[Showme-devel] Status of ShowMeBox at DebConf16 [was: Re: not attending debconf :-( ]

Mon Jun 13 17:22:38 UTC 2016

Hi all

Apologies for the delayed reply. I was hoping to hear that Siri and
Jonas (and the whole team, actually) will be able to come to Cape Town
after all, but alas.

On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 6:00 PM, Jonas Smedegaard <dr at jones.dk> wrote:
> Quoting Bernelle Verster (2016-05-15 21:25:02)
>> Regarding the ShowMeBox, I have two concerns:
>> 1, Format of hackathon
>>
>> We do not have an agreed format for what we are trying to achieve. I
>> am struggling to think how to include high school learners with what I
>> perceive to be quite a high technical content. This is a solvable
>> problem (see below).
>
> I don't have an answer to the event part.  Siri has also been puzzled on
> how it should materialize...

I do not think we should do a hackathon at the conference. There has
been interest in an "Open Weekend Hardware"[1] ... thing... and we
have a sponsor bringing a 3D printer, so even if nothing more happens,
it will be a success. I would like "The ShowMeBox Project" listed and
represented at the Open Weekend. I have asked Graham if he would be
present at the stand, and I will try to be there when I'm not
organising stuff. I think it would be great to have a poster showing
what our aim is, Siri, I will send a separate email about that, I hope
you can design it?
>
>
>> 2. Status of hardware, software
>>
> As I see it, ShowMeBox has potential to grow more complex (e.g. to use
> Beaker Notebook), but can be realized in far simpler form initially.
>
> That goes both for piecing together hardware and software, for planning
> and executing a competition event, and for drafting and finalizing
> communication material for box and/or event.  We can start small.

I am comfortable with this becoming a longer term open hardware project.
>
> The strict rule I impose on hardware is that it *must* run pure Debian.
> Testing/unstable suite ok. Non-free or external parts is *not* ok.
>
> Status: LIME/LIME2 boxes are our baseline: Tested and known to work.
>
>
>> 2.2. Software:
> Status: Python Notebook is our baseline: Available in Debian.
>
> Other options (most prominently Beaker Notebook) are potentially more
> interesting, but are not yet in Debian.
>
> 2.3. Courseware/demos
>
> Status: We have *no* Python Notebook sample visualizations.
>
> We need to find or create sample visualizations using Python Notebook -
> or for some alternative visualization framework, available in Debian.
> I.e. some baseline proof of concept for _use_ of our box.

While I am certainly not good at this yet, doing Sankey diagrams using
the d3.js stuff [2] has re-awaked my joy for working on visualising
data. I see this fitting in with my continuous passion for making
science (and maths and engineering etc etc) more accessible to the
public, and I would like to do this at some point, for income. So I
like that data visualisation is the route to showcase what open
hardware can do.
>
> Please explore and share experiences with Python Notebook and/or other
> visualization frameworks available *now* in Debian.

I am thinking to explore and get better at this as my DebConf16 project.

>
>> An alternative to consider is a more open ended initiative that places
>> more emphasis on the information art exhibition, and whatever people
>> do can be displayed in this context. We can then use this opportunity
>> to bring awareness to the ShowMeBox and develop it as a more extended
>> initiative (which will include packaging Beaker into Debian, and my
>> personal 'agenda' of open hardware, and data visualisation in
>> general).
>
> Events around ShowMeBox can be strict (e.g. a competition) or loose
> (e,g, a workshop).  Either makes sense to me - and as I have (once)
> experienced it, a "Hackathon" is in fact more the latter.

As mentioned above, there is the "Open Weekend Hardware"[1] thing, and
also a poster exhibition [3]. Initially I was hoping for all sorts of
beautiful things created in Debian exhibited at DebConf16, including
things created with the ShowMeBox, but I could not generate enough
excitement. If there are existing posters with beautiful things that
in some vague way relate to Debian, please share them on the wiki or
by replying to me. If I like it, I will print it at my own cost (and
keep it), and if you're willing to pay for it I will collect it and
look after it during the conference.
>
>
>> Perhaps we can all answer the question: Where do we want to go with
>> this in the long term? And using that, how do we best contribute to
>> this long term goal during DebConf?
>>
>> For me, I want it to fit with ShackLabs:
>> http://merahmas.co.za/shacklabs and while any of the approaches could
>> work, I feel that a more low key, longer term approach with more
>> emphasis on the process and the relationships between people might go
>> further.
>
> I want it as addon to [DebianParl] - for data visualizations at
> political meetings, created either by parliamentarians themselves or
> (perhaps more likely) lobbyists or political science students passed on
> to the political group as that well-defined format of "data directly
> usable - for display and further exploration - on a ShowMeBox".
>
> I want it as addon to [Debian Tinker Blend] - similarly as well-defined
> environment for tinker people to compose and exchange visualizations of
> the stuff they work on - loudspeaker measurements, bio hacking
> statistics, economics of using the 3d printer and its supplies, etc.
>
> And I want it to be used at workshops, hackathons and competitions -
> both thrown by Debianistas (e.g. as part of Debconf or MiniDebconf) and
> done by groups outside Debian.
>
> [DebianParl]: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianParl
>
> [Debian Tinker Blend]: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker

Excellent :)
What do others want? Why are the rest of the team involved?
>
>
>> Then, the much overdue note on high-school learner involvement:
> [details snipped]
>
> Wauw!  Several good opportunities around this in your area!

Yup, too many things, too little time.
>
>
>> These things take time, and more depth than I think we can muster in a
>> month. But it has long-term potential.
> [...]
>> I only really have time to execute it. That may be fine if we want a
>> simple thing, but I am afraid that we may want too much, too soon...
>
> It seems we lack someone to design the _event_ around ShowMeBox.  We can
> outsource that part to Two Sigma or a local group in Cape Town, but then
> still need to describe to them what event we want.  We need someone to
> take the lead on creating the event.
>
> I suspect Bernelle is a perfect candidate - if not busy planning
> Debconf...
>
> ...so how about we postpone?

This seems the inevitable outcome, yes. And the ShowMeBox becomes a
project rather than an add-on to DebConf, which I guess it always
was...

>
> How about aiming for an independent event in, say, 6 months?  Siri and I
> get to Cape Town for e.g. 2 months, couchsurfing at Bernelle, Graham
> and/or others. We ask Two Sigma to sponsor travel (and living?) costs.
> Kris and colleagues from Two Sigma joins for a shorter time around the
> event. Perhaps we expand the event to a Minidebconf, or integrate with
> some larger event done by others locally...
>
> @Bernelle: Would you be interested in leading the event orga part, if
> done after Debconf as a separate event?  If so, when is more suitable?
> +3 months? +4 years?

I am interested, yes. I cannot make any guess about my time
availability for the next month or so, unfortunately, and so I ask if
we can postpone the discussion. As an estimate, I think a good aim for
an event in Cape Town should be in our winter, so that's around June
July next year, as the summers have too many other events going on.
Anything less than a year is too soon, in my opinion, regardless.
>
> Somewhat independent of ShowMeBox events - now at Debconf and/or later -
> we develop ShowMeBox the hardware+software setup.  Evolutionary.

+ 1

>
>  - Jonas

regards
B

[1] - https://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf16/DebianDay_Hardware
[2] - https://d3js.org/
[3] - https://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf16/DebianDay/Posters

>
> --
>  * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
>  * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/
>
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>
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