very important to Meta. PyTorch is built on Python, accelerating the path from ML research and prototyping to production within Meta and across the open source ML ecosystem. Cinder is Meta’s performance-oriented version of Python that allows Instagram to run at global scale. Pyre is a performant type-checker used by thousands of Python developers in Meta.

To support the Python ecosystem, we are excited to announce that Meta has made a $300,000 Visionary level sponsorship of the Python Software Foundation (PSF) that will provide critical support to the PSF and fund a second year of the successful Developer-in-Residence program. Meta is also committed to long-term investment in Python’s performance, by upstreaming improvements from Cinder, and making it more broadly available.

Developer-in-Residence: The second year

The Developer-in-Residence program was launched in 2021, dedicating a full-time role to CPython. Python is a powerful and popular open-source language, used by millions of people around the world, in applications ranging from basic programming tutorials to literal rocket science. This is made possible by the nature of Open Source. The Developer-in-Residence program was established to provide full-time support to volunteers working on Python, tackling problems that are best solved by a dedicated role.

Łukasz Langa is the inaugural Developer-in-Residence. A seasoned Python core developer and release manager for Python 3.8 and 3.9, in the first year of the program he is using his unique position to make progress on key projects that are impractical to complete with volunteer time, like chipping away at the backlog of pull requests and completing the migration of bugs.python.org to GitHub Issues, as well as mentoring new core developers.

Meta’s funding of a second year of the Developer-in-Residence program allows crucial continuity and stability. Knowing the role is funded for a second year, Łukasz, with direction from the Steering Council and support from the PSF, can take a farther looking view to plan ahead, invest in setting up the foundation for long-term projects, and build on the lessons of the inaugural year.

"Being able to work full-time on Python is a dream come true for me. I'm humbled and grateful for the opportunity, and now for the ongoing trust by the PSF and Meta. I'm extremely happy I'll be able to do that for yet another year. Having somebody around to do code review full time helps the rest of the team focus on what they do best. With the role extending into 2023, I can start talking about more long-term contribution plans. I can't wait!" - Łukasz Langa

The PSF is thrilled that thanks to Meta’s generosity, we will be able to continue this successful program, which will grow and deepen its impact on the future of CPython and the Python community in the second year.

Foundation sponsorship for the PSF

Meta’s donation will also provide substantial support to the PSF and our core programs, including maintaining and supporting PyPI.org, our grants program reaching Pythonista projects around the world, PyCon US bringing together the Python community, stewardship of Python intellectual property, and foundational infrastructure for hosting the language and new Python releases.

We are proud to recognize Meta as a Visionary Sponsor of our work, helping to make the full range of our programs and the Python ecosystem sustainable in the long term. The PSF and everything we do would not be possible without the participation of sponsors like Meta. We are deeply grateful for their investment, which is part of building the foundation that will enable the PSF and Python to thrive for years to come.

The Pi-thon 2022 PSF Spring Fundraiser!

2022-03-12T11:00:00.005-05:00

Happy Pi Day, 𝛑thonistas! 2022 has been a year with some special dates, and we wanted to honor one more. We are feeling celebratory and excited here at the PSF, having made it through 2020 and 2021 by the strength of our community. We confronted obstacles, comforted each other, found successes, and created fun together. So we are kicking off our Spring Fundraiser on a light and nerdy note, by celebrating our favorite Greek letter and mathematical constant.

Donate to the PSF today, in whatever multiple of pi you choose, and you will receive one-of-a-kind digital 𝛑SF swag as a thank you!

Contributing to the PSF is a great way to show your love for Python. Your donation allows the PSF to continue to host PyCon US and provide scholarships, tutorials, sprints, and more; to send grants to Python events and projects around the world; to support great Python projects and events like PyLadies and PyCascades; to host and maintain PyPI.org; and to support the advancement of the Python language. Your gifts help keep the PSF stable and sustainable, so we can support the Python ecosystem to thrive in the long term.

Some highlights of what the PSF has been able to do with our community in the last year:

We celebrated Python’s 30th and the PSF’s 20th Anniversary!
Over 2500 Pythonistas came together to make our virtual PyCon US 2021 a huge success.
We sent grants to 129 groups in 41 countries (on every continent except Antarctica!) to hold virtual events and connect.
We supported 13 Python community groups and projects as fiscal sponsorees.
We hosted PyPI.org for millions of users.
.We brought on Shamika Mohanan as Packaging Project Manager, to work on the future of PyPI.
Łukasz Langa became the PSF’s inaugural Developer in Residence to establish a full-time core developer role.

Show your love for our Python community and contribute to the Spring Fundraiser by May 3rd to get your slice of the pi! We aren’t setting a specific target this year, because honestly it’s been really hard to predict what will be possible for people in general—we aren’t going to pretend anything is easy to forecast right now! But we’d love for as many of you to participate as you can and bring us all a little extra hap-pi-ness.

Like 𝛑, our appreciation for the Python community and your support can only be expressed as an approximation—it is greater than words can say. And like our gratitude, 𝛑’s digits are infinite. We are sincerely thankful for every single contribution: We couldn’t do this without you, and we feel very lucky to share a community with you.

We are wishing you all a very happy Pi Day!

ΠS: Don’t forget to register for PyCon US! April 27-May 3rd, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah and online!

ΠΠS: Yes, we will also celebrate the alternate date system Pi Day, July 22nd :)

We are hiring to expand our Infrastructure staff!

2022-03-03T14:55:00.004-05:00

On behalf of the Python Software Foundation, and with much excitement as the hiring manager, I am elated to announce that we are hiring for a full-time position to double the PSF staff dedicated to our Infrastructure... from one to two.

The job listing is live on the python.org, and you can find details about the position there. But I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about what fulfilling it will mean for the PSF as an organization and the Python community at large.

This year will mark four years since I joined the PSF full-time as Director of Infrastructure after many years volunteering to support the infrastructure. I hope that the impact I have had in this time on stability and availability has been noticed, but must admit that the breadth of concerns has been limiting to our ability to be effective in improvements and expansion.

With the addition of a new member of the team I look forward to the opportunity for us to increasingly move the infrastructure forward, provide new features and services to the community, and better fulfill our mission. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was excited to more easily take time off as well.

As I look forward to some of the exciting things in store for PyPI and consider the opportunities for the PSF Infrastructure to serve more of the community in more ways, I can't wait to work with you now or maybe next time we hire to expand this team.

We are hiring contract developers to build new features in PyPI

2022-02-16T11:57:00.001-05:00

The Python Software Foundation has funding available for designing, developing and deploying organization accounts in PyPI.

PyPI is the official repository of Python packages. PyPI allows users to search for packages, publish and distribute packages.The aim of this project is to allow PyPI users to set up an organization account, invite other users to join, organize those users into teams, and manage ownership and permissions across multiple projects. We hope to provide organization accounts as a paid service to companies and complimentary access to community projects. The organization account feature will provide the structure based on which new features can be offered to paying customers.You can read this post that summarizes the user surveys.

We hope to hire two contractors who will code, test, review, document and deploy the organization account features. The two contractors include one backend developer and one frontend developer.

Timeline

Date	Milestone
Feb 16, 2022	RFP opens
Mar 4, 2022	RFP closes
Mar 11, 2022	Submitted proposals receive preliminary decision
Mar 18, 2022	Shortlisted proposals receive final decision
Mar 25, 2022	Contracts finalized
Apr 1, 2022	Start of contract work

Budget

For each role: Up to US $98,000 for approx. 560 hours depending on contractor rate

We expect both roles to start by early April. Both roles can be done remotely. Each working week consists of 35 hours. Each milestone is applicable to the backend and frontend developer roles.

What is an RfP period?

A Request for Proposals (RfP) is a process intended to allow us (the Python Software Foundation) to collect proposals from potential contractors and select contractor(s) best suited to fulfill the specified work.

After the RfP period closes we will evaluate the received proposals based on the evaluation criteria, seek clarification from proposers as necessary, and select one or more contractors to complete the work specified in the scope section.

Note: This Request For Proposal document may be updated to reflect things that we learn during the process. The canonical version and history is available here.

How do I submit a proposal?

Please read the RfP to know how to submit a proposal, the evaluation criteria and the scope of the roles.

Announcing Python Software Foundation Fellow Members for Q4 2021! 🎉

2022-01-05T17:14:00.001-05:00

The PSF is pleased to announce its fourth batch of PSF Fellows for 2021! Let us welcome the new PSF Fellows for Q4! The following people continue to do amazing things for the Python community:

Ana Dulce Padovan

Twitter, GitHub

Marcelo Elizeche Landó

LinkedIn, Website, GitHub

Sarah Kaiser

LinkedIn, Website, Twitter, GitHub

Thank you for your continued contributions. We have added you to our Fellow roster online.

Are you a PSF Fellow and want to help the Work Group review nominations? Contact us at psf-fellow at python.org.

Georgi Ker Awarded the PSF Community Service Award for Q4 2020

2021-12-15T03:20:00.000-05:00

Georgi Ker was awarded the Python Software Foundation 2020 Q4 Community Service Award.

RESOLVED that the Python Software Foundation award the Q4 2020 Community Service Award to Georgi Ker. Georgi has been instrumental in establishing PyLadies Global. She is also a PyLadies Bangkok organizer, a member of the PSF Diversity and Inclusion WG, and an organizer with PyCon Thailand and APAC PyCon.

We interviewed Georgi to learn more about her inspiration and work with the Python community. We also asked several of Georgi's close associates, including Iqbal Abdullah and Saranya Mohan, to share more light about Georgi's community efforts and impact on the community.

The Origin Story

What was your earliest memory of how you got into tech?

I was born and raised in Singapore. I picked up computer languages pretty much like how I pick up most human languages - self-taught. I speak about eight human languages and three-to-five computer languages.

The very first computer class I took was MS-DOS 5.0.

When I was 20, I migrated to France and got married there. It was only when I had my first child while creating a website for her on Geocities that I found all the limitations on the template and started fumbling around CSS.

Programming has always been more fun for me to explore since my income comes mainly from project management, business consultations, design, and digital marketing.

When I moved back to Thailand in 2018, I went to a hack night one day and met programmers coding in different languages, hanging out together. I was learning Ruby then, and the meetup organizer, Dylan Jay, introduced another Rubyist - Dan Itsara, to me.

Along the way, we got two more programmers - Cody Fox and Matt Meyer to join in, and we started our very first Ruby meetup in Bangkok.

That's when I started to get more involved in programming.

What was your earliest involvement with the Python community?

After a few meetups in the community, Dylan, a Pythonista, knew that I do design work, contacted me then to help them out with their new PyCon logo and some event posters.

The following year, I organized PyCon and managed the marketing and design section for PyCon Thailand 2019.

During ThaiPy meetups, I was usually either the only female or was one of the few female developers there.

Inspired by a talk from Lina Katayose (PyLadies Tokyo) at the PyCon conference 2019, I decided to start a PyLadies chapter in Bangkok along with Gatuk (Sudarat Chattanon) to help support the female developers in the Thai Python community. I also helped many young, motivated students from Chulalongkorn University set up CUPy on their campus, providing organizational guidance.

What drives and inspires you to volunteer your time and resources in the Python community?

Being an immigrant in Thailand, it is hard to find resources and support in English to learn more. And that is why I go to meetups.

Being a female, it can be intimidating to be surrounded by men when I want to learn more. I want to feel comfortable asking the dumbest question one can ever think of and not being laughed at.

Learning is subjective, and motivation coming from an individual can be limited. Python is an Open Source language.

There are no companies paying advocates to promote the language, yet the language is so commonly used by organizations worldwide. This is where a community can help. To motivate learning and help discover new methods to solve problems related to Python.

The key to learning without boundaries is access to resources and support. If there isn't one, I will help build it. If there is one, I will volunteer to help support it. After all, I will also benefit from the community when I listen to the talks and meet these people.

How has your involvement within the Python community helped your career?

I actually got to know the PSF team through Ewa Jodlowska. She approached me to help them design PyCon assets and PSF's anniversary T-shirts this year after seeing the posters I've created for International Women's Day in March.

Later in the year, Jackie Augustine invited me to submit the proposal for design assets for PyCon 2022 and 2023.

I got the project, and now I get to do the UI design, swags, and banners! It's cool to see people wearing your designs.

For my self-improvement, with the community's help, I also get to know where to find suitable ebooks and resources, and I get to know amazing people who support me while I am learning.

How has Covid affected your work with the Python community, and what steps are you taking to push the community forward during these trying times?

Wow!

I can totally relate to this question after leading PyCon APAC 2021. When we decided to submit our proposal to host PyCon 2021 last year, the pandemic hit hard and demoralized many PyCon organizers.

We decided to propose a hybrid - in-person and online - event with so many uncertainties. And it was tough because it seemed like you were organizing two events. Due to travel restrictions, we decided to make the event online.

Some PyCon APAC organizers couldn't find the manpower and resources to organize PyCon in 2020 and 2021. So we asked these organizers to nominate two-to-three speakers from their own country. This allowed everyone to participate without investing too many resources and at the same time allowed the conference to showcase diverse talents.

And there was the challenge of time zone differences. So to allow attendees to watch the talks at their own convenience and prevent speaking from waking up in the wee hours to give a talk, we proposed pre-recorded talks.

The Covid lockdowns have limited our mobilities, and studies have shown that people suffer from mental health issues. We invited health specialists to talk about mental health, computer-related injuries, posture, and pain. One instructor even gave a live yoga session.

Since PyCon APAC is a diverse community and English is not the first language for many, we had all our talks captioned to make it easier for everyone. We had volunteers moderating different language chatrooms, a 24-hour open space to meet and make new friends, an open mic for everyone to show off their non-coding talents, and a live DJ from Paris.

Covid has forced everyone to find solutions as soon as possible, but some things still require time.

Community leaders have to stay positive and help keep the community motivated.

Georgi Ker Impact Story on the Python community

Iqbal Abdullah, PyCon Japan, speaks on Georgi's contributions to the Python community.

Georgi's most significant influence is rallying the community in Thailand to host PyCon APAC in 2021. Through her leadership and hard work, she has cultivated a community in Thailand that was non-existent as it is right now.

Georgi is also a role model to many. She has shown that her unconventional background and life experiences do not deter her from having a career in technology, being accepted, and finally leading the community.

I am happy and proud that Georgi is being awarded the CSA - she deserves it!

Saranya Mohan also speaks on Georgi's impact.

One of Georgi's outstanding qualities is the ability to listen and understand the community's needs. For example, she noticed that Thailand does not have a PyLadies community group, and she created the PyLadies Bangkok group. There were also student volunteers for PyCon Thailand 2019, and they were interested in creating a Python user group within their campus. Georgi volunteered to help them set up this chapter, now known as CUPy - Chulalongkom Univesity Python User Group.

Thailand hosted PyCon APAC 2021, and Georgi was the conference lead. She came up with the idea of a community and health track and invited prominent speakers in their fields to talk about work-burnout, posture problems - which we are experiencing these days.

The Python Software Foundation congratulates and celebrates Georgi Ker.

PyPI User Feedback Summary

2021-12-09T11:49:00.003-05:00

The PSF conducted a series of three surveys to identify key user requirements that have not been addressed so far. We used this round of surveys to engage with the PyPI community and understand ways to support community needs better. This post summarizes the feedback we have received and key decisions we have made based on the feedback.

