An invitation

Raspberry Pi Forever

We are inviting all Raspberry Pi owners, or those thinking about getting one, to join the user group. If you are in this area, do join!

De Facto

Python is the "de facto" language on the Raspberry Pi when it comes to hardware projects. Just a quick look at the tutorials on the web, and at kits and libraries, and Python is in the spotlight. This is bringing a whole new demographic to the Python community. Just perusing the forums of local hackerspaces, and you'll see mentions of the Raspberry Pi, and will let you discover new Python apps, utilities and libraries (Have you ever used Pronterface? PySerial?). Visiting some of the electronics kit makers and parts distributors web sites, and again, it is obvious that Python and Raspberry Pi hardware are well coupled.

Contagious fruit

Conversely, Python hackers, if you are not familiar with electronics, hardware hacking, makers and the like, you are probably in for a surprise. It is fairly addictive and quite fulfilling to be able to have a Python script to do stuff in the physical space, not just as 0s and 1s. So check it out:
Raspberry Pi foundation
Raspberry Pi Python Adventures Blog

What area do we cover?

Our primary area is the Piedmont Triad. This includes the cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, and those surrounding that area, such as Clemmons, Mt-Airy, Kernersville, Colfax, Thomasville, Lexington, Archdale, Burlington etc.

We are fairly close to another python user group in Charlotte, and another toward Raleigh, and we welcome members of those Python UGs to join this one too due to the short driving distance.

We also know that there are companies, universities and schools using Python in the general area, within an hour or two driving distance, and we encourage you to join the user group. Invite others to join too.

PyCarolinas 2012

PyCarolinas 2012 is happening on October 20 and 21st. Mark your calendars!

When:

October 20th-21st

Where:

Kerr Hall

UNC EshelmanSchool of Pharmacy
Chapel Hill, NC
What:
  PyCarolinas' website

More than a mailing list

Not only is this blog a pointer to the PYPTUG mailing list, it will also include information that might be of interest to our members. In particular, documents, videos, images etc, that are better suited in a blog than in a mailing list. At any rate, we are open to suggestions. Thanks, and dont forget to sign up for the mailing list here.

PYthon Piedmont Triad User Group

Welcome to PYPTUG!

This is the Python programming language user group for the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, USA (PYthon Piedmont Triad User Group, or PYPTUG). This group was informally started in 2011, where meetings were between a few friends around lunch, and code was written on paper napkins. The group got into gear through a presentation at the PyCarolinas conference in 2012, and we've been having monthly meetings

To post to the PYPTUG mailing list, send your email to: pyptug@googlegroups.com

General information about the mailing list is at: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/pyptug?hl=en

This list is moderated, with posting only for members. Discussion has to be on topic, related to Python in some form. Even if you are not planning to attend meetings in person, you are encouraged to join and contribute to the community.

Why PYPTUG

Our goal is to promote and advance computing, electronics and science in general in North Carolina using the Python programming language, and through workshops and project nights where people can learn, get help and mentor others. A secondary goal is to make you, the artist, the engineer, the investor, the manager, the programmer, the scientist, the teacher, better at your job.

Why Python

Short answer? Why not.

Slightly longer answer? It is almost english pseudo code, with barely any symbols to obscure readability. It can pretty much do anything that is possible to do with a computer, plus it scales on both side, for the machine and the human.

At one end of the spectrum, it can be used to teach programming to a young child using a $20 computer without the burden of functional or object orientation and boilerplate code, and at the other end, it can be used on high performance clusters following OO or functional patterns with a very large team of top notch programmers.

And that is the range of your typical visitors at a PYPTUG meeting, from less than 12 years of age, to retired, from artists to hackers, from individuals to teams working in large corporations, with projects ranging from deep sea exploration to beyond the stratosphere, and from recording music to automated buying and selling of stocks.

Hence, why Python.

So come and check us out, every month on the 3rd Wednesday and last Monday. See our meetup page for what is coming up :

http://www.meetup.com/PYthon-Piedmont-Triad-User-Group-PYPTUG.