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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +layout: single |
| 3 | +title: "Shark Attacks and Open Science - pyOpenSci @ SciPy 2023 Meeting" |
| 4 | +excerpt: "The SciPy 2023 meeting did not disappoint this year. We have a whole new group of contributors helping to build this vibrant and diverse Python open science community. Learn about my experience there." |
| 5 | +author: "Leah Wasser" |
| 6 | +permalink: /blog/scipy-2023-community.html |
| 7 | +header: |
| 8 | + overlay_color: "#542668" |
| 9 | + overlay_filter: 0.6 |
| 10 | +categories: |
| 11 | + - blog-post |
| 12 | + - highlight |
| 13 | + - community |
| 14 | + - talks |
| 15 | +classes: wide |
| 16 | +toc: false |
| 17 | +comments: true |
| 18 | +--- |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +## <i class="fa-solid fa-fish-fins"></i> Shark attack - pyOpenSci at SciPy |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +I was so excited for SciPy this year. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +I wanted to spread the word about pyOpenSci's core mission - supporting |
| 25 | +the scientific open source Python community. I wanted to get more people |
| 26 | +involved. |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +pyOpenSci represents everything that matters most to me: |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +- 🌱 Community & People |
| 31 | +- 🎓 Education |
| 32 | +- 🔓 Open Science and Open Source |
| 33 | +- 🌈 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +## Unplanned is often best |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | +I am not used to going into a meeting with no specific plans and obligations. |
| 38 | +While pyOpenSci didn't get a talk or a community session / BoF this year, we |
| 39 | +did get a lightning talk! It was a randomized selection, and I threw my name |
| 40 | +into the bucket (literally) with fingers crossed that i'd get a lightning talk. |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +And on the final day of the meeting, I was selected to present! |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/pyOpenSci?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pyOpenSci</a> got the cutest slides at the lighting talk @SciPyCon <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SciPy2023?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SciPy2023</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZXleLpdkqB">pic.twitter.com/ZXleLpdkqB</a></p>— Cheuk Ting Ho (@cheukting_ho) <a href="https://twitter.com/cheukting_ho/status/1679962465508147200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +## The shark attack - my lightning talk about pyOpenSci |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +Let me give you the backstory on lightning talks at SciPy. It's known that |
| 49 | +moderators will often "play" with those presenting. |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +Puns are always pervasive and community embraced! |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +This year there was a "sea" theme featuring sharks and crab claws. 😂 Watch |
| 54 | +below as the session is started with a crab claw pun by Paul followed up with |
| 55 | +a shark attack on yours truly from [Madicken](https://github.com/munkm/). You will also learn about the |
| 56 | +pyOpenSci mission and vision. |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vJpH-ctvPoU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +## Sprints - my new favorite part of every meeting |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +A sprint, in the tech world, is a short time period where people on a team work |
| 63 | +together to complete something on a technical project. At conferences, there are |
| 64 | +often open sprints. The idea here is that people, often some of whom are new |
| 65 | +to a project, get together in person and work on things that the project needs. |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +### Mentored sprints make open source more inclusive |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +In our open source world we also have [mentored sprints](https://www.mentored-sprints.dev/). |
| 70 | +The term mentored sprints was coined by an [amazing team of people](https://www.mentored-sprints.dev/team/) including [Tania Allard (who's passion for open source and open data resonates with my own)](https://www.trallard.dev/). |
| 71 | +It focuses on supporting those who are new to sprinting and using platforms such as |
| 72 | +GitHub in making their first contribution to open source. |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +Given pyOpenSci's core values around diversity equity and inclusion, every |
| 75 | +sprint we hold is a mentored sprint as far as i'm concerned! |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +This was the second sprint that i've lead with the [first being at pyCon US 2023](https://www.pyopensci.org/blog/pycon-2023-packaging-presentation-sprints-leah-wasser.html). |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +### An organized list of tasks is key for any sprint |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +My friend, colleague and [esteemed pyOpenSci advisory council member,](https://www.pyopensci.org/our-community/index.html#pyopensci-advisory-council) [Inessa Pawson](https://github.com/InessaPawson) taught me |
| 82 | +that: |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +1. It's best to go into a sprint with an organized set of help-wanted issues. |
