P2 Weekly Meetups on Zoom: seeking your input on topics and sharing my own
Ken Gracey
Posts: 7,386
Hey there,
I propose (with encouragement from @"Peter Jakacki") that we have a standing weekly Zoom Meeting for P2 topics, starting the week of June 22nd or the week thereafter. Parallax has a license for large-scale Meetings in Zoom (where people can take control of the screen, talk, share video, etc.). These would be hosted and have a one-hour agenda out of respect for people's time and interest level in the topics being presented. We'd upload them to YouTube afterward and support the meetings with some prizes.
Some of the ideas I've had included sharing how to use a P2 "object of the week", show-and-tell with community efforts (FastSpin, FlexGui, P2D2, Spin2, MicroPython), applications, etc.
I'd create an open Google document for people to make commitments to presenting. I'd even kick off the first or second meeting with a topic of interest "Parallax's Propeller 2 Software Tools Plan".
Seeking your comments and input of all kinds. Would like to know your preferred time (in Pacific zone, if possible) since we have many people in Oz, the east coast of USA, and Europe. My first thought very early in the morning, or very late in the evening, mid-week. What topics would you like? Would you like to present?
Thank you -
Ken Gracey
I propose (with encouragement from @"Peter Jakacki") that we have a standing weekly Zoom Meeting for P2 topics, starting the week of June 22nd or the week thereafter. Parallax has a license for large-scale Meetings in Zoom (where people can take control of the screen, talk, share video, etc.). These would be hosted and have a one-hour agenda out of respect for people's time and interest level in the topics being presented. We'd upload them to YouTube afterward and support the meetings with some prizes.
Some of the ideas I've had included sharing how to use a P2 "object of the week", show-and-tell with community efforts (FastSpin, FlexGui, P2D2, Spin2, MicroPython), applications, etc.
I'd create an open Google document for people to make commitments to presenting. I'd even kick off the first or second meeting with a topic of interest "Parallax's Propeller 2 Software Tools Plan".
Seeking your comments and input of all kinds. Would like to know your preferred time (in Pacific zone, if possible) since we have many people in Oz, the east coast of USA, and Europe. My first thought very early in the morning, or very late in the evening, mid-week. What topics would you like? Would you like to present?
Thank you -
Ken Gracey
Comments
Any time suits me, although how about 6am PDT? That makes it 11pm AEST, 3pm CEST.
Ross.
The reason I designed the P2D2 in the first place was because I was trying to do up a datasheet of some kind but found I really needed to create pinouts, diagrams, package dimensions etc and so therefore a real need for some kind of reference design schematic which led to an actual hardware design etc.
BTW, I'm happy if it is 11pm AEST. Definitely doesn't get in the way of any other plans.
TAQOZ could be the subject of a meeting. Do I hear that you are volunteering to be a presenter, if we schedule these at 6 am Pacific (11 pm AEST)? The single meeting could be a "State of P2D2 + TAQOZ" agenda.
Some people may not like the pressure of sharing on a video. While it might be difficult to think about, it's tremendously rewarding and productive to shift from this kind of format to one with real humans.
Ken Gracey
Evenings are probably best for me, but I can probably make anything work (I'm only an hour off from you guys).
Even though these meetings will be about P2, they may help him to get a fresh perspective and energy from users and developers just as it would help us get his and others perspective. Plus it would liven things up. I don't think I've ever been buried in a project as intensely as Chip has with the P2, and for as long, or anywhere near a fraction of that. But I know we can become so focused that we get rather defensive of our decisions, and possessive of our baby, naturally. However in hindsight while that may be a natural reaction, it ain't healthy or fun.
For instance, I love using TAQOZ, and Chip and others love Spin2, but what are the majority of users expecting? The P2 is a nice looking chip but the user is mostly going to see a GUI, so it better be good looking at the least. These things and others are the bonnets, and bibs, and booties that I am talking about that can dress bub up. It doesn't change bub, because it is still Chip's baby.
