Thanks to the generosity of several sponsors, we have been working since May 2011 to update the content and format of the course materials. We are currently seeking contributions of $10K-$50K toward the $150K needed to continue work for a second year. Funding models include:

1. General sponsorship to develop core material for general use under a Creative Commons license.
2. Traditional on-site training. This can be done by one person senior instructor teaching for five full days, or split between a senior instructor for two days and a pair of junior instructors for days 3-5. (We recommend the second model, as it is easier to schedule, gives a better instructor/student ratio, and allows beginners and advanced students to be streamed where appropriate.)
3. Web-based training: students watch our videos, do exercises, and interact with us via mail, forums, Skype, desktop sharing, etc. While videos are never as satisfying as live lectures, this model allows students to digest the material over several weeks instead of trying to absorb it in just a few days.
4. Mixed-mode training that combines two days of live on-site instruction with six to eight weeks of web-based instruction (requiring 3-5 hours per student per week). We think this is the best option all around: the first two days give the instructor a feel for what people actually know and who they are, and the slower online follow-up gives students a chance to digest everything.
5. Development of specific modules. We are willing to undertake this provided the results are covered by the same open license as other course material.

If you would like to discuss the possibilities, please email us.

Greg Wilson holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Edinburgh, and has worked in academia, industry, and open source on high-performance scientific computing, data visualization, computer security, and agile software engineering tools. Greg has served on the editorial boards of Doctor Dobb’s Journal and Computing in Science & Engineering; his most recent books are Beautiful Code (O’Reilly, 2007), Practical Programming (Pragmatic, 2009), and Making Software (O’Reilly, 2010).