Purpose of the surveys

Identify one feature or group of features that would be most useful for users who are part of a corporate or community project
Identify features that can offered to companies on a subscription basis, and community projects at no cost

First Survey

The first survey was a general survey where PyPI users were invited to submit features they would like PyPI to offer. This survey was targeted at users who used PyPI as a team in their corporate or community project. We also asked permission from survey respondents if we could contact them for more detailed feedback.

Figure 1: Most requested features from the first survey

The first survey received 35 valid responses. Out of this, 12 responses were for community projects. As seen in Figure 1, the most requested feature was private packages. At second place, both organization accounts and namespace support had the same number of requests. Other feature requests are listed here.

Second Survey

Based on the feedback we received in the first survey, we invited respondents for short interviews. 11 respondents agreed to meet us. At this interview, we asked PyPI users to expand on previously shared feedback. We wanted to know more about problems they faced when using PyPI as a team. We also wanted to know how they used other package managers and which features were most useful in these packaging managers. Of the 11 respondents, 5 respondents represented community projects.

Figure 2: Most requested features in the second survey

As seen in Figure 2, the most requested feature was organization accounts. Other features such as namespace support and private packages were also requested more than once. One common theme that emerged was how useful PyPI is for many teams in different organizations and projects. Other packaging managers such as npm and NuGet were also mentioned to indicate superior features when it comes to managing multiple packages and teams, namespace support and private packages. The minutes of the meetings are available here. The minutes of one meeting cannot be shared publicly.

Third Survey

From the second survey, it was clear that features like organization accounts and namespace support would be most useful to users in a team. This team could represent an organization or community project. To confirm this finding, we held another poll asking users to choose between the three features- organization/team accounts, namespace support and private packages.

Figure 3: Most requested features in the third survey

There were 160 responses from the PyPI community. From Figure 3, it can be seen that namespace support was the most requested feature with 64 requests. There were 42 requests for organization accounts and 54 requests for private packages. Other requested features are listed here.

We also asked users to share where they got to know about the poll. 81 users saw the poll on Twitter. Another 27 users saw the poll on discuss.python.org and 23 users found the poll in the PSF newsletter. A total of 29 users saw the poll on other outlets such as PyCoder’s weekly, RealPython newsletter, company Slack channel.

Key Decisions

From the three surveys, it was observed that organizations accounts, namespace support and private packages were the three most important features for users. There were multiple requests for these three features. Based on the feedback we have received so far, we have made these key decisions-

The PSF will develop organization accounts in the first phase of development. Any feature targeted at organization or community projects will require organization accounts to manage the feature. Hence, it makes sense to develop organization accounts first. This feature will allow organizations to manage multiple users and multiple packages.
Organizations accounts will be offered on a subscription basis. Private organizations will be charged a fixed amount while community projects will avail this feature free of cost.

Next Steps

Develop the project roadmap for organization account feature. This roadmap will be shared with the community once the Packaging Working Group reviews and approves it.
Develop and share RfP for organization account feature on PyPI. We will invite developers to build this feature on a contract basis.
Work with the PyPI community to scope out the namespace support feature. We will invite users to share their feedback to define the requirements, functionalities and behaviour. Once the organization account feature has been developed and delivered, we will develop the namespace support feature.
Engage with the PyPI community to identify more features that can be offered to organizations and community projects.

Thank you for reading this post in its entirety. If you have questions or if you would like to discuss this further, please use this thread. To reach a large part of the community, please RT this tweet.

A message from the PSF's outgoing Executive Director

2021-12-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today is my last day at the PSF. It's been an honor and a pleasure serving the Python community for over a decade.

It's a very bittersweet feeling for me. Although I recognized that I needed change, this community has always been much more than just a job. I like to say that I helped the PSF grow to what it is today, and in turn, the PSF certainly has helped me grow into who I am today.

I've met people from our community who have forever impacted my life professionally and personally. I've contributed to what has grown to be the most popular programming language on the planet. I've led a small non-profit to financial sustainability. We've been through a few crises that nearly spelled the end of our foundation, including this ongoing pandemic. I've gotten a chance to work with some of the most brilliant and caring folks every day. I'm incredibly grateful to all of you for that experience.

The PSF staff meeting in November of 2021

The PSF Board Executive Director Transition Committee is working diligently to find a replacement. In the meantime, Thomas Wouters will be the interim General Manager, supporting the staff through this transition. I look forward to seeing how the PSF will continue supporting the Python community and who'll be leading it into this new era.

I wish all my Python friends health, happiness, and success in all you do!

https://twitter.com/ewa_jodlowska

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewa-jodlowska-39810611/

Loren Crary has joined the PSF as its Director of Resource Development

2021-11-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) is excited to welcome Loren Crary as our new Director of Resource Development!

Financial sustainability is critical to the PSF and the entire Python ecosystem as Python continues to grow in popularity. Financial sustainability will ensure we can continue providing initiatives such as our international Grants Program, supporting fiscal projects, producing PyCon US, maintaining community infrastructure such as pypi.org and python.org, supporting roles such as Python's new Developer-in-Residence and the new Packaging Project manager, and delivering on strategic goals the PSF Board sets in place.

With that in mind, we knew we needed an expert to spearhead fundraising efforts and we're very luckily to have been able to hire Loren as that expert! Loren will be focusing on all aspects of fundraising including sponsorships, fundraisers, grants, donor stewardship, as well as supporting the PSF Board with their fundraising efforts.

Loren spent most of the last decade leading revenue strategy for Educate!, a nonprofit social enterprise, as it scaled by 5x in both budget and impact. (In that work she got to spend a lot of time in Rwanda, Kenya, and especially Uganda—and she is excited to connect with the active Python communities in that part of the world!) She is a lawyer by training, with a JD from Stanford Law School, where she focussed on public interest law.

Loren is jumping into the software space, learning Python for the first time, and seeking all opportunities to learn about and from the dynamic and welcoming Python community.

Welcome, Loren! We are super excited about the impact your work will have on Python and its community.

Humphrey Butau Awarded the PSF Community Service Award for Q4 2020

2021-11-11T06:25:00.006-05:00

Humphrey Butau, web developer, PSF fellow, and PyCon Zimbabwe co-founder was awarded the Python Software Foundation 2020 Q4 Community Service Award.

RESOLVED that the Python Software Foundation award the Q4 2020 Community Service Award to Humphrey Butau. Humphrey is the co-founder of PyCon Zimbabwe and was an early member of the Python community in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is a PSF fellow and has been stewarding our local community for a number of years. Humphrey is also a great speaker and has given talks at many conferences including keynoting DjangoCon Europe, speaking at PyCon Namibia and PyCon Italia.

We interviewed Humphrey to learn more about his inspiration and work with the Python community. We also asked Anna Makarudze, a close associate of Humphrey, to share more light about Humphrey's community efforts and impact on the community.

The Origin Story

What was your earliest memory of how you got into tech?

I got into tech as an IT Help Desk Support and Technician. While doing this job, I started to learn Visual Basic for building applications on my own.

A friend of mine later introduced me to Python in 2010, and I continued to teach myself programming.

I later gave up as I didn't manage to make headway since I was doing these things on my own, and there were no other peers from whom I could get help if I got stuck.

It was only in 2015 when I got a scholarship for an online Python and Django course with Treehouse that my coding journey continued in earnest.

What was your earliest involvement with the Python community?

In 2016 Anna Makarudze and I applied for and got financial assistance to attend PyCon Namibia in Windhoek. Although the financial aid was not enough to cover all our expenses if we took a flight to Namibia, we overlooked all that and took the alternative of a bus ride of 30 hours from Harare, Zimbabwe, to Windhoek, Namibia.

