In the SF Bay area, there are literally hundreds of programming and python programming organizations. My experience is exactly the opposite of this, where local communities are strengthened and supported by the presence of the official PSF group. Individuals move and start something smaller, and more local thus increasing the reach of the official organization. Organizers from other local groups can join the BAPyA groups and bring their organizational experience from the local groups into our groups and vice versa. It amplifies the network of the python community to have the freedom for members to associate alongside the stability of having an official group with official backing. It is amazing that there are so many groups here, and for example some basic categories:
- school groups - we lean heavily on these for volunteers
- company groups - we get sponsorships from these
- task based groups e.g. data groups, social good initiatives, hacker collectives, maker spaces, blockchain - we recruit and showcase speakers from these groups
We don’t replace or compete with those groups, we support them. They are us, and we are them. Everybody wins here.