This was just too funny to save for next Saturday’s picdump. I don’t think Jira’s as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but I still laughed out loud when I saw this.
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The perfect Jira ad
Let me introduce you to a shorthand term that I think will be useful soon: a12y, which is short for automatability, which is the ability to be automated.
(The term a12y indicates that the first letter is a, the final letter is y, and there are 12 letters between them. There’s a similar, better-known. shorthand term, a11y, which is short for accessibility.)
Automation is nothing new. It’s one of the reasons we use technology — from mechanical devices to computers to software and online services — to perform tasks with to reduce the work we have to do, or even eliminate the work entirely.
In the Python courses I’ve taught a few times at Computer Coach, I’ve covered how you can use Python to automate simple day-to-day work tasks and provided examples from one of the course’s core textbooks, Automate the Boring Stuff with Python (the entire book is available to read online for free!).
I’ve also created a number of Python automations that I use regularly. You’ve even seen some of their output if you’re a regular reader of this blog, since the weekly list of Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events is generated by my automation that scrapes Meetup pages.
MCP is the latest buzzword in both AI and automation, or a12y with AI. Short for Model Context Protocol (and not Master Control Program in the Tron movies), MCP is a standardized way for AI models to go beyond simply generating answers and interact with external tools and data sources, such as APIs, databases, file systems, or anything else that’s connected to the internet and can accept commands to perform actions.
Simply put, it’s the next step in the path to creating AI agents that can perform tasks autonomously.
(Come to think of it, a10y might be a good shorthand for autonomously.)
We’ll cover all sorts of a12y topics in the upcoming Tampa Bay Python meetups! I’m currently working on the details of booking meetup space and getting some food and drink sponsors, but they’ll be happening soon. Watch this blog, the Tampa Bay Python Meetup page, and my LinkedIn for announcements!
BSides Tampa 12, Tampa’s big cybersecurity conference, takes place this weekend at the University of South Florida!
BSides Tampa is one of Tampa Bay’s biggest tech conferences, with 1,900 attendees at last year’s event:
It’s worth checking out, even if cybersecurity isn’t your main focus. For starters, in today’s incredibly networked and AI-powered environment, security is everyone’s concern.
You’ll also learn a lot, whether it’s from one of presentations spread across seven tracks, the villages (the Social Engineering Adventure Village, the Lockpick Village, and the Network Security Village), the two Capture the Flag events, or the people you’ll meet.
BSides Tampa will take place over two days:
- Friday, May 16: Training and workshops
- Saturday, May 17: The main conference and post-conference happy hour
The tickets for the main conference are very reasonably priced:
- General admission: $45
- Students / active-duty military / veterans: $30
You can buy tickets to BSides Tampa here.
BSides’ history
BSides gets it name from “b-side,” the alternate side of a vinyl or cassette single, where the a-side has the primary content and the b-side is the bonus or additional content.
In 2009, the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas received way more presentation submissions than they could take on. The rejected presenters had very good presentations; there just wasn’t enough capacity for them. Those presenters, disappointed at not having their presentations accepted, banded together and made their own “b-side” conference in the spirit of Bender from Futurama.
That event was the first BSides, a small, hastily-assembled event that ran at a BSides organizer’s house at the same time as Black Hat on July 29 and 30, 2009.
Here are some photos:
Here’s the summary of that first BSides from the BSides history page:
It was a wild success: the talks were good, the party was better, and it was clear that the security community was excited at the idea of a conference that focused on conversations and personal interaction with peers. Those involved in the first event had a vision of rolling the idea out at a regional level, enabling local organizers to set up similar conferences in their own area.
In 2010, BSides took place again in Las Vegas, but there were also BSides conferences in Atlanta, Austin, Berlin, Boston, Dallas, Delaware, Denver, Kansas City, Ottawa, and San Francisco. In 2011, it would expand to over 40 events, with Africa and Australia joining the list of continents that had a BSides conference.
Tampa had its first BSides on February 15, 2014, and it’s grown over the years to become one of the biggest Tampa Bay tech events of the year.
BSides Tampa is sponsored by the Tampa Bay chapter of (ISC)², which is clever and mathematically-correct shorthand for “International Information System Security Certification Consortium”. (ISC)² is a non-profit specializing in training and certifying information security professionals.
Join us at BSides Tampa this weekend!
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Saturday picdump for May 10, 2025
It’s Saturday — time for another “picdump!”
