Abstract
A bridge can both literally and metaphorically connect people of different communities together.
There are many reasons why distinct communities exist within the software space, some good, some bad, some natural. For example, "baby duck syndrome"denotes a situation where a computer user "imprints" on the first system they learn. This can lead to identifying within the context of that community.
Within the Python space, we can see small and large communities converging around a certain package or framework. These communities can be vibrant, supportive, and generally wonderful.
I suggest ways in which we can "build bridges" from these communities in order to learn from each other, promote diversity, and break down barriers. This will not only benefit those of us within these communities, but also newcomers looking to find their footing.
Notes
Before diving into the notes for this talk, I want to mention how incredible North Bay Python is as a conference. It is held in a barn. There are cats.
I shouldn't have to say more, but here's a succinct way I put it on Mastodon after my first day:
Decompressing after an incredible day of talks at North Bay Python. Having a one track conference is truly special. There's a sense of camaraderie that's sometimes missing from larger conferences.
And there's still room for the "hallway track" between talks, at lunch, during break, and so on... if that's something you look for at conferences.
I got to sit and have lunch with some people I look up to @pamelafox @davidism @simon
Looking forward to tomorrow!
Needless to say, if you've never been, try to make room for it in the future!
Personal History
I was born in a place called Choluteca, Honduras. Honduras is one of five countries located between Mexico and Colombia (South America). I moved to the United States shortly before turning 7 years old.
As a kid, sometimes people would ask where Honduras was located. When I answered that it was in Central America, they thought that maybe this was somewhere in Nebraska...
But, no, Honduras is further south, sharing a border between El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
Choluteca is the "Texas" of Honduras (sometimes I referred to it as Cholutexas, for the "American"-centric, geographically challenged).
Like Texas: - It is the southern-most state in Honduras (the capital city is also called Choluteca). - It is very hot and and dry. - Ranchers... aka Cowboys!
I grew up in a hacienda outside of Choluteca (the city). To go into town, we would need to cross the Choluteca River, which meant going accross the Choluteca Bridge.
Choluteca Bridge History
The Choluteca bridge was built between 1935 - 1937. It was a cooperative effort between the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Honduran government. It was part of a cross-continental highway system called the Pan American Highway.
The bridge is a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge (which was also opened in 1937).
First Person Account
A first person account from the Director of engineering is recorded in historic Honduran documentation.
According to Honduran director of engineering, Jorge Colindres:
With true satisfaction I note in this paragraph that throughout the development of the work there was a harmonious unity of action, with not the lightest personal friction having been remembered. All infrastructure work was carried out strictly in accordance with the plans prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture and Roads, with some small reforms having been present during the course of construction, which operated here on a permanent basis and which included the T Engineers. M. Whedbee and Simón Martínez.
Some difficulties endured (also recorded in above reference, but summarized below):
The terrain was extremely uneven, and there were frequent minor landslides. They eventually had to build a concrete curtain around the bridge anchors to facilitate further construction. Massive amounts of land were excavated by hand and transported by wheelbarrows. Temporary houses were built on either side of the river for the laborers, as well as materials. During the last winter, there were heavy rains, but the work did not pause, even though transporting much of the heavy machinery proved extremely difficulty (they did not have a complete set of necessary tools). They also built a temporary wooden bridge to help finish the work. In all, there were an average of 600 workers per month during the building phase, consisting of carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, firefighters, engineers, and so on....
Metaphors
The metaphorical parallels between bridge building and how that is evident in our tech communities is compelling.
Obstacles
Bridges are built to overcome obstacles.
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American highway is the result of a US led, global infrastructure project meant to connect the continents of North and South America.
Great article about its history:
The Lost Highway, by Maureen Harmon
A road that connects North and South (and Central!) America was a daunting task with many obstacles.
The Choluteca Bridge is just one small example.
But the effort that was undertaken was focused and dedicated to the task at hand.
From the article:
It took five Pan-American conferences, a world war, the birth of the automobile industry in the U.S., and the knowledge of the infrastructure required to get the autos from place to place before the American highway system could begin to snake its way south. But the ride wasn't always smooth.
Parallels
In the tech sphere, we have many big obstacles to overcome:
- Complexity: Can beginners access our code? Is our documentation too technical?
- Language: Are we making our software/documentation approachable by those who are not native English speakers (avoiding jargon)
- Bias: Do we cut down other efforts that don't fit our own preconceptions?
- Elitism: Are we gatekeeping due to our entitlement/elitism?
- Sexism: Are we self-aware enough to recognize societal failings?
- Racism: See above...
Overcoming Obstacles
So how do we begin to overcome these obstacles?
One thing to keep in mind is that we are often in the middle of something much bigger in scope... something that we can't necessarily solve ourselves. Even though the team behind the Choluteca Bridge worked tirelessly to build the bridge, their effort isolated to a very specific problem.
This does not invalidate their effort. Instead, it shows the importance of setting your mind to the task at hand, not getting bogged down by the enormity of a given task.
As an example, let's talk about how complex it is to build websites these days. Massive front-end frameworks require an investment from developers who are constantly trying to adapt to this "modern" paradigm.
In spite of these paradigms, there are those out there who believe in making a more accessible web... one that is decidedly less complex.
Technical
An example of overcoming overly-complex paradigms, such as bloated front-end systems, there are "frameworks" like htmx.
Non-Technical
Much harder to deal with.
We may not be able to eradicate or eliminate sexism or racism out right. But we can make concerted efforts to bridge those gaps with collective efforts.
Great examples within the Python space.
Building bridges isn't easy... and sometimes it might feel daunting (think about the Pan-American Highway, for example). Important to stay focused on the task at hand (think Choluteca Bridge!)
Connections
A bridge represents a connection. It enables the interaction of people that would otherwise have a difficult time interacting.
By nature, these connections enable diversity and open up the possibility of new ideas and worldviews.
My experiences at PyCon 2022 and PyCon 2023 have proven invaluable to me.
The friends I've met have turned the "abstract" world of code into something "living and breathing."
Transitions
Bridges are meant to overcome obstacles. They enable new connections. And finally, they lead to transitions.
Just as I was mentioning before, early in my Python journey, I thought of myself as a consumer of the code, but now I see myself as a contributor as well, even if it's not only in the form of code.
When I was five years old, I thought that maybe I would be a cowboy.
In my twenties, I was an iconoclastic idealist (with really bad fashion sense).
Now in my mid forties, I'm speaking at Python conferences.
Life is always full of transitions. But it is because of the bridges that have been built (or that we are building) that we are able to achieve something new.
Hidden Potential
The book, Hidden Potential, by Adam Grant talks about how success does not come from innate talent, but from deliberate effort and practice.
"This is the first form of courage," Grant writes. "Being brave enough to embrace discomfort and throw your learning style out the window."
Elsewhere, he continues, "What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn..."
We should be willing to build these bridges so that others can have these transformative experiences, if they are willing to make those transitions.
Two Takeaways
Python community is very diverse. In fact, it's not really just one community, it is MANY communities.
See this toot by Jon Banafato:
Side note: "the Python community" is an oversimplified phrase. There are many Python communities. It's not one centrally controlled thing. Plenty of us talk with one another, but there isn't one well-coordinated network where information gets shared and then everyone knows about it...
Needless to say, we could be doing much better to connect these networks.
Two things to keep in mind from my presentation.
- Cross Bridges
- Build Bridges
Cross Bridges
Take a cue from some of the amazing people behind these awesome libraries. They demonstrate a level of friendliness and respect that we could all learn from...
See this toot by Jeff Triplett during PyCon 2024.
Two Django developers, the Flask lead maintainer, and the Pydantic author walk into a bar…
Don't be like the guy who creates a talk called:
"Why I Didn't Start With Django"
Oh wait!...
The organizers that year actually saw the title of my talk proposal and thought it would be a good idea for me to come and tell the community why I didn't use the very library we were supposed to be celebrating.
This is amazing foresight, from my point of view, and not because I got asked to speak--but because it shows that they are listening... looking for those of us that are willing to cross into their communities.
Other things: You can attend or speak at a conference! The organizers do a fantastic job of making it easy for us to sit down next to people you look up to and respect.
Also: I'd invite you to join another community. Not just another but an "OTHER" community.
Move out of your comfort zone. Take something you've learned and share it somewhere new, or go somewhere you've never been, and learn a new skill.
Build Bridges
See the organizations listed above? They are examples of how individuals are looking to build bridges for underserved communities.
Unsure how to get started? Reach out.
Another recent example of an organization devoted to building bridges?
(I recently was accepted into the program and will write about it soon!)
This program places an emphasis on group-learning, sustainability and longevity. Djangonauts are members of the community who wish to level up their current Django code contributions and potentially take on leadership roles in Django in the future.
Other things: For library/package maintainers—how welcoming is your documentation? What is the experience like for newcomers?
Not sure? Maybe ask someone to give you feedback who may not be familiar with your software...
Do you maintain web content? Have you made it accessible?
Have you looked at other similar or dissimilar libraries to see how they approach the same problem?
Reach out to the maintainers. Submit some code. See what you can learn...
Extra
There are items that I didn't cover in my presentation.
Unfinished Business
The Pan-American Highway is an incredible achievement, connecting Alaska with Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
However, there is one segment that was left unfinished. The Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia is a very dangerous area, both in terms of wildlife, terrain, and even human intervention (drug trafficking/migrants).
Even the grandest of plans may eventually go unfinished, but it does not diminish the accomplishments along the way.
Imperialism
There are times when bridges can backfire. The Pan-American Highway can also be seen from local communities as sign of encroachment and imperialism.
There are those who would build bridges to overcome and overtake other communities.
This is a real danger that we should guard against.
Stories
And lastly, one of the most powerful ways to build a bridge is to simply tell your story (which is what I tried to do in this presentation).
It helps us all know that we are not alone, that we are all human, and that we can accomplish more together than alone.