About

TL;DR:

International Keynote Speaker. PSF Fellow. Award-winning writer. Adorkable.

Speaker Bio

Katie has worn many different hats over the years. They have been a software developer for many languages, systems administrator for multiple operating systems, and speaker on many different topics.

When they’re not changing the world, they enjoy cooking, making tapestries, and seeing just how well various application stacks handle emoji.

Photo, photographer @HelloMelanieC, taken at DjangoCon US 2018

Photographer Bartek Pawlik, taken at DjangoCon Europe 2018.

Simple Speaker Bio

(generated via Simple Writer)

This human has worn many different hats over the years. They have been a thinking-box talker for many languages, thinking-box fixer for many different systems, and speaker on many different things.

When they’re not changing the world, they enjoy creating food, making pretty wall art, and seeing just how well thinking boxes can work with picture-words.

Positions Held

  • Django Software Foundation - Director, 2023-2024
  • PyCon AU Steering Committee - Member - 2022 - 2024
  • DevOpsDays Global - Co-chair, 2022 - 2024
  • DevOpsDays Global - Core Organiser, 2020 - Present
  • PyCon AU - Communications Director, 2021
  • Python Software Foundation - Director, 2018 - 2021
  • KatieConf - Founder, 2016 - 2019
  • BeeWare - Senior Apiarist, 2016 - 2019, 2022 - Present
  • Meetup Mixup - Co-founder, Organiser, 2015 - 2018
  • PyCon AU - Conference Director, 2018 - 2019
  • Django Software Foundation - Director, 2018 - 2019
  • Linux Australia - Board Member, 2016 - 2017 (1 year)
  • Open Source Developers’ Club - Tresurer, 2014 - 2015 (1 year)

Memberships

Awards

Speaking

See glasnt.com/talks

Volunteer Work

In alphabetical order

All Things Open

  • 2018
    • OpenSource.com Booth helper

DevOpsDays Sydney

  • 2016
    • Organiser
    • Master of Ceremonies

DjangoCon AU

  • 2020
    • Organiser
  • 2017
    • Organiser

DjangoCon Europe

  • 2022
    • Session Chair
    • Speaker Mentor
  • 2018
    • Paper Reviewer
    • Session Chair
    • Co-Lightning talk Host

DjangoCon US

  • 2022
    • Deep Dive Track MC
    • Speaker Mentor
  • 2021
    • Paper Review Group
  • 2019
    • Deep Dive Track MC
  • 2018
    • Mentor
    • Session Chair
  • 2017
    • Mentor
    • Paper Review Group
    • Session Chair
  • 2016
    • Paper Review Group

KiwiPyCon

  • 2022
    • Compere (MC), honorary organiser
  • 2016
    • Track Co-ordinator
  • 2015
    • Track Runner, Heckler Supresser

linux.conf.au

  • 2021
    • Session Selection Committee
  • 2020
    • Session Selection Committee
    • Containers Miniconf organiser
  • 2019
    • Paper’s Committee
    • Code of Conduct Committee
  • 2018
    • Paper’s Committee
    • Community Liason
  • 2017
    • WOOTCONF Miniconf organiser
    • Session Chair
    • Paper’s Committee
  • 2016
    • Functional Programming miniconf organiser

OSCON

  • 2017
    • Room Host

OSDC

  • 2014
    • Volunteer

PurpleCon

  • 2018
    • Volunteer

PyCascades

  • 2021
    • Speaker Mentor
    • Q & A Helpers
  • 2020
    • Speaker Mentor

PyCon AU

  • 2021
    • Communications Director
  • 2020
    • Sponsor Liaison
    • Speaker Mentor
  • 2019
    • Conference Director
  • 2018
    • Conference Director
  • 2017
    • Paper’s Committee
    • Specialist Track Co-ordinator (DjangoCon AU)
  • 2016
    • Paper’s Committee
    • Financial Aid Committee
    • Code of Conduct Committee
    • Session Chair
  • 2015
    • Financial Aid Committee
    • Diversity Staff

PyCon US

  • 2022
    • Program Committee
  • 2020
    • Proposal Mentor
  • 2019
    • PyLadies Auction - Guest Auctioneer
    • BeeWare Booth Co-organiser
    • PSF Booth Staff
  • 2017
    • Session Chair
    • PyLadies Auction - Guest Auctioneer
    • BeeWare Booth Co-organiser
  • 2016
    • BeeWare Booth Co-organiser
    • Session Chair

SheCodes

  • 2020
    • Mentor - Flash Geraldton, June 2020
    • Mentor - Plus Brisbane, August 2020

What does ‘glasnt’ mean?

Back in the days of the Cold War, American secret service personnel has to be very careful about how they approached and contacted one another in public, the codename normally chosen was “Joe” being a very All-American name by which one could identify with any covert agent by saying “Hi Joe”. Obviously this alone isn’t enough to ensure the other person isn’t just called Joe so the typical response would be “Hi Glasnt”.

The origin of glasnt has been broadly discussed, some people think it’s short hand for “glad the country hasn’t been attacked” or derived from the acronym “Generally low activity seriousness, no threats”. At any rate, the phrase became something of a meme amongst former secret service/intelligence members as the codeword fell out of use but was held onto for nostalgia’s sake.

As for Joee and Glasnt on the forums, if you think they’re just some kids trawling around on here reading comics, it’s time to wake up and see how far down the rabbit hole goes…

– thicknavyrain, xkcd forums

No really, what does “glasnt” mean?

It was a word that came up on my Nokia 3310’s predictive text, when I entered in the last 6 digits of my (now defunct) mobile number. It wasn’t used anywhere on the internet at the time, so I used it as my handle when during the early GMail beta (2004), and the rest is history. In it’s original numeric form cast as a hexcode, it’s a very pretty colour of deep purple.