Hello World! Python Workshops @ Think Coffee

Advanced group:
The project for this week's intermediate complexity class is to build a deep learning chat bot. Here is the GitHub link for the tutorial: http://goo.gl/RNymwf

Chat bots are an important part of natural language processing. Chat bots belong to a much bigger domain called question-answer systems. Here is the Wikipedia page that provides an overview on Q-A systems:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_answering

Traditional chat bots are usually built using hard-coded rules. For this week's lesson, we will be using LSTM based deep neural networks to build a chat-bot, without any hard-coded rules. Since we are using LSTM networks, the task will be computationally intensive and we highly recommend to initiate a GPU instance in google cloud (https://console.cloud.google.com/) for any meaningful results in a reasonable amount of training time.

Beginners group:
For the beginners Anthony will be working on a structured hands off curriculum that will get you from zero skill to advanced (or at least advanced enough to join the aforementioned advanced group). Whether you are new to programming or wish to port over your knowledge of other languages to Python, this section is for you. Stay tuned for the curriculum on that will be posted on Github. However, the beginner's workshop will roughly function like this:

First hour:
Code Kata's and examples. If you are a beginner you start at the beginning at work your way up. If you are more advanced do the same (you should be able to get thru most of it).

Second hour:
Work on an API project. A hands on project using some company's API and Python for a specific goal. To start off we will use Dwolla API to create a simple payment app. To start off easy we can use Codecademy's guide (https://www.codecademy.com/en/tracks/dwolla) then jump into the documentation (https://docsv2.dwolla.com/#create-a-document).

15 minutes before end of second hour:
Code review. Have your peers review your code, discuss what parts you are stuck in, what concepts you do or do not understand.

Overtime:
Continue to work on API. Present any code or idea that you feel like.

We work really hard to bring this awesome course every week. To make these lessons always accessible, free and at the same time support our efforts, consider becoming our patron. Here is the link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/13436101

Thank you for being awesome and see you everyone at the course.

• Anthony & Rahul

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As a side note: if you are having IDE problems you can check out Repl.it.
They have development environments on the cloud that reduce the headaches of getting up and going for beginner.

Meanwhile, for the beginners: Go thru the Codecademy Python course as far as possible. We will learn how to apply what you have learned there to the real world eventually, like automating the boring stuff at work.

For those that want more challenge AFTER going thru Codecademy's Python course you can check out Udemy's Complete Python MasterClass. Usually Udemy lowers the price to $10 to $15 every month or so, so if you see that jump on there.

Udacity also has a free course that lasts 6 weeks on an Intro to Python Programming and Intro to CS (which uses Python).

For the advanced, start seeing Siraj Raval's Talks on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWN3xxRkmTPmbKwht9FuE5A).

Also if you have access to Datacamp, check that out.

If you don't have access to Datacamp and would like a cheap way to get started with deep learning and Machine Learning, check out: Udemy's Machine Learning A-Z and Udemy's Deep Learning A-Z. You can snap these up for 10 to 15 dollar when they are on sale.

The tentative location is Think Coffee on between 13th and 14th Street and 10th Avenue.

Should it change, it will still be in around that area.
Back up areas are:
Capital One Bank Union Sq (They have a cool workspace like location and a coffee sop)
Whole Foods Union Sq (Lots of seating area upstairs, not sure on the power and wifi situation)
Other possibilities in the works:
WeWork (If anyone has connections there, let me know).
Amazon Loft.