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

[Jonas Smedegaard]

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...


> 2. Status of hardware, software
> 
> I am not clear on the status of the ShowMeBox, and how much 
> modification is allowed while it is still 'the ShowMeBox'. Said 
> another way, I think we are trying to do a very technical complex 
> thing in limited time, which is doable, but with a whole lot of 
> unresolved idealogy as well. This is also fine in general, but not 
> with a limited timeline (in a nutshell I would diagnose that as the 
> 'DebConf problem' :/ ).

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.


> 2.1 Hardware: As I understand, if we don't use open hardware, Jonas is 
> not willing to call it the ShowMeBox.

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.

That rule covers many ARM boxes, but specifically disqualifies the 
popular but ill-designed Raspberry Pi (needs non-free blob to boot).


> But there is not consensus to get a) cheap, b) open and c) the 
> technical specs required all in the same box. Where do we stand here? 
> Can we make a decision on what we will use, and how many units?

Status: LIME/LIME2 boxes are our baseline: Tested and known to work.

Other options are possibly cheaper and/or more widely available in South 
Africa, but none have been tested and verified to be usable for us.

To judge alternative options we need price and availability in South 
Africa for each considered box. Easiest is to consider the options at 
https://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/TargetedHardware - but feel free to 
propose other options as well.


> 2.2. Software: As I understand, Beaker is not available in the Debian 
> packaging, so if we use it, it's not the ShowMeBox. Do we have 
> something that's open and ready?

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.


> Related to this, I tried playing with Beaker, and while I can 
> appreciate it is a fabulous concept, I got very confused. While I am 
> certainly not a dev, I have been working with Sankey diagrams (slowly, 
> and step by step) (from https://d3js.org/), and I am concerned that if 
> we don't have a structured program for high school learners, this will 
> not be successful. I would suggest having some very simple format 
> where people with no prior experience can sit down and after, 
> effectively, three hours, have made something interesting (for them). 
> The closest thing I have seen that compares is from the Khan Academy 
> introduction to JavaScript, Drawing and Animation: 
> https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/programming 
> EDx has great courses too, but they're all a bit more advanced, and 
> usually linked to a specific time line (http://edx.org/)

Quite interesting observations, relevant generally for judging 
visualization frameworks.

Would be helpful if e.g. Kris could get some sample notebooks for Beaker 
as used/produced in that earlier Two Sigma competition, to have more 
concrete inspiration of its potential use (yes, I am aware that Beaker 
ships with a range of samples already - what I mean is stuff more 
specifically tied to a youngster visualization competition).

Beware however that Beaker Notebook is *not* in Debian, so not an option 
yet for ShowMeBox.

(Khan Academy neither is in Debian, and as I recall cannot be due to its 
licensing).

Please explore and share experiences with Python Notebook and/or other 
visualization frameworks available *now* in Debian.


> 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.


> 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


> Then, the much overdue note on high-school learner involvement:
[details snipped]

Wauw!  Several good opportunities around this in your area!


> 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?

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?

Somewhat independent of ShowMeBox events - now at Debconf and/or later - 
we develop ShowMeBox the hardware+software setup.  Evolutionary.

 - Jonas

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

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