This assignment is designed to help you get to know each other a little bit, and to help you begin thinking about your projects. It has two stages:

  • Post an introduction and a pitch
  • Comment on three pitches (due the next day)

After the stated deadlines, I’ll check in on Campuswire and log credit for each activity.

1. Post an Introduction and a Pitch

Create a new message on Campuswire with category Project Pitch. Your post should include two sections:

Introduction

Tell us a little about you! If you’re not sure what to write, use this template:

Hi everyone! I’m Phil Chodrow, your instructor for PIC16B.

  1. Where are you in the world? I moved to Westwood, LA in August, after having spent 7 years in the Boston area. I’ve been “at” UCLA for one year now, but I’ve only been to campus six times!
  2. What is your major, or what are you interested in? My research focuses on the mathematics of networked systems. I create algorithms for analyzing network data, and I also study dynamical systems evolving on networks.
  3. Why are you interested in advanced Python programming? I’m interested in advanced Python programming because Python’s versatility helps me connect math concepts to data and computation. The interplay of these is at the core of my research, so that’s very important for me!
  4. What’s a fun fact about you? A fun fact about me is that I can break bananas in half by smashing them against my head. It’s harder if they are ripe, though.

Pitch

Pitch a project idea. Your project idea should be something that you think is interesting. It’s fine ok if it’s connected to your major, research, internship, etc. Your pitch should include answers to the following questions:

  1. What will we do in this project? Give a sentence or two summarizing your idea.
  2. Why is that a good thing to do? State the intended positive impact of the project. Would it help save someone time, or learn something, or predict something, or?…
  3. Programming tasks. What tasks will you need in order to build this project? Will you need to manipulate large data sets? Will you need to create and deploy a machine learning algorithm? Will you need to create a package implementing a custom simulation? Etc.
  4. Should we build this? Write a few sentences reflecting on whether it’s a good idea to build this project. Are there significant dangers of algorithmic bias? Could this project be used for surveillance or control of other human beings? Would there be significant environmental costs to this project? Based on these considerations, combined with your answer to Question 2. above, do you recommend building this project?

Your post is considered to meet specifications if it addresses the above questions with a couple sentences each.

2. Comment on Three Pitches

Read your peer’s pitches. Under three (3) of them that you find especially interesting, post comments. Each comment should:

  1. Describe one thing that you especially like about their idea.
  2. Describe one thing that you suggest they think more about before proceeding.

Commenting on someone’s pitch does not commit you to working in a group with them! Similarly, if your pitch gets few or no comments, that doesn’t mean you had a bad idea or that no one will work on you. This is just a first step – no worries!

Your comments are considered to meet specifications if there are three of them, and if they address the two points above.

In addition to commenting on three pitches from your peers, you can also choose to express interest on any or all of the project pitches that I personally have made. (Note: your pitches do not need to be as detailed or long as mine are.) These are projects which I have some ulterior interest in seeing completed, and I wanted to offer them to you. There is no obligation to work on these projects, and there is no grade-based incentive for doing so.