Nicholas Tierney

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/melb-logo.png)

In late November 2018, we ran the [third annual rOpenSci
ozunconf](https://ozunconf18.ropensci.org). This is the sibling rOpenSci
unconference, held in Australia. We ran the first ozunconf [in
Brisbane](/blog/2016/06/16/au-unconf) in 2016, and the second [in
Melbourne](/blog/2017/10/31/ozunconf2017) in 2017.

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/adam-anna-sarah.jpeg)

*Photos taken by Ajay from [Fotoholics](https://www.fotoholics.org/)*

As usual, before the unconf, we started discussion on [GitHub issue
threads](https://github.com/ropensci/ozunconf18/issues),and the
excitement was building with the number of issues.

The day before the unconf we ran "Day 0 training" - an afternoon
explaining R packages and GitHub. This aimed to show people how to
create an R package, set it up with version control with git, then put
it on GitHub, and share it with others. The idea behind delivering this
course was not necessarily to have people become experts in R package
development and GitHub. Instead, it aimed to gently introduce the ideas
and concepts of R packages and GitHub, so that people can hit the ground
running over the next two days.

This year, [Saras Windecker](https://twitter.com/smwindecker) stepped up
to the plate and did an incredible job teaching the afternoon course
that [Roger Peng](https://twitter.com/rdpeng) and I developed last year.
We also had a great group of helper instructors, which ended up creating
the fantastic teaching ratio of two students for every helper. There was
a lot of learning from both sides here, and one comment on writing git
commit messages from [Adam Gruer](https://twitter.com/AdamGruer) really
stood out to me. He said when writing a commit message, it should
complete the sentence: "This commit will ...". Adam found this comment
from [blog post](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/) by Chris
Beams. [This
post](https://victoria.dev/blog/git-commit-practices-your-future-self-will-thank-you-for//)
by Vicky Lai also provided some good comments on good git practices.

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/saras-felix-miles.jpeg)

Day 1 started with a bang, in the beautiful north arts building at the
University of Melbourne, and dusted off the tried and tested [rOpenSci
icebreaker](/blog/2018/11/01/icebreaker/). We then moved on to choose
projects. Everyone moved around the room, exploring options, and we
settled into groups.

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/amy-thomas-mark-nick-laura-mike.jpeg)![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/anna-saskia-robbie.jpeg)

We worked on a variety of projects, ranging from some that we thought
might be knocked over in a few hours, like
[ozbabynames](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/ozbabynames). (Spoiler
alert, it took longer than three hours), to [documenting and learning
gganimate](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/learngganimate), [creating
paper review toolkits](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/reviewer),
shortening / enriching the documenting/reading the documentation process
with [tl](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/tl), [automating the creation
of vitae's](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/vitae), simplifying the
process of recoding free gender text responses with
[gendercoder](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/gendercoder), [measuring
walkability](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/rwalkable), [making
bindertools to recreate and reproduce
analysis](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/bindertools), and even
[generating synonyms](https://github.com/ropenscilabs/syn). You can see
the complete list of projects
[here](https://ozunconf18.ropensci.org/projects/).

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/mitch-rob-emi.jpeg)

Throughout the conference, [Saskia
Freytag](https://twitter.com/trashystats) recorded conversations to
capture the event. These were edited into the podcast ["Credibly
Curious"](https://soundcloud.com/crediblycurious), in episode 6,
["Ozunconf"](https://soundcloud.com/crediblycurious/episode-6-oz-unconf),
run by Saskia and me.

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/jess-saskia.jpeg)

On the second day, [Adam Gruer](https://twitter.com/AdamGruer) led a
fireside chat on how we might continue the experience of the rOpenSci
ozunconf after we wrap up. Among the suggestions were starting or
joining coding clubs at your university or place of work. Adam also made
the point that a reason so many people enjoy the unconf is that freeing
up your time and expectations has the surprising effect of making you
more productive, and to try and recreate that idea. [Robbie
Bonelli](https://twitter.com/robbie_bonelli) had a good way to summarise
this:

> We gain personal knowledge that we would never have gained working on
> our own, even if we never use or work on these things again. Make it
> about learning something new, this is how to break down the idea of
> having to get something out of this for your job.

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/danielle-robbie.jpeg)

We closed up the conference with 3-minute presentations from everyone on
what they got up to over the past two days.

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/thomas-dan-mathew.jpeg)![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/roni-peggy.jpeg)![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/group-watching-pres.jpeg)

Looking back, it really is amazing how much can get done over a just a
few days! We couldn't have gotten it done without the help of our
sponsors, [Microsoft Azure](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/), [The R
Consortium](https://www.r-consortium.org/),
[RStudio](https://rstudio.com), [The University of
Melbourne](https://www.unimelb.edu.au/), and [The Monash Business
School](https://www.monash.edu/business).

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/saskia.jpeg)

It's been an absolute pleasure to bring people together for another
great event. Just three years ago we ran the [first
ozunconf](/blog/2016/06/16/au-unconf/), and seeing how the community has
changed and grown over the past three years has been a real privilege.
There is nothing quite like seeing so many people together in the same
space, enjoying coding together. Seeing people realise that they can
contribute, and become more of what they are is fantastic.

Next year we are looking into moving the ozunconf to a different city in
Australia, stay tuned for updates!

![](/img/blog-images/2019-01-08-ozunconf/fun-group-shot.jpeg)


In late November 2018, we ran the third annual rOpenSci ozunconf. This is the sibling rOpenSci unconference, held in Australia. We ran the first ozunconf in Brisbane in 2016, and the second in Melbourne in 2017.
<em>
 Photos taken by Ajay from Fotoholics
</em>
As usual, before the unconf, we started discussion on GitHub issue threads,and the excitement was building with the number of issues.

Publicaciones de Rogue Scholar

Continuing to Grow Community Together at ozunconf, 2018