| 85 | +1. Identifying issues that could be completed in a few hours to a day is ideal. |
| 86 | +1. And tagging issues as beginner friendly helps those who are newer to sprints |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +<figure> |
| 89 | + <a href="/images/github/pyopensci-github-help-board.png"> |
| 90 | + <img src="/images/github/pyopensci-github-help-board.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="An image with a black background showing all of the issues that we could use help with at pyOpenSci. The caption for this image contains a link to the board which will allow you to hear and read through each issue listed on the board."> |
| 91 | + </a> |
| 92 | + <figcaption>Our pyOpenSci help-wanted issue board has a list of things that we could use help with. Issues that could be done during a sprint are tagged "sprintable". Issues that are ideal for beginners are also tagged - beginner friendly. <a href = "https://github.com/orgs/pyOpenSci/projects/3">View the board here.</a> |
| 93 | + </figcaption> |
| 94 | +</figure> |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +I went into our SciPy 2023 sprint with a [more organized pyOpenSci help-wanted board.](https://github.com/orgs/pyOpenSci/projects/3) |
| 97 | +This board has been a great way to keep track of things |
| 98 | +that we need help with. |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | +**<i class="fa-solid fa-circle-info"></i> GitHub PROTIP:** I struggled at PyCon with assigning people who didn't belong |
| 101 | +to a repository or our organization to specific issues. Now, I know that |
| 102 | +if someone comments on an issue first, I can then assign it to them |
| 103 | +(many thanks to [Thomas Fan](https://github.com/thomasjpfan) for the tip!!). |
| 104 | +{: .notice .info} |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | +## So many helpful contributions to pyOpenSci! |
| 107 | + |
| 108 | +I am absolutely blown away by and profoundly grateful for the |
| 109 | +support that pyOpenSci received at this year's SciPy sprints! |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +We had over 20 pull requests emerge from this sprint - WOW! Two sprinters also |
| 112 | +submitted their first ever contributions!! |
| 113 | + |
| 114 | +**<i class="fa-solid fa-circle-info"></i> Info:** a pull request, known as a "pr", represents a set of suggested changes to a set of code or text. In the GitHub.com interface you can view the suggested changes and comment on them - in the same way that you might comment on suggested changes in a Google doc. |
| 115 | +{: .notice } |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +Some of the contributions included: |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +- Updating our website workflow to allow for site preview on every pr. This means that no one needs to setup a ruby environment locally in order to view website changes. And the less ruby environments contributors need to deal with, the better as far as I am concerned :) !! |
| 120 | +- Updating and enhancing our contributor package metadata workflow to be more efficient and effective |
| 121 | +- _A first contribution ever!!_ Grace helped us by fixing typos in our throughout our peer review guide! She called these fixes trivial but there is NO SUCH THING as a trivial pull request. We need fresh sets of eyes on all of our guides and appreciate any and all fixes that pr's bring big or small! |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +In case you are curious, most of the pull requests submitted during the sprint this year are listed below: |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +<div class="notice" markdown="1"> |
| 126 | +## Pull requests submitted to pyOpenSci the 2023 SciPy sprints |
| 127 | +- **Thomas:** Thomas submitted a [set of pr's that allow us to preview our website after every pull request](https://github.com/pyOpenSci/pyopensci.github.io/pulls/thomasjpfan) is submitted. |
| 128 | +- **Mike:** Mike tackled our automated workflow that tracks contributors across our GitHub repositories and also that tracks packages, reviewers and editors in our review process. |
| 129 | +- **ruoxi** Ruoxi submitted an issue surrounding a rendering issue with our packaging guide in the Safari browser. And also a [pull request updating text around our partnership](https://github.com/pyOpenSci/software-peer-review/pull/232/files) with the Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS) where they accept our review as theirs and only review your paper. |
| 130 | +- **Grace:** [Grace made her first, second, third ...seventh!! pull requests ever fixing typos in our peer review guide](https://github.com/pyOpenSci/software-peer-review/pulls/g-patlewicz) |
| 131 | +- **Ricky:** [Url redirect fixes on website](https://github.com/pyOpenSci/pyopensci.github.io/pull/235) |
| 132 | +- **Kerry:** [Fixed the packages order so that newest was at the top of the page not the bottom](https://github.com/pyOpenSci/pyopensci.github.io/pull/234) |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +</div> |
| 135 | + |
| 136 | +### People kept sprinting without me! |
| 137 | + |
| 138 | +I left before day two of the sprints. However, that did not stop |
| 139 | +the community from continuing to sprint and contribute to |
| 140 | +pyOpenSci! People continued to work additional |