This is the weekly article where I post the technology- and work-related memes, pictures, and cartoons floating around the internet that I found interesting or relevant this week. There are 103 of them — share and enjoy!
poweredUP, Tampa Bay’s annual tech festival organized by Tampa Bay Tech, takes place next Wednesday, May 14 at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete. It always features presentations and talks on top-of-mind topics for Tampa Bay’s tech leaders.
It’s a full day of dynamic discussions, panel sessions, and insights from industry visionaries, with these featured track topics:
- The Future of Work: Robotics & Intelligent Process Automation
- Digital Governance: Managing IT, Data & Compliance
- Healthcare Transformation: How Emerging Tech Is Reshaping Care Delivery
- From Concept to Coaster: The Tech Behind Universal’s Iconic Experiences
- Leading Locally: Spotlight on Tampa Bay’s Tech Trailblazers
- Smarter Solutions: Rapid-Fire Use Cases from Companies Solving Big Problems with Tech
It’s a great event for Tampa Bay-based tech people (and aspiring ones) to attend, and to make it even easier to go, there are TWO ways to attend it even more cheaply than the low $79 admission fee:
- Attend for 15% off with the discount code “CP15”
- Attend for FREE by being a volunteer! If you do two hours’ volunteering for at poweredUP, and you get to attend for free! You can sign up to volunteer here.
Here’s the conference agenda:
| Time | Topic | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Opening Remarks | Tampa Bay Tech: Meghan O’Keefe City of St. Petersburg: Mayor Ken Welch |
| 12:15 PM | Keynote | Arnie Bellini, Former ConnectWise Founder & CEO |
| 12:57 PM | The Future of Work: Robotics & Intelligent Process Automation | Panel: Jay Rogers (Haddy), Christa Kerlin (Jabil) Moderator: Beth Galic (BAMA) |
| 1:29 PM | Digital Governance: Managing IT, Data & Compliance | Panel: Petar Besalev (A-LIGN), Cathy Ryan Reneer (JPMorganChase), Chris Black (DGR Systems) Moderator: Mike Gabriel (Guidepoint Security) |
| 2:00 PM | Intermission | |
| 2:20 PM | Healthcare Transformation: How Emerging Tech is Reshaping Care Delivery | Featuring: Doug Fee (Moffitt Cancer Center) & Tarun Sondhi (Accenture) |
| 2:52 PM | From Concept to Coaster: The Tech Behind Universal’s Iconic Experiences | Featuring: Teddy Benson (Universal Destinations & Experiences) |
| 3:19 PM | Leading Locally: Spotlight on Tampa Bay’s Tech Trailblazers | Panel: Kim Anstett (Trellix), Vladimir Voyuts (Dynasty Financial Partners), John Armenia (Accusoft) Moderator: Meghan O’Keefe (Tampa Bay Tech) |
| 3:51 PM | Smarter Solutions: Rapid-Fire Use Cases from Companies Solving Big Problems with Tech | Featuring: Trellix, BlackStraw, CDW, Nix United |
| 4:30 PM | Closing Remarks | Tampa Bay Tech: Meghan O’Keefe |
| 4:35 PM | Happy Hour & Networking |
Join me at poweredUP! I’ll be there, and if you want to talk Python, AI, software development, or music (or if you have topic suggestions or requests for upcoming meetups), I’ll be more than happy to.
Once again, here are the money-saving ways to attend the conference:
- Attend for 15% off with the discount code “CP15”
- Attend for FREE by being a volunteer! If you do two hours’ volunteering for at poweredUP, and you get to attend for free! You can sign up to volunteer here.
Here’s what’s happening in the thriving tech scene in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, May 12 through Sunday, May 18, 2025!
This list includes both in-person and online events. Note that each item in the list includes:
✅ When the event will take place
✅ What the event is
✅ Where the event will take place
✅ Who is holding the event
This week’s events
- Monday, May 12
- Tuesday, May 13
- Wednesday, May 14
- Thursday, May 15
- Friday, May 16
- Saturday, May 17
- Sunday, May 18
Monday, May 12
Tuesday, May 13
Tuesday at 9:00 am: Tampa Bay Infragard presents these talks:
- Marco Di Pasquale, Dan Brown & Ray Secrest: Digital Defense for Imperium Sine Fine
- Dan Brown: Cyber Threat Fusion Center at Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC)
- Ray Secrest: Lessons from the Breach & Path Forward (members only)
Find out more and register here.
