The AusPL Zulip [loc-001A]
Following the near-death of Aussie PL last decade I think we’ve gotten in the habit of thinking that Aussie PL is this tiny embattled community with only essential activities, but thinking about the environment in Scotland and comparing it, I don’t think there is actually much truth to that. Scotland has events like SPLV; we have (e.g.) the logic summer school. Scotland has the SPL seminar; We have SAPLING. SPLI applies for large CDT grants, we apply for large CoE grants (and both get rejected :). What’s missing is the network of folks in various places, who can advertise seminars when people are visiting, who can arrange visits and cross-institutional collaboration etc.
This network started in Scotland with the SPLS Zulip, which eventually evolved into the more formal organisation, the Scottish Programming Languages Institute. I think it would be nice to foster that kind of active cross-institutional community that has worked well in Scotland, and Zulip is a huge part of why the SPLI exists now.
To this end, I have started the AusPL Zulip, specifically targeting researchers and students in programming languages, formal methods, software engineering, and related areas in Australian institutions (and surrounding countries). Please consider signing up!