Hello everyone,
I’m Benjamin Manning, and I’m honored to have been nominated as a candidate for the Python Software Foundation Board of Directors. With several candidates opening AMA threads, I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce myself, share a little about what I hope to contribute, and, more importantly, hear from the Python community.
My relationship with Python has always been closely connected to education, technology, and creating opportunities for people to build things they might not otherwise have been able to build. Over the years, I’ve worked across industry and academia in areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, engineering, and computing education. Throughout that work, Python has consistently been more than a programming language. It has been an entry point into computing for students, researchers, engineers, scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, and entire communities.
If elected to the Board, one area I would particularly like to explore is how the PSF can continue expanding those pathways into the Python community.
That includes education and educational resources, but I think the opportunity is broader than simply teaching more people how to write Python. I’m interested in how we help people move from learning Python to participating in the Python community by contributing to projects, attending or organizing events, mentoring others, becoming PSF members, and eventually taking leadership roles themselves.
I also care deeply about accessibility. I believe accessibility is most effective when it is treated as part of good design rather than something added after the fact. As the Python community continues to grow globally, I would like to see us continue thinking about how our documentation, educational resources, community infrastructure, events, and participation models can remove unnecessary barriers to involvement.
Another area I’m particularly interested in is the rapidly changing relationship between Python and artificial intelligence. Python sits at the center of much of the modern AI ecosystem. That creates tremendous opportunities for the language and its community, but it also raises important questions about education, open source sustainability, responsible development, security, and what AI-assisted software development means for the next generation of Python developers.
I certainly don’t expect to arrive on the Board with all the answers. One of the reasons I wanted to open this AMA is because I think serving on the PSF Board requires listening just as much as advocating.
So please ask me anything about my candidacy, education, accessibility, AI, open source, community growth, the PSF, where I think Python is headed, what I would prioritize as a Board member, or anything else you think a candidate for the Board should be willing to answer.
I’m looking forward to the conversation.