Attending PyCon Namibia was more important for the Python community and us in Zimbabwe at the time. It was an opportunity to learn from the international Python community.

We attended the conference, learned a lot, and met key people active in the global Python community. I am forever grateful to the organizers of PyCon Namibia 2016 as I believe it sparked the "Python revolution" in Africa, with PyCons in Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the first PyCon Africa Conference.

The people as a source of inspiration

What drives and inspires you to volunteer your time and resources to the PyCon Zimbabwe and the wider Python community?

It is the people!

What motivates me is what comes out of meeting people who share the same interests as me. The conferences, workshops, activities, and events are a huge platform for sharing information and building oneself career-wise.

It is also heartwarming to hear people mention that their attendance at a Django Girls workshop encouraged them to pursue a career in programming.

How has your involvement within the Python community helped your career?

By being a member of the Python community, I have discovered so many possibilities that I might have never realized. I have learned a lot from the events that I have attended, and this has helped me have a clear picture of various roles that I can pursue.

In 2019, I landed my first role as a software developer. I am sure this was possible through my involvement in the Python community.

Coming from being a hobbyist programmer without Computer Science, my employer was willing to hire and mentor me.

How has Covid affected your work with the Python community, and what steps are you taking to push the community forward during these trying times?

Before March 2020, we were already facing challenges as a Python community in Zimbabwe.

Covid-19 came and poured cold water on the steps that we were already taking to address these challenges. For the past one and half years, we put aside plans to hold in-person events as we put the health and well-being of members of our Python community first.

We are currently discussing plans for holding virtual events and the improvement of the Covid-19 situation in Zimbabwe. We hope to get back to hybrid events in 2022.

Impact story by Anna Makarudze

As early as 2015, Humphrey had the vision to start a Python community in Zimbabwe to raise awareness for Python, a relatively new programming language in Zimbabwe.

It is because of Humphrey's leadership that we were able to bring PyCon to Zimbabwe.

Many of our community members, including myself, are working remotely due to Humphrey's work.

I also got involved in community work like speaking at DjangoCon Europe and DjangoCon US, running PyLadies Harare for a few years, and becoming Django Software Foundation president because of Humphrey's work.

There is no doubt that many of us in Zimbabwe are in the global Python/Django community because of Humphrey's vision of starting a community in Zimbabwe.

The Python Software Foundation congratulates and celebrates Humphrey Butau.

2021 End of the year fundraiser!

2021-11-09T10:00:00.009-05:00

Summary: The PSF launched its end-of-the-year fundraiser. There are two ways to donate: 1. donate directly to the PSF or 2. purchase a discounted PyCharm license, with all proceeds going to the PSF. Contributing to the PSF financially helps sustain programs that support the larger Python community.

2021 is flying by! Regardless, the PSF made the best of this year by launching two critical initiatives thanks to Google's sponsorship and Bloomberg's grant. We're super happy to now support Python core development and Python Packaging in new ways:

Core Development: In July 2021, the PSF hired its inaugural Developer-in-Residence, Łukasz Langa. Łukasz works full-time (one year term) to assist CPython maintainers and the Python Steering Council. Areas of responsibility include analytical research to understand the project's volunteer hours, investigating project priorities and tasks as we advance, and working on those priorities.
Packaging: In August 2021, the PSF hired its first-ever Python Packaging Project Manager, Shamika Mohanan. Shamika is performing outreach to Python users to help the PSF better understand the landscape, identify fundable initiatives, seek grants, oversee funded projects, and report on their progress and results to improve Python packaging for all users.

To continue the above initiatives, the PSF will need to generate USD 325,000 per year. To hire additional folks for either initiative (in demand), the PSF will need USD 500,000+ per year. The amount of funding required is in addition to funding needed to maintain PyCon US, our fiscal sponsor program, several working groups, an international grants program, a healthy financial reserve, and a growing staff to operate the PSF. Even if donations are a portion of the PSF's revenue, every dollar makes an impact and allows the PSF financial stability to continue supporting a growing community!

Contributing to the PSF helps sustain programs that support the larger Python community. Donate today! Donate directly to the PSF or purchase a discounted PyCharm license, with all proceeds going to the PSF.

The Python Software Foundation is searching for its next Executive Director

2021-11-02T14:24:00.001-04:00

Summary: After announcing earlier this summer that Ewa Jodlowska is leaving after ten years of service, the PSF has begun its search for the organization's next Executive Director. Interested? You can apply here today.

The Python Software Foundation Board of Directors has begun the search for its next Executive Director. We’re looking for a leader who aligns with the PSF’s mission and is able to lead an established, successful and growing organization into its next stage.

What is the PSF?

The PSF is the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that holds the intellectual property rights behind the Python programming language:

The mission of the Python Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.

— https://www.python.org/psf/mission/

To meet the Foundation’s mission, the PSF employs a growing team of 8 staff members as well as several contractors supporting specific initiatives. We produce PyCon US, support development of CPython, The Python Package Index, and the open-source Python ecosystem, support regional Python conferences and workshops around the world, and fund Python related development with our grants program.

For more details about the PSF, you can read our Annual Impact Report. Additional information, including 990s and reports from past PSF board meetings, can be found on our public records webpage.

The duties of the Executive Director

The PSF Executive Director fulfills several duties within the organization to promote the success of the Foundation’s mission as well as to secure its long term health. This includes the creation of an annual budget, overseeing operations and fundraising efforts, as well as managing the PSF staff and community relations.

The Executive Director plays a critical role in the development and execution of PSF programs and initiatives that fall within the mission of the PSF. In addition to managing the PSF staff, the Executive Director works with the PSF Board of Directors, the Python Steering Council, PSF Working Groups and the broader Python community on events like PyCon US and other strategic projects and alliances.

Apply today!

If you or someone you know is interested to learn more about the executive director role, we invite you to review the position description. The PSF has retained the services of Perrett Laver to lead our search, and all potential candidates should follow the instructions listed in the position description.

We believe that the future of open source must include everyone. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome all job-seekers regardless of race, color, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, marital status, military, veteran or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. You can read our Diversity Statement here.

Vicky Twomey-Lee Awarded the PSF Community Service Award for Q3 2021

2021-10-26T04:06:00.001-04:00

Vicky Twomey-Lee, software engineer, PyLadies Dublin founder, EuroPython Society emeritus board member, Coding Grace co-founder, Women Who Code Dublin director, and WITS member, have been awarded the Python Software Foundation 2021 Q3 Community Service Award.

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation award the Q3 2021 Community Service Award to Vicky Twomey-Lee. Vicky has been a PSF Fellow since 2012 and a long-time volunteer to several PSF and Python spaces. 7 years ago she founded and continues to help organize the PyLadies Dublin chapter. Additionally, Vicky has been an active contributor to the PSF's Grant WG since the beginning and continues to provide helpful feedback and reviews. She also helps with EuroPython, Python Ireland, and past PyCon Ireland events.

We interviewed Vicky to learn more about her inspiration and work with the Python community. We also asked several of Vicky's associates - including Cheukting Ho, Steve Holden, Marc-Andre Lemberg, and Lais Carvalho to share more light about Vicky's community efforts and her impact on the community.

The Origin Story

What are your earliest memories of how you got into tech?

It was undoubtedly thanks to my dad. I remember when I was a few years old, and I woke up in the middle of the night, and I heard this "click-click" sound with a green glow lighting up my dad's face. He was big into tech. I think he was one of the few who imported computers for work and personal interests in the early 80s.

And as I got older, I initially played games, but then I got to install programs and even upgrade hardware. My dad brought my younger brother and me to all the techie and game shows coming to our small city, Limerick.

