Photo Workshop Completed

Dub_CasWe completed TOG’s photo workshop today. Yesterday, just as everyone got film loaded, the rain threatened to spoil the day. It soon cleared and we all headed for Dublin Castle and environs. Despite a few minor calamities, everyone got a roll of B&W film exposed and developed. The workshop continued today with printing. Everyone got a contact print done and a chance to make some test exposures and prints.

Pics here… https://www.flickr.com/photos/100047873@N08/sets/72157645115217518/

Workshop: Making Your First Contribution to OpenStack (take #2!)

If you were interested in contributing to OpenStack, the open-source cloud infrastructure project, you’re in luck! The workshop on how to make your first contribution to the project will be running again in July.

When? Monday, July 14th at 6.45pm, until 10pm or so.
Cost? €5 for non-members (with all proceeds going to Tog as usual), free for members.
How to sign up? You can use the form in the previous announcement.

For more information about the workshop’s contents, have a look at the previous announcement (pay particular attention to the prerequisites). You can use the form on that page to sign up as well. See you on the 14th!

July 2014 Book Club

The next meeting of the TOG Book Club is 7:30pm, Friday 25th July 2014, and we’ll be reading two books this time.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Lathe of Heaven is a 1971 science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. The plot revolves around a character whose dreams retroactively alter reality. The novel received nominations for the 1972 Hugo and the 1971 Nebula Award, and won the Locus Award for Best Novel in 1972

and Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Roadside Picnic (Russian: Пикник на обочине) is a short science fiction novel written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky in 1971. Roadside Picnic is a work of fiction based on the aftermath of an extraterrestrial event (called the Visitation) which simultaneously took place in half a dozen separate locations around Earth for a two-day period.

The TOG Book Club doesn’t read books over 400 pages (which is can limit the sci-fi books available!). Both of these books are quite short (184 and 145 pages), and combined they are under our 400 page limit.

Thanks to everyone who came to our June 2014 Book Club and read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

All are welcome to come and chat about the book (members & non-members). No charge.

Workshop: Making Your First Contribution to OpenStack

Are you interested in learning how to contribute to OpenStack, the open-source cloud infrastructure project? Then you may be interested in attending our upcoming 3-hour hands-on workshop on Saturday the 28th!

We will be going through the process of how to make a contribution to OpenStack starting from a DevStack install (further instructions will be provided). You may choose to make either a code or documentation contribution, as both follow the same process.

When? Saturday, June 28th at 2pm, until 5:15pm or so.
Cost? €5 for non-members (with all proceeds going to Tog as usual), free for members.
How to sign up? Please use the form below.

By the end of the session, participants will:

  • have all the necessary accounts and tools set up for contributing
  • know how to submit a contribution to an OpenStack component
  • understand the OpenStack contribution process
  • have a first contribution completed or underway, and know what are the next steps

This is an initial run-through for the training I will run at EuroPython in July, see the session details on the EuroPython website. Please pay careful attention to the pre-requisites and do not hesitate to ask questions, using the form below.

OpenStack is written in Python. Because the timeframe is so short, participants should already be comfortable with Python before attending.

Pre-requisites:

Some familiarity with cloud concepts may be helpful.

Continue reading “Workshop: Making Your First Contribution to OpenStack”

TOG in the Irish Times

TOG was mentioned in the Irish Times on 10th June 2014: No wasters: how to repair a throwaway culture.

Tog, a collaborative makers’ space or “hackerspace” based in an old warehouse on Chancery Lane in Dublin, will help out at the cafe. Tog shares knowledge and tools in everything from 3D printing to knitting. One of its innovations is the Twitter Knitter, whereby Becky Yates, a software engineer, has repurposed a 45-year-old knitting machine to knit tweets.

Next door to Tog is a marketing company, and Tog members love scavenging from its waste. One find was a quantity of rubber ducks, which have been fashioned into a Duck Matrix display. “We’re terrible for puns in this place,” says Tríona O’Connell, part of Tog and a PhD research scientist at Dublin City University.

Ireland’s second Repair Cafe takes place on June 28, at Christchurch Hall, Sandymount, Dublin 4, 2pm-5pm. Some TOG members have previously helped out with the Repair Cafe.

The Twitter Knitter has been shown at Dublin Mini Maker Faire 2013 and at HACK/CHANGE (photos).

Black and white film photography/printing workshop

prettyTog will be hosting a 2 day workshop in B&W film photography, development and printing, running the 5th and 6th of July. This workshop is aimed at film beginners, although intermediate techniques can also be covered. The workshop will be led by Sinead McDonald, a professional visual artist and photographer, and Gary Cooke, engineer and long-time film photographer.

5th July 10am – 6pm; The workshop will begin with a short introduction to manual photography / B&W photography. We’ll then head around the corner for a short group photowalk (St Patricks Park and Iveagh Buildings), returning to develop the negatives.

6th July 10am – 6pm; We’ll select negatives to print, run through a short outline of technique and best practice in darkroom printing, and we’ll print as many images as time allows. There should be plenty of time for at least one image for each participant.

Film, paper, chemicals etc will be supplied. There will be a limited number of 35mm film cameras available on the day for those who don’t have access to one. You are encouraged however to bring your own.

Cost: Members €20 (to cover materials), public €40 (all proceeds after material costs will go to supporting Tog activities)
Attendees: up to ten
To book your place, or if you have any questions, email Sinead at hello@sineadmcdonald.com