So I don't know if it's a big ask, but is there a possibility that Parallax can employ someone, even if it's not quite full-time, or they might have some other duties, but who can act as the official Parallax P2 coordinator or project manager. They don't actually have to do the development or documentation, just bring all these goodies together and even request features and changes etc. We are all happy hard working elves with our noses to our grindstones but no one has been going around collecting all this work that's piling up and putting it to good use. If it turns out that Chip isn't happy with suggestions that come his way via the P2 coordinator then obviously Chip has the final say, but at least he would hear our say.
Ken Gracey
I think those are two different use cases. Maybe you do two separate Zoom events. One is focused on users. The other is focused on contributors. Don't try to do one-size-fits-all.
The line between contributors and others to come is a good one to be mindful of.
One of the more important things to come out of these sessions is a better understanding of WHY people are where they are and are getting after the things they are.
Eg:
Some of us are seeing the P2 as a system.
Others see a chip that can do magic.
Or, it is just another micro.
Still others see it as a playground.
And many do not know how to see it, just that it is new and has some intrigue, a shiny thing.
Definitely have two tracks. At first.
Then listen to the people looking to onboard themselves as opposed to the ones who want to be onboarded.
The group here? We are going to onboard ourselves and have, or are.
Some, like myself, will take what is there and go. And we have a lot! So much more than P1.
The ones who want to be onboarded are really different. There needs to be an obvious path. Does not need to be the path, or even the best one. It does need to be robust and useful while also being low hassle, high reward.
I can tell you right now this P2 rollout is not there yet for them. No worries. That is expected at this stage, but it is also needed now, Ken will say yesterday too.
The best thing to come out of these will be for a few people to synthesize a useful path for those wanting or who would want to take the ride should they see some compelling possible destinations.
That's gonna be where Parallax official plays best.
This time P2 can do more, and the many competing visions here are about that more. Could be a few here end up with their own ecosystems. Could be Parallax can expand beyond education and do more and better commercial business too.
More than it already does.
I submit funding that means serving the established base in a way that brings them onto P2 and in a way that enriches what they are getting out of or from P1 right now.
I can't tell you what that means. Most of us can't and that is precisely why at least two tracks make sense.
I can tell you what I think it means. All of us can.
Why not find that out more directly?
The proposed late night in Oz works for me. I think us ozzies are all east coast. It'll be 2 hours late in NZ tho'.
Maybe alternate the weeks between intro topics and experienced topics. I don't think anyone is prepared yet for the novice tho'.
I'd really like to keep the time the same each week - and make this a recurring meeting, but 6 am Pacific won't work too well in the USA on a continual basis. So, we will vary the time zone a bit based on what works best for the presenter.
We need a name for the series. What do you propose? Put your ideas here. Once we get the name of the Zoom Meetings, I will create a wide-open Google doc where we can start taking volunteer presenters - and I'll create the Zoom registration each time (since the time may vary).
Thanks,
Ken Gracey
Or “P2 Zoom Forum”
Not sure if yes or no is better...
Certainly would record. Many will expect them on YouTube afterwards.
More name ideas, Rayman!
Ken Gracey
But I'm not sure at this stage that we would have "a presenter" as in just one because we have different topics to cover that are interrelated but not always something that centers on the one presenter. Certainly we could have short presentations during the meeting, giving us some food for thought. An agenda is very useful both for helping us to be organized (or more correctly from being disorganized), and also give us time to do our own research on the subject and collect our thoughts. Parallax already has P2 chips in stock and hardware so the main focus at present is to help Parallax develop the software tools and interface and documentation. Is FlexGUI the way to go for a complete programming system for P2 and P1? Then let's discuss that, and so forth.
btw, I forgot about name suggestions. These might be totally silly until I have had time to think about them but how about "The P2 Think Tank" or "Propeller Head Space" (we are a bunch of Propeller heads)
That's what Ken and others are basically doing. What have we really got? Where are those things going?
+1 for this one, it has a nice ring to it
I agree. Organize separate streams.
I like it