Then in 1984, a very unique and memorable present my dad brought back from Hong Kong, a Nintendo Famicom, changed everything. I got into video games big time. Fast forward to my late teens. I was interested in graphics and was qualified to get into Graphic Design at one of the best art colleges at the time. Still, unfortunately, I had to repeat my final year in secondary school as my parents wanted me to go to university instead.

I didn't have enough Chinese to explain graphics design, so I studied Computer Systems at the University of Limerick.

Besides my studies, I experimented with HTML (there wasn't even CSS back then) during those dial-up days and then progressed to hosting and designing my own blogs at home.

And then, there was my first job at Sun Microsystem, where I met my husband - Michael Twomey - we were into the same things, and Python was the first language we got excited about, around 2002. We attended and ran Python-related events together (amongst other initiatives like diversity in tech and game jams).

We still get very excited about lots of geeky things, and in the last number of years, it was around electronics.

Involvement with the Python community

What was your earliest involvement with the Python community?

When Python Ireland's first meetup started in 2004, I was an attendee along with Michael. When it got rebooted in 2005, the folks wanted to organize talks (note that Meetup and Eventbrite didn't exist back then), so I thought it shouldn't be too hard to find a space and get speakers.

Somehow I ended up taking the ball and running with it for over a decade, though I stepped back in 2016.

What drives and inspires you into volunteering your time and resources in the Python Community - PyLadies Dublin, Python Ireland, PyCon Ireland, and EuroPython?

It is the community because it helped me get to where I am today. Everyone was so friendly and explained things if you didn't understand.

What drives me?

I think it is knowing that these groups can provide opportunities that have afforded me lots of weird and wonderful experiences and jobs. Like a researcher and curator for Dublin Science Gallery for an exhibition called GAME, part of a team to run a meetup of all meetups (my dream) called 404.ie at a fantastic venue. Connecting even more communities at the new hip, up-and-coming co-sharing space called Dogpatch Labs.

I know what it's like to feel lost and scared in a field I work and volunteer. I realize that I have a platform to help those who are curious and want to learn more, connect with others, and I want them to feel welcome and be part of the community.

And hopefully, in turn, some of them will pass that same sentiment on and welcome others into the community.

Yes, I get pushbacks, but I have my husband, family, and friends who look out for me.

And I have to highlight my wonderful husband, Michael. He's been my rock, intervened when it got too much for me, picked up and tidied things away for me when I was talking to people before and after events.

And EuroPython is finally coming to Dublin!

That's the reason why we started up PyCon Ireland in 2010 (I chaired the first four editions). Since then, the Irish Python community has made it successful year on year, and the goal is in sight.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone in person (it was postponed twice due to Covid-19, so the third time's the charm) in Dublin, Ireland.

And the PSF Grants Workgroup?

I wanted to do more and was delighted to get invited to join the PSF Grants Workgroup. It was a small way for me to give back. I know what it's like to try and run something when you don't have any support. No one knows about your group/event, and starting from scratch is super hard.

I have learned a lot from the various communities worldwide on their needs for help to run their events.

How has your involvement within the Python community helped your career?

I was learning to be a leader, mentor, organizer, and diversity in tech advocate. It helped me stay grounded as I saw all the excellent work done by the PSF, EuroPython, and PyLadies.

It's pointed me in the direction of advocating for diversity in tech and the creative tech community and the importance of STEM in education.

So I have very different and unusual jobs as a result.

How has Covid affected your work with the Python community, and what steps are you taking to push the community forward during these trying times?

I've been working from home for a while, but with Covid-19, I learned how to stream. I had experience running live streams and podcasts with Dublin Maker, and I used these skills to run PyLadies Dublin remotely.

I already have skills in creating media and editing videos. I noticed I have a shorter attention span when watching videos, so I've shortened our events to 1 hour and opened opportunities to collaborate with international groups and invite speakers abroad.

I also realized not to fret if there's a low attendance during live events as people will (re)watch the videos in their own time. So not stressing about live attendance helped me produce a better experience for guests and viewers at our events.

Other problems I noticed are people with "zoom" fatigue, so people are a lot more understanding of mistakes. We are more patient and supportive. We are looking forward to in-person events again and are wondering how we will do a hybrid event.

Plus, learning and being in awe of what EuroPython organizers and teams have done in the past two editions.

It's always about learning, not being afraid to fail, and trying other things until it works for you. Of course, it's good to collaborate with others. You can't do everything on your own. With everything remote right now, it's an excellent opportunity to try different ways of running events.

Besides all that, I am working part-time with a company called Yard. And we are looking at how we can help tech communities rebuild their groups after Covid-19. So that's interesting for me on a personal level with all my various community groups.

Vicky Twomey-Lee Impact Story on the Python community

Cheukting Ho, EuroPython, speaks on Vicky's contributions to the Python community in Dublin:

Besides being a fantastic leader in her community in Dublin, Vicky also helps other communities to connect. I would always reach out to her to invite more people to join my Python events.

Steve Holden supported Vicky's PSF fellow nomination and shared more on Vicky's impact:

By creating (and remaining a mainstay of) PyCon IE, Vicky gave Irish Python programmers the chance to see themselves as a community. Her other work to improve diversity and support the entry of more women into the tech field is also impacting.

Marc-Andre Lemburg nominated Vicky as a PSF fellow and has worked closely with her on the EuroPython Society Board since 2012. He speaks on Vicky's impact:

Vicky is highly positive, kind, and very supportive of people in the community and its organizations. She has made a real difference for Python in Ireland and helped seed the foundations of the community in Ireland.

Lais Carvalho from Python Ireland also speaks on Vicky's impact:

Vicky is a highly hardworking person interested in making the community as diverse and inclusive as possible. She works non-stop to accomplish such goals, to the point of mild exhaustion. Her impact has been significant with PyLadies, the Dublin Maker events, and Python Ireland.

The Python Software Foundation congratulates and celebrates Vicky Twomey-Lee.

Announcing Python Software Foundation Fellow Members for Q3 2021! 🎉

2021-10-19T11:30:00.002-04:00

The PSF is pleased to announced its third batch of PSF Fellows for 2021! Let us welcome the new PSF Fellows for Q3! The following people continue to do amazing things for the Python community:

Anthony Sottile

Twitch, YouTube, GitHub Sponsors, Twitter

Bernát Gábor

Twitter, Website, GitHub

Cristián Danilo Maureira-Fredes

Website, Twitter, GitHub

Michael Iyanda

LinkedIn, GitHub

Nicolás Demarchi

Twitter, GitHub, LinkedIn

Thank you for your continued contributions. We have added you to our Fellow roster online.

Are you a PSF Fellow and want to help the Work Group review nominations? Contact us at psf-fellow at python.org.

Join the Python Developers Survey 2021: Share and learn about the community

2021-10-18T14:16:00.000-04:00

This year we are conducting the fifth iteration of the official Python Developers Survey. The goal is to capture the current state of the language and the ecosystem around it. By comparing the results with last year's, we can identify and share with everyone the hottest trends in the Python community and the key insights into them.

In 2020, more than 28,000 Python users from 150 countries participated and shared with us how they use the language.

We encourage you to contribute to our community's knowledge. The survey should only take you about 10-15 minutes to complete.

Contribute to the Python Developers Survey 2021.

This year we have added questions that will help the CPython Developer-in-Residence and the Python Packaging Project Manager prioritize their work based on community feedback.

The survey is organized in partnership between the Python Software Foundation and JetBrains. After the survey is over, we will publish the aggregated results and randomly choose 20 winners (among those who complete the survey in its entirety), who will each receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card or a local equivalent.

Click on this link to participate in the Python Developers Survey 2021!

Katia Lira Awarded the PSF Community Service Award for Q2 2020

2021-09-23T04:41:00.001-04:00

Katia Lira, Software Engineer from Mexico city, has been awarded the Python Software Foundation 2020 Q2 Community Service Award.