Tuesday at 10:00 am, online: Computer Coach presents The Interview Cheat Sheet! Ready to ace your next interview? Join our webinar, “The Interview Cheat Sheet: Interviewing Tips to Level Up Your Game,” and gain valuable insights to excel in your interviews. Elevate your interview skills and stand out from the competition.
Find out more and register here.
Tuesday at 6:00 pm: Tampa Bay Product Group presents Shaping the Future of Project & Change Management – An Agile-Focused Discussion!
Join a group of agile experts from local organizations to discuss how to successfully integrate agility into project and change management. This facilitated roundtable discussion will focus on how agile principles and practices can drive successful transformation, along with key considerations to keep in mind.
You don’t need to be an agile expert to gain value from this session. This session is designed to build awareness for those who seek to know what to do to help yourself become stronger or help your organizations approach the opportunities agile can provide it.
Find out more and register here.
Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.: Data Analytics & AI Tampa Bay presents Eric Vogelpohl taking a step back to focus on what’s realistic over the next 6-12 months. The conversation will span the spectrum of perspectives — from cautionary voices like Geoffrey Hinton to the unbridled optimism — exploring how to temper expectations while still embracing the incredible potential ahead. It’s also a chance to reflect on the ethical responsibilities that come with this tech and how we navigate its rapid evolution.
Find out more and register here.
Wednesday, May 14
Wednesday from 11 am to 6 pm at the Mahaffey Theater: It’s Tampa Bay Tech’s annual poweredUP Tampa Bay Tech Festival! It’s a day of innovation, inspiration, and connection. This highly anticipated gathering will bring together the brightest minds and boldest ideas in technology for an experience that’s as engaging as it is impactful.
Find out more and register here.
Thursday, May 15
Thursday at 6 pm at Embarc Collective: Tampa Java User Group presents Bootiful Spring Boot: A DOGumentary. Spring Boot 3.x and Java 21 have arrived, making it an exciting time to be a Java developer! Join Josh Long and dive into the future of Spring Boot with Java 21. Discover how to scale your applications and codebases effortlessly. You’ll explore the robust Spring Boot ecosystem, featuring AI, modularity, seamless data access, and cutting-edge production optimizations like Project Loom’s virtual threads, GraalVM, AppCDS, and more. Let’s explore the latest-and-greatest in Spring Boot to build faster, more scalable, more efficient, more modular, more secure, and more intelligent systems and services.
Find out more and register here.
Friday, May 16
Saturday, May 17
Saturday from 8 am – 5 pm: It’s the 2025 edition of Tampa’s annual cybersecurity conference — BSides Tampa 12! BSides Tampa is a community-driven cybersecurity conference that brings together professionals, students, and enthusiasts to share knowledge, network, and discuss emerging trends in the security field.
BSides Tampa is open to anyone interested in cybersecurity. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, there’s something for everyone!
One of the talks at BSides is mine and Anitra’s: Surviving Your Layoff, which will show you how to make the layoff ride less bumpy and move from layoff to liftoff!
Find out more and register here.
Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at CoHatch West Tampa: Tampa Bay UX Group presentsUX + AI Workshop: Designing Responsibly in the Age of Agents! This is a workshop for UX professionals, design strategists, curious practitioners, and adjacent entrepreneurs who want to explore how AI is reshaping the design process.
This is a hands-on, collaborative workshop where we’ll explore:
- How GenAI is already impacting design workflows
- Strategic opportunities for agentic UX and automation
- “To-be” journey mapping with design thinking methods
- Co-creating smarter, leaner workflows using AI
- Prompting and prototyping exercises using tools like ChatGPT
You don’t need a background in AI — just come ready to learn!
Find out more and register here.
Sunday, May 18
About this list
How do I put this list together?
It’s largely automated. I have a collection of Python scripts in a Jupyter Notebook that scrapes Meetup and Eventbrite for events in categories that I consider to be “tech,” “entrepreneur,” and “nerd.” The result is a checklist that I review. I make judgment calls and uncheck any items that I don’t think fit on this list.
In addition to events that my scripts find, I also manually add events when their organizers contact me with their details.
What goes into this list?
I prefer to cast a wide net, so the list includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under any of these categories:
- Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
- Tech project management / agile processes
- Video, board, and role-playing games
- Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
- Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
- Toastmasters and other events related to improving your presentation and public speaking skills, because nerds really need to up their presentation game
- Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
- Self-improvement, especially of the sort that appeals to techies
- Anything I deem geeky