Today I attended the GC Digital Initiatives online workshop Intro to Python. The session was 2-hours long, which is about as long as you would like a workshop to be to not get total brain fatigue. However, as may be evident, Python is a complex tool that requires hours of dedication to understand and then experiment with implementing. 

I have no experience with this programming language, and felt like I was in the right place. The level of the content was right from the beginning, providing baby steps to start to understand the foundation of the logic of this tool. As discussed in a previous class, we worked synchronously together through a new asynchronous tutorial offered via the DHRIFT site. This provided a clear and organized structure for the class, as well as an aesthetically pleasing, but also delightfully minimal visual to follow along with. 

We were introduced to types, variables, running scripts, functions, errors, lists, and more. Cleverly the DHRIFT site had a live Python code editor embedded into the page so we could all practice without needing to download and install any software, or be moving back and forth through several windows. The moderator engaged us in thinking through problems and there were mini-quizzes we did together to check our understanding. 

Overall it was a good experience, and was professionally and kindly done. Just for my own personal sake, I am not wrapping my head around how this tool is actually used and implemented and if it is worth the time vs. output ratio. I think I would really need to put in some serious hours to begin to crack this code. All in all though, it was good. Again, just personally, I think I would rather pursue other digital tools that are more approachable before diving into Python. 

As mentioned already in class, I think the DHRIFT site is a great (and developing) site to find asynchronous and approachable tutorials for a variety of digital tools. I am looking forward to checking out their text mining tutorial next.