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation award the Q2 2020 Community Service Award to Katia Lira for her contributions to PyCon LatAm as conference chair, which held its inaugural conference in 2019. Additionally, Katia is the DEFNA (Django Events Foundation North America) President and has collaborated in crafting the vision of PyLadies Global. She hosts and produces multiple Python/tech/community podcasts like El Dev Show in Spanish. She's a PyCon speaker and is well respected in the community.

We interviewed Katia to learn more about her inspiration and work with the Python community. We also asked two of Katia's associates - Valery Calderon and Cristian Maureira-Fredes to share more light about Katia's impact on the community.

What was your earliest memory of how you got into tech?

Growing up, I wanted to be an Architect. I loved doing the blueprints in AutoCAD. Then I switched to study web design but quickly found it easier to code than to do the UI. It felt effortless to use code to make a button send a form or trigger an animation, so I never looked back.

What was your earlier involvement with the Python community?

One of my best friends invited me to PyCon US in 2016. At the time, I was still learning Python and Django and was unaware of communities and conferences like that.

What inspires you to volunteer your time and resources in the Python Community?

It's always the conversations with people that make me want to continue volunteering and organizing spaces for sharing knowledge and building community, prioritizing Spanish as the language to share and engage.

How has your involvement in the Python community supported your career?

The most important thing is inspiration. Being involved in the community has widened my views on opportunities available to me and also the possibilities for growth. I discovered open source projects that push you to explore new tools and grow skills outside of day-to-day work.

Another thing is just being aware of the conversations around hiring and work. Especially when people are open about how to prepare for a technical interview and how they struggle with growing into a more senior role.

How has Covid affected your work with the Python community and what steps are you taking to push the community forward during these trying times?

I think we all tried to compensate with remote by joining as many virtual spaces as possible and it has been taxing on many of us.

For the two conferences, I volunteer at - PyCon LatAm and DjangoCon US, we took 2020 off from having any events. That helped with not burning out our volunteers and organizers. And it made us ready for 2021 which has been easier because we had fewer uncertainties, we jumped in, knowing it was going to be fully remote and that the community members missed each other.

Katia Lira's Impact on the Python community

Cristián Maureira-Fredes, Software Engineer and R & D manager, speaks on Katia's contributions to the PyCon LatAm community and the larger Python community:

Katia has been a fundamental person in the whole PyCon LatAm initiative, being able to unify the many Latin American Python communities under the same umbrella. Hosting a LatAm conference seemed quite impossible if you ask me, but together with a wonderful team, they proved me wrong.

The enthusiasm and motivation I felt as a South American made me push forward the Python groups in my own country, from where we decided to organize our first small conference to a PyDay event. I asked Katia to be a keynote speaker and she agreed without any hesitation.

Thanks to her talk, many people felt that being from LatAm was not a barrier to push for global communities and that people were responsible to make initiatives like PyLadies and PyCon LatAm as successful as they are.

Katia's keynote also motivated a lot of people from Chile. And this has led to an increase in community activities, beginning with new initiatives like the first PyLadies chapter - PyLadies Santiago.

And Katia's impact span beyond the LatAm region, to the global Spanish-speaking community.

Valery Calderon, Data Engineer speaks also on Katia's impact on the LatAm community:

Katia spear-headed the PyCon LatAm initiative. She is always open to helping people in the community by mentoring, giving talks, volunteering, and helping to organize events. She has also been of tremendous support to the past and present initiatives of creating room for diverse people within the Latin American community in the PSF.

Katia specifically helped me to propose my candidacy for the PyLadies Global Council.

In Latin America, there is a big gap in the culture of communities. And to make it better and inclusive, there's a lot of work that has been done and still needs to be done. Katia is helping to bridge this gap, which is a huge impact on the LatAm Python community.

We at the Python Software Foundation wish to once again congratulate and celebrate Katia Lira for her tremendous impact in the Python LatAm community, PyCon LatAm, and the wider Python community.

Tereza Iofciu Awarded the PSF Community Service Award for Q1 2021

2021-09-17T13:19:00.002-04:00

Tereza Iofciu, Data Science coach, PyLadies Hamburg organizer, and PSF Code of Conduct working group member has been awarded the Python Software Foundation 2021 Q1 community service award.

RESOLVED, that the Python Software Foundation award the Q1 2021 Community Service Award to Tereza Iofciu. Tereza is a PSF Code of Conduct WG member and has done a wonderful job helping, participating, and driving the Code of Conduct WG discussions. Tereza formed and continues to help organize the PyLadies event in 2021. Tereza is also a member of the newly formed PSF Diversity & Inclusion WG.

We interviewed Tereza to learn more about her inspiration and work with the Python community. Georgi Ker, a close associate of Tereza also speaks about Tereza.

The Origin Story

Can you tell us about your origin story? Like how you got into tech?

I got into tech quite traditionally, I studied Computer Science in Bucharest, Romania, but I chose that not for a particular love for Informatik. I was good at Math and Physics in high school but I couldn't study those as I didn't want to become a teacher, seeing how teachers were treated in school.

In the year 2000, Computer Science seemed like a thing for the future.

After that I kind of went with the flow, and the flow got me to Germany and doing a Ph.D. in Information Retrieval as the field of Data Science was emerging.

After that, I worked as a Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Product Management, Leadership, and now I am teaching (ha! the irony) Data science at the Neuefische Bootcamp.

Involvement with the Python Community and Inspiration

What was your earliest involvement with the Python community?

I would say in 2018 I saw on Twitter a friend of mine posting she was looking for a new job where diversity was part of the culture.

Through her, I discovered the PyLadies Berlin meetups and I realized that I was missing such a community in Hamburg. We had lots of meetups in the city (things used to still be in-person back then), but most were talks and networking, and not so much about teaching and learning.

It took a while to set it up but then I started the PyLadies Hamburg that year, which I wrote about here.

You have been a volunteer coordinator and organizer of PyLadies Hamburg. You are also a member of the PSF Code of Conduct WG, and the Diversity & Inclusion WG. This is amazing. What drives and inspires you into volunteering your time and resources in the Python Community?

I often felt that a normal day job doesn't fulfill all my needs, one gets paid for work and it is hard for companies to be consistent in providing other goals. Business is business and in the end, things come down to profit.

So one rarely gets the opportunity to be surrounded at work by like-minded people all the time.

I have volunteered in other organizations, but I found that the PyLadies does attract people who, while they are active in it, are very passionate and inspiring about making tech accessible to more than the majority. So in the end PyLadies was also a refuge and an energy top-up.

It is like finding your village in the world!

Tech companies in Germany are still very behind with diversity.. and changing that needs all the help it can get, women and people from underrepresented groups need a space where they can learn and grow and get inspired without invisible glass ceilings.

How has your involvement within the Python community helped your career?

Being involved helped my career in several ways - I've discovered that I learn better when I teach, that is I cannot be bothered to learn a new thing when it is just for the sake of me learning it.

This ultimately led to me believing I would succeed in my current role, and thus I took the opportunity.

We've organized a lot of events - meetups, full-day workshops (IoT workshop at PyCon DE 2019), and conferences like Python Pizza Hamburg in 2019 and 2020, and International Women's Day PyLadies over 3 timezones.

One learns a lot from organizing and it can also be lots of fun. Also, I have been in a leadership role since 2019, and part of the job is to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone, present their work, organize workshops, do meetups and this is something that I was already practicing within the community.

And the network, being around inspiring people is inspiring, and in the end, one is part of an inspiration loop - people also come back with stories on how their life got better with PyLadies.

Impact of Covid in the Python Community

How has Covid affected your work with the Python community and what steps are you taking to push the community forward during this trying time?

We moved pretty quickly to remote events, nobody really felt like being responsible for spreading covid and now there is the remote everywhere.

Aside from the fatigue of the pandemic, going remote has greatly made the events accessible to more people, people from other cities, countries, or people who have to take care of other people and wouldn't have been able to travel to a meetup.

We had this year’s workshops with speakers from the US and Canada. This would have not been possible previously.

On the PyLadies Hamburg side, we try to keep to the rhythm of monthly events.

And the International Women's Day event became a three timezone event quite randomly, I posted about organizing one event in Hamburg and looking for speakers among the PyLadies organizers, then Lorena Mesa from Chicago saw it and asked if she could do a joint one in Chicago and then I asked her if she knows anyone on the other side of the globe for symmetry, and she said Georgi Ker in Bangkok who said: "of course."

This year I also attended for the first time PyCon US and I was part of the panel presenting the Diversity & Inclusion Workgroup, and we were geographically spread all over the world.

Georgi Ker Speaks on Tereza Iofciu's Impact

Georgi Ker, who had the opportunity of working together with Tereza and Lorena Mesa in organizing the online International Women’s Day 2021 event, speaks on Tereza’s impact.

Tereza is everywhere! I don't even know where to start. She was the one who initiated organizing the PyLadies IWD - International Women's Day - event in different time zones. Making the event accessible for more people.

Apart from involvement in the Interim Global Council, she is also one of the PyLadies moderators to ensure that PyLadies stays as a safe environment for everyone.

Tereza is like the guardian of PyLadies and PSF protecting the gates of the Python community caring for people.

We at the Python Software Foundation wish to once again congratulate and celebrate Tereza Iofciu for her amazing contributions to PyLadies and the wider Python community.

Shamika Mohanan has joined the PSF as Packaging Project Manager

2021-08-18T05:19:00.002-04:00

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) is excited to welcome Shamika Mohanan as our new Packaging Project Manager! You can learn specifics about the role in our post announcing the position.

Recognizing that the success of the Python language and community relies on the success of its packaging ecosystem, the PSF is excited for the Packaging Project Manager role to facilitate, coordinate, and amplify the existing momentum in this space.

Shamika will be performing outreach to Python users to help the PSF better understand the landscape, identify fundable initiatives, seek grants, oversee funded projects, and report on their progress and results to improve Python packaging for all users. Shamika will also work with the PSF Director of Infrastructure to make progress on developing PyPI into a sustainable service that the community can continue to rely on for years to come.

Once again we want to thank our Visionary Sponsor Bloomberg for their initiative in “Shifting Left” and supporting this role for its initial term of two years.

Python Software Foundation Fellow Members for Q2 2021

2021-07-21T11:12:00.002-04:00

The PSF is pleased to announced its second batch of PSF Fellows for 2021! Let us welcome the new PSF Fellows for Q2! The following people continue to do amazing things for the Python community:

Cheuk Ting Ho

Twitter, GitHub, LinkedIn, Website

Emily Morehouse-Valcarcel

Twitter, GitHub, Website

Francisco Palm

Twitter, GitHub, LinkedIn, Website

Ivan Levkivskyi

GitHub

Jakub Baláš

João Sebastião de Oliveira Bueno

Twitter, GitHub, StackOverflow profile

Jukka Lehtosalo

Michael J. Sullivan

Miroslav Šedivý

Thank you for your continued contributions. We have added you to our Fellow roster online.

The above members help support the Python ecosystem by being phenomenal leaders, sustaining the growth of the Python scientific community, contributing to diversity efforts through PyLadies and other communities, maintaining virtual Python communities, maintaining Python libraries, creating educational material, organizing Python events and conferences, starting Python communities in local regions, and overall being great mentors in our community. Each of them continues to help make Python more accessible around the world. To learn more about the new Fellow members, check out their links above.

Are you a PSF Fellow and want to help the Work Group review nominations? Contact us at psf-fellow at python.org.

Łukasz Langa is the inaugural CPython Developer-in-Residence!

2021-07-12T11:31:00.008-04:00

The PSF and the Python Steering Council are pleased to announce that the inaugural Developer-in-Residence role will be held by core developer Łukasz Langa.

CPython, the reference implementation of Python, is developed and primarily maintained by volunteers. Inspired by the Django Fellowship Program's success, the PSF has strategically planned to support CPython in a similar way beginning this year. Thanks to the support from sponsors such as Google, this effort is now being put into motion!

Łukasz will work full-time for one year to assist CPython maintainers and the Steering Council. Areas of responsibility will include analytical research to understand the project's volunteer hours and funding, investigation of project priorities and their tasks going forward, and begin working on those priorities. Regular reporting and full transparency to the community are also a large part of Łukasz’ role. If the program is impactful and the PSF raises enough funds, there is potential for the Developer-in-Residence role to continue beyond one year. We look forward to updating the community as work progresses!

Check out Łukasz’ personal announcement here.

Update on the Python Software Foundation Executive Director

2021-06-16T13:00:00.006-04:00

After ten years of exceptional service to the Python Software Foundation, the PSF Executive Director Ewa Jodlowska has decided to leave the Foundation at the end of 2021. We wish to thank Ewa for her many years of service and contributions to not only the Foundation but to the entire Python community. It’s safe to say the PSF, PyCon and the whole Python community would not be where it is today if not for Ewa.

In preparation for Ewa’s departure, the Python Software Foundation will begin a search to find a new Executive Director. The Executive Director is a key player in helping the Foundation pursue our mission “to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.”

The Board of Directors will work together with the Staff, the outgoing Executive Director, and the community in developing a timeline for the transition as well as posting periodic updates on the search when it formally begins. Please keep an eye on the PSF blog for these updates as well as the forthcoming job listing.

The 2021 Python Language Summit: Lightning Talks, Round 2

2021-06-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

The second day of the 2021 Python Language Summit finished with a series of lightning talks from Ronny Pfannschmidt, Pablo Galindo, Batuhan Taskaya, Luciano Ramalho, Jason R. Coombs, Mark Shannon, and Tobias Kohn.

Annotated Assertions: Debugging With Joy

Ronny Pfannschmidt spoke about annotated assertions. He is a pytest maintainer and loves approachable debugging.

He compared assertions in unittest with assertions in pytest. He remarked that mistakes have been made in the past and are still being made today. Before pytest 2.1, pytest would reinterpret assertions, which was bad for side effects. Today, pytest deals with side effects by handling all of the variables, collecting them, and showing them to you.

Here's what he would like to see in Python:

Here's what he'd like to do:

Create a PEP or have a PEP sponsor
Open the implementation of pytest to a wider audience

PEP 657: Fine-Grained Error Locations in Tracebacks

Pablo Galindo and Batuhan Taskaya shared their thoughts on what they want to do and what they don't want to do with PEP 657. The goal of this PEP is to improve the debugging experience by making the information in tracebacks more specific. It would also help with code coverage tools because it would allow expression-level coverage rather than just line-level coverage. JEP 358 has already accomplished something similar.

The speakers want to:

Keep maintenance costs low
Keep the size small without overcomplicating the compiler
Provide an API for tools to consume
Provide an opt-out mechanism

They want to avoid:

Adding a new set of .pyc files
Adding a new debugging info file format
Having a large number of new flags to customize
Implementing in memory/size encoding
Complicating the compiler too much
Providing more than one opt-out mechanism
Having manual metadata propagation

For the opt-out mechanism, there will be two ways to deactivate the feature:

Environment variable: PYNODEBUGRANGES
Command line option: -Xnodebugranges

Who Speaks for Mort on python-dev?