| 141 | +website fixes that were still open our project board. |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +### Lessons learned from SciPy 2023 |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +I learned a lot this year from SciPy. |
| 146 | + |
| 147 | +Sometimes the best moments are the unexpected ones. I had the |
| 148 | +chance to connect with amazing individuals and share pyOpenSci's |
| 149 | +impactful mission that I care about so deeply. |
| 150 | + |
| 151 | +And the best part? Our pyOpenSci community continues to grow, attracting more |
| 152 | +wonderful Pythonistas who share our vision. Together, I'm confident that we |
| 153 | +will make a positive impact on scientific open source Python community. |
| 154 | + |
| 155 | +That's what truly matters. |
| 156 | + |
| 157 | +And I gave out a lot of pyOpenSci stickers too! |
| 158 | + |
| 159 | +<figure> |
| 160 | + <a href="/images/pyopensci-stickers.png"> |
| 161 | + <img src="/images/pyopensci-stickers.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="Two pyOpenSci sticker designs. the one is a light purple flower with white stamen and the letters pr and O as the center of the sticker. The S is a snake. The econd sticker is a darker and lighter purpler that says pyOPenSci and has the top half of a flower above the O in open."> |
| 162 | + </a> |
| 163 | + <figcaption>Fresh off the press - pyOpenSci stickers! |
| 164 | + </figcaption> |
| 165 | +</figure> |
| 166 | + |
| 167 | +## For all of you introverts - a few tips that helped me this year |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | +My approach to participating in SciPy was so much better than that at pyCon. |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +I learned some valuable lessons about taking care of |
| 172 | +both my work and my mental well-being. As an introvert in a busy meeting filled |
| 173 | +with awesome colleagues, it's easy to get burnt out. |
| 174 | + |
| 175 | +Here's what I did to make sure I left the meeting feeling refreshed and energized: |
| 176 | + |
| 177 | +- 🌟 I prioritized mental health: It's all about balance. I put as much effort into taking care of myself as I did into my work during the meeting. |
| 178 | +- 🌟 Embraced breaks: During the meeting, I consciously took short breaks to unwind. Whether it was chilling in my hotel room or going for a stroll outside, giving my brain a breather made a world of difference. And guess what? I slept better at night too! |
| 179 | + |
| 180 | +* 🌟 Me time matters: While I didn't participate in every social activity, I didn't feel like I was missing out. Instead, I used that time to recharge solo and get some extra sleep. And let me tell you, it worked wonders! |
| 181 | +* 🌟 Balanced work and recovery: To avoid getting run down, I allowed myself to miss the second day of the sprints. This allowed me to travel home on Sunday and recover in the afternoon with my furry friend, Juno. |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +In the end, I may have missed a bit of the action, but the payoff was totally worth it. I left the meeting feeling way better than I did after PyCon. |
| 184 | + |
| 185 | +So, fellow introverts, remember this little secret weapon called |
| 186 | +"recovery time" at your next big event! It's a game-changer! |
| 187 | + |
| 188 | +## A personal note - flying solo in the open source world is never truly solo |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +Back in March 2023, I made a bold decision to leave a toxic academic |
| 191 | +environment and fully dedicate myself to building and growing pyOpenSci—an |
| 192 | +amazing, community-focused organization. |
| 193 | + |
| 194 | +Let me tell you, taking that leap of faith was pretty intimidating. The academic |
| 195 | +setting had taken a toll on me, shattering my confidence and even affecting my |
| 196 | +health. But I knew in my heart that I wanted to channel all my energy into |
| 197 | +community work, collaborating with people who respected and appreciated me as |
| 198 | +much as I respected them. |
| 199 | + |
| 200 | +And guess what? This journey has been beyond my wildest dreams! Not only has |
| 201 | +the pyOpenSci community thrived and made a remarkable impact in just its first |
| 202 | +year, but it has also turned out to be the kind of inclusive, supportive |
| 203 | +community I always envisioned. |
| 204 | + |
| 205 | +It's incredible how not only is pyOpenSci helping others, but it's also been a |
| 206 | +source of support and healing for me. I couldn't be more grateful for this |
| 207 | +vibrant and uplifting environment that we've created together. |
| 208 | + |
| 209 | +I'll keep pushing forward, knowing that this beautiful journey is just the |
| 210 | +beginning. |
| 211 | + |
| 212 | +Thank you, SciPy for supporting me and reinforcing the fact that I made the right decision! And i'd be remiss if I didn't also thank the pyOpenSci community |
| 213 | +that is truly bring pyOpenSci's vision to life. |
| 214 | + |
| 215 | +## Wrapping up |
| 216 | + |
| 217 | +And that is all I have to say about SciPy 2023! It was an incredible experience. |
| 218 | +If you are reading this and we connected at SciPy this year or if you contributed |
| 219 | +to pyOpensci this year, I just want to say thank you. |
| 220 | + |
| 221 | +From the bottom of my heart. I see change coming in the upcoming years. |
| 222 | +pyOpenSci wants to be a part of and to drive that change!! |
| 223 | + |
| 224 | +We can't achieve that without your help! |
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