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Vincent Guyader, organizer of the R Addicts Paris and president of ThinkR, recently updated the R Consortium on the group’s activities. Last year, Vincent discussed the application of R in developing solutions for industrial problems. He emphasized the importance of helping people become fluent in R and leveraging the language to add value to their work. ThinkR is dedicated to enhancing R proficiency in various industries. The R Addicts Paris, one of France’s oldest and largest R user groups with 1,800 members, continues to foster a strong R community under Vincent’s leadership.
Please share your background and involvement with the RUGS group.
My name is Vincent, and I have been using R since my student days. During my studies, I took on freelance R projects for various companies. Currently, I head a company called ThinkR, where we have a team of over 10 experts specializing in everything related to R. Our services include training, consulting, developing Shiny applications, creating R packages, and more. We also collaborate with Posit and handle hardware installations for clients, primarily in France but also in Switzerland, Belgium, and other parts of Europe.
Since 2018, I have been managing the R user group in Paris, known as the R Addicts Paris. It’s one of the oldest and possibly the largest R user groups, with 1,800 members. I aimed to organize meetups every three months, but the next one has been delayed due to internal organizational issues. I genuinely enjoy helping people become fluent in R and use the language to add value to their work.
What challenges do you face in organizing the R Addict Paris group and how do you overcome those challenges?
One of the main challenges is that our users are not professional programmers or developers; they are specialists in fields like biology and finance. They have to shift their mindset to use programming languages. My daily job involves helping these individuals embrace software development. Coming from a genetics and biochemistry background, I understand how challenging this can be for non-developers. However, I love doing this, and I have a dedicated, competent team to assist.
Based on your work with ThinkR, which industries in France do you see using R?
We have clients in various fields across France, including finance, retail, and research. The health sector is particularly prominent. For instance, a company that used SAS a few years ago now uses R & Python. About half of our clients currently use Python. While we provide Python installation on hardware, we don’t offer Python training yet.
We are committed to being the sole organization in France that can certify R users and developers. The French government has authorized us to issue an official certification akin to a diploma. Our goal is to elevate R proficiency across various fields in France. Our clients include businesses and individuals, with many investing their resources to learn proper software and programming skills.
Do you host online or in-person events?
I chose not to host online events. It’s a very opinionated choice because most meetups switched to online formats during the pandemic. At ThinkR, we are a fully remote company, and I spend my day on Zoom. While remote training is effective, I’ve found that in-person events work better for our user group.
Any techniques you recommend using for planning for or during the event? (Github, zoom, other) Can these techniques be used to make your group more inclusive to people who are unable to attend physical events in the future?
One of the main challenges we face as a group is finding female speakers. I try to avoid having only male speakers, but I only get female speakers every fifth or sixth event, which is not enough. I encourage other R user group organizers to recognize our power to give a voice to different kinds of people. I push myself to include more female speakers. Sometimes, I encounter highly qualified women who hesitate to speak, while less experienced men are more willing. It’s challenging, but I strive to maintain a balanced representation.
I consciously avoid engaging with speakers who lack substance, ensuring I have time to encourage qualified women to share their knowledge. Despite my efforts, female representation remains below 20%. A few years ago, my colleague Diane and I tried to connect with the R-Ladies Paris group. Many men are actively engaged there, and I wonder why that is.
There are many skilled women in the R community, which includes biologists and geneticists. There’s no excuse for the lack of female representation. We must remember our influence and endorse individuals who truly represent our values.
What are some trending topics in R in your R User Group?
I’ve noticed a decline in interest in statistics over the past two to five years. During meetups, we rarely discuss statistics. The machine learning and AI fields aren’t well-represented in R, possibly because most people in these fields use Python. It could also be due to regional differences or my network.
You had a Meetup “Raddicts x RTE – {webr} – Shinyproxy and return of the Reconteres 2024” on 19th June, can you share more on the topic covered? Why this topic?
For this event, we had two male speakers. Colin Fay discussed {webr}, a new JavaScript capability for launching user insights in the browser. This is powerful for deploying Shiny applications. Valentin Cadoret talked about new Shinyproxy functionalities, and tools that enhance the deployment of Shiny applications. So we focused heavily on Shiny once again.
How do I Join?
R Consortium’s R User Group and Small Conference Support Program (RUGS) provides grants to help R groups organize, share information, and support each other worldwide. We have given grants over the past four years, encompassing over 68,000 members in 33 countries. We would like to include you! Cash grants and meetup.com accounts are awarded based on the intended use of the funds and the amount of money available to distribute.
The post R Addicts Paris: Promoting Diversity in R appeared first on R Consortium.
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Continue reading: R Addicts Paris: Promoting Diversity in R
Long-term Implications and Future Developments in the R Programming Language
Vincent Guyader, a leader in the R community, has shed light on the growth and challenges of the R Addicts Paris user group, ThinkR company, and the positioning of R across various industries in France. By analyzing the key points of Vincent’s discussion, we can tease out some specific long-term implications and potential future developments in R’s world.
Rising Demand for R in Various Industries
R has solidified its role in many sectors in France as reported by ThinkR, a company dedicated to enhancing R proficiency in various industries. Leading sectors using R include finance, retail, and most notably, the health sector. A company that was previously using SAS now uses R & Python, the prominence of R in reshaping and innovating these fields is clear. In the long run, as more industries recognize the power of R and its role in transforming their businesses, the demand for R expertise is likely to increase.
Actionable Advice
For businesses, especially in these leading sectors, now is the time to invest in upskilling staff in R. Companies should consider partner with professionals like ThinkR to empower their teams with R capabilities. Professionals in these fields should also take charge of their personal development and pursue R fluency. For educators, opportunities abound to cater to this growing demand by offering tailored R programming courses.
The Value of In-Person Events despite Digital Advantages
Even in an era where remote working has become the norm, the importance of in-person events should not be undermined. As Vincent pointed out, the R Addicts Paris user group perceives greater value from physical gatherings despite the seemingly widespread acceptance of online formats. This suggests that the human element, the face-to-face connections and direct interactions, are still highly valued and effective even in the programming world.
Actionable Advice
Event organizers and communities should consider the value of in-person events, especially when dealing with complex topics such as programming languages. Hybrid models should be explored to cater to attendees’ various preferences.
Increasing Diversity in the R Programming Community
Efforts to increase diversity and inclusion, specifically the involvement of women speakers in meetups, have been highlighted. Despite facing the challenge of under-representation, with a current female presence of below 20%, the push to successfully maintain a balanced representation persists. These efforts are valuable not only for achieving gender parity, but also for enhancing the richness of the discourse and the perspectives shared in the community.
Actionable Advice
Speakers, user group organizers and attendees are encouraged to advocate for diversity, not just in gender but also in discipline, industry, experience level, and more. Balancing representation fosters an inclusive community and creates an intellectually stimulating environment.
The Underrepresentation of Machine Learning and AI Discussions
Less focus on statistics and minimal discussions around machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) within the R community were noted, possibly due to the predominant use of Python in these fields. This could be an indication of a segment of the community yet to be fully tapped into in discussions and meetups, or possibly an opportunity for R to expand its applications in ML and AI.
Actionable Advice
Further exploration on the potential extension and application of R in machine learning and artificial intelligence could be warranted. The R community should consider creating more avenues for those in these fields to bring their contributions and insights for the benefit of the group and the overall evolution of R.
Conclusion
The past, present, and future look bright for R given its rising industrial utilization, the invaluable human element within its community, the push for diversity, and potential expansion in the ML & AI fields. Moving forward, R’s impact will continue to grow as it offers more sectors the power to innovate and transform with data.