Luciano Ramalho explained that Mort, Elvis, and Einstein are names for personas that have been used within Microsoft to understand the needs of users:

Mort is an opportunistic developer who like to create quick solutions for immediate problems. He focuses on productivity and learns as needed.
Elvis is a pragmatic programmer who likes to create long-lasting solutions. He learns while working on solutions.
Einstein is a paranoid programmer who likes to create the most efficient solution to a problem. He typically learns before working on the solution.

Users of Python can be organized into similar groups with distinct needs. Since Einsteins may not clearly understand the needs of Morts and Elvises, Luciano Ramalho suggested that it may be time to recruit core users to speak for the Python users who aren't also core developers.

Annotations as Transforms

Jason R. Coombs shared his thoughts on designating transformation functions to be applied to parameters and return values. He had originally been inspired by the simplicity and power of decorators, and his idea could in theory be applied with decorators today. However, he determined that it would be more elegant to use annotations.

Using this approach would have advantages:

Elegant, simple declaration of intended behavior
Clear separation of concerns
Avoiding rewriting variables in the scope
Easy reuse of transformations
Explicit type transformation

However, there would also be challenges:

Compatibility: Although older versions of Python don't have this functionality, you could implement a compatibility shim.
Ambiguity between types and transforms: In order to address this concern, you could potentially:

Require transforming functions to be explicitly created
Provide a wrapping helper to specify that a type is used as a transform (e.g. -> transform(str))
Provide a wrapper helper or explicit types for nontransforming type declarations (e.g. Int or strict(int))

Tiers of Execution: Making CPython Execute Efficiently

Mark Shannon started by defining four tiers of execution:

Tier 0: The slowest tier, with minimal memory usage and low startup time
Tier 1: Primary interpreter, the adaptive, specializing interpreter
Tier 2: Small region, lightweight JIT
Tier 3: Large region, heavyweight JIT

The higher a tier, the hotter the code that it will execute. Today, CPython is at tier 0.3. It's a compromise between memory use and speed but isn't optimized for either. He said that tier 0 could be considered for Python 3.11 or later. It could:

Minimize startup time and memory use at the expense of execution speed
Support a full set of features, including sys.settrace
Be able to execute from a .pyc file that is mmapped and immutable

Tier 1 is planned for Python 3.11:

Adaptive, specializing interpreter (PEP 659)
Possible lack of support for some features, such as sys.settrace

Tiers 2 and 3 are entirely hypothetical at the moment and would involve JIT compilers. They maybe be more like LuaJIT than JVM.

Switching between tiers can be expensive, but the goal is to make it cheaper by having the same in-memory data layout for all tiers. In order to support all of Python, we will need to switch between tiers often. Each tier should be maintained mostly independently for open-source development. The performance cost won't be high if the memory layout is designed carefully.

Running Parallel Python Code in the Browser

Tobias Kohn has been working on TPython, a new Python implementation that works in the browser. His objectives were to do multiprocessing in the browser, not block the UI, and use native JavaScript libraries.

Because JavaScript has a single thread event queue that contains even I/O and garbage collection, as long as your current thread is running, nothing else can happen while your current task is running. You can use web workers with messages in each of the web worker's event queues, but those messages won't become visible until the event queue gets to them.

You could suspend the current task and let everything in the event queue happen so that the message can be processed and then resume your task later on. To do that, you could use the bytecode in Python 3.6+ because the frame already has an index into the bytecode and captures state, to a certain extent. However, some bytecode instructions are too complex. _add_ can execute arbitrary Python code, fail, call _radd_, and execute other Python code. The standard bytecode is insufficient.

He's currently using an MPI interface for parallel processing. There is:

Early-stage multiprocessing support
A NumPy-like interface for JavaScript typed arrays
No blocking or freezing of the browser's UI

It runs on unmodified CPython 3.6+ bytecode.

The 2021 Python Language Summit: Fuzzing and Testing Python With Properties

2021-06-06T12:37:00.002-04:00

At the 2021 Python Language Summit, Zac Hatfield-Dodds gave a presentation about fuzzing and testing with Python properties. This presentation tied in with the one he gave at the 2020 Python Language Summit.

What Is Testing?

For the purposes of this talk, he defined testing as the art and science of running code and then checking if it did what it was supposed to do. He added that, although assertions, type checkers, linters, and code review are good, they are not testing.

There are two general reasons why we might have tests:

For correctness:

The goal is to validate software and determine that they are no bugs.
Nondeterminism is acceptable.
Finding any fault is a success.

For software engineering (programming, over time, in teams):

The goal is to validate changes or detect regressions.
Nondeterminism is bad.
Bugs should be in only the diff.

When these two reasons for testing aren't distinguished, there can be miscommunications.

What Is Property-Based Testing?

There are many types of tests:

Unit tests
Integration tests
Snapshot tests
Parameterized tests
Fuzz tests
Property-based tests
Stateful model tests

The speaker then walked the summit attendees through an example to explain going from traditional unit tests through to parameterized tests and then seeing how that plays into property-based tests.

Imagine that you needed to test the sorted() builtin. With a traditional set of unit tests, you can write a bunch of cases with the expected inputs and outputs:

If you want to avoid repeating yourself, you can write a list of inputs and outputs:

If you don't have a known good result, then you can still write tests using only the input argument. One option would be to compare to another reference implementation:

However, comparing with another reference implementation might not be an option, so you could just test if the output seems to be right:

In order to improve on this test, you might want to add another property that you can test. You could check that the length of the output is the same as the length of the input and that you have the same set of elements:

This would pass on the incorrect sorted([1, 2, 1]) -> [1, 2, 2]. A brute-force approach using itertools.permutations() would detect that too:

But the best solution is collections.Counter():

This last test uses property-based testing:

Instead of having a specific list of inputs, you could use Hypothesis:

That test will fail because NaN compares unequal to itself, so any list containing NaN will appear to not be in sorted order. So it could be good to have specified behavior for the ordering on NaN elements in the sorting algorithm:

He said that one of the big advantages of using something like Hypothesis rather than a list of handwritten examples is that is will raise conceptual issues that you may not have already thought through yourself.

In summary, property-based testing lets you:

Generate input data that you might not have thought of yourself
Check that the result isn't wrong, even without the right answer
Discover bugs in your understanding rather than just in your code

Often, you don't even need assertions in the test. Generating unusual input data is surprisingly effective. It can give you the sort of feedback you could get from real users, but you don't need to ship before getting the feedback.

A common concern is that, if you have randomized testing, then are things flaky? How do you deal with determinism? Hypothesis has been working on that for years, so they have solid answers to these kinds of questions:

If that's not enough, then you also have other options:

The Hypothesis database is a collection of files on disk that represent the various examples. Since it's a key-value store, it's easy to implement your own custom one:

In this example, you have a local database on disk. You can also have a shared network database on something like Redis, for example.

Coverage-guided fuzzing takes this to the next level:

What's New?

At the 2020 Python Language Summit, when he said that we would find more bugs if we used property-based testing for CPython and the standard library, the response was positive, but then not much happened. Since then, Paul Ganssle has opened a PR on CPython to add some Hypothesis tests for the zoneinfo library. Zac Hatfield-Dodds said that CPython is doing very well on unit testing and has a strong focus on regressions but that it would be quite valuable to add some of the tools that have been developed for testing for correctness.

These tools don't only find existing bugs. They're good at finding regressions where someone checked in new code with what turned out to be inadequate test coverage:

There is a pace at which we find and fix bugs that were preexisting in addition to the ongoing rate of introducing new bugs that then get detected by fuzzing instead of lasting for too long:

What's Next?

There is a three-step plan:

Merge Paul Ganssle's PR or come up with an alternative proposal to get Hypothesis into CPython's CI in order to unblock ongoing incremental work
Merge some tests
Run them in CI and on OSS-Fuzz

For interested parties, you can see and engage in the follow-ups to this work on the Python Steering Council's issue tracker.