PyConDE 2019

Posted by Steffen Schröder on 08 October 2019

This year, I attended PyConDE for the seconds time. Having PyConDE 2017 been my first open source conference I was really looking forward to it.

Talks

I attended some talks. For some, I used the description of the talk, for others I summarized in addition what I learned

Carla Hustedt - Algo.Rules - How do we get the ethics into the code?

Description of the talk:

Algorithms are increasingly relied upon in decision making processes that can have far-reaching implications for all of us. They help doctors diagnose diseases and develop treatment plans. They tell police officers where to patrol. They decide who is going to be invited to the job interview.

It is up to us to ensure that algorithmic systems are designed for the benefit of society. But how do we make sure that the individual and collective freedoms and rights that comprise human rights are strengthened, not undermined, by the use of algorithmic systems? In the keynote I address the complex interconnections between the technology and society, highlighting potential solutions to understanding, building and regulating algorithm decision making.

Ingo Stegmaier - Developers vs. Enterprise

Description of the talk

This 30-minute talk will give you an overview about project management, success factors and specialties within enterprises. This will be a guide how you promote internal projects and bring them to success within a highly "political" environment.

Often developers feel misunderstood while managers are overwhelmed with technical details. In this talk I'll present how both world can get a better understanding with each other to collaborate better - and without the pains.

I really enjoyed Ingo's talk and also a small chat with him afterwards. The emphasis on stakeholder management and to have a common language is very important. One point I like to add from my experience is, sometimes it's with building a prototype. One might not get management's buy-in for a vague idea or research project. I built a lot of tools after work and on the weekends which emerged into widely used (1000+ users) tools.

It's like in the quote of Grace Hopper:

It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission