Like many, I too am interested but scared of going that next step. I have been teaching myself some Python, which seems the obvious choice considering the toolboxes available.
I have attended a number of meetings in Sydney from SyPy.
1. they have regular meetings and have great speakers from neurologists writing their own algorithms to instructors. If you have a specific job you want done, they will let you post it up for others to contact you with.
2. In the off fortnights they hold "