Weeknotes: 4 September to 8 September 2023

What I have found gripping

• Reading traceback messages to resolve invalid syntax in Python requires diligent investigating

• Creating a unit test in Python and executing it with a test runner like unittest differs from creating one in Ruby with RSpec

• Feeling a sense of belonging is dependent on the quality of experiences within any given context

• Connecting across differences starts small

• Cross-cultural learning is continuous

What I have read

• SyntaxError in Python: How to Handle Invalid Syntax in Python, Nick McCullum

• How to read a traceback in Python, Trey Hunner

• 7 Ways to Practice Active Allyship, Poornima Luthra

• Leveling Up Your Allyship Game, Lauren Florko

Featured quote

The latest World Economic Forum Report states that it will take us 132 years to achieve gender parity, with that number being much higher for some intersectional identities than others. What are we missing, and how do we move the pendulum from where it seems to be stuck toward inclusive environments for everyone?

Here’s the thing: We don’t experience inclusion through strategies and roadmaps. We experience it through our day-to-day interactions with our colleagues — over lunch, by the coffee machine, during meetings, etc. We can’t move the pendulum without each one of us seeing ourselves as key enablers of inclusive workplaces — workplaces where everyone feels valued, respected, appreciated, and enjoys a sense of belonging. Every employee needs to see their role in this, and we need everybody to make efforts to act in a way that nurtures inclusive environments. That’s what’s missing, but we don’t have everybody on board yet. Why? Fear. — Poornima Luthra

What I have listened to

The Ruby on Rails Podcast: High Performance PostgreSQL for Rails with Andrew Atkinson

What I have watched

Creating More Inclusive Workplaces in an Era of Discord – The Power of Helping Across Differences, Dr. Stephanie Creary

Further reading and resources

In English

• unittest — Unit testing framework

• High Performance PostgreSQL for Rails, Andrew Atkinson

• Dr. Stephanie Creary’s website

• The Five Stages of DEI Maturity, Ella F. Washington

• 10 Ways to Foster an Inclusive Workplace Culture, Working IDEAL

• Research: How Cultural Differences Can Impact Global Teams, Vasyl Taras et al.

In French

• Égalité ET équité. Nous avons besoin des deux pour faire la différence, Unilever

Thanks for reading Sandra’s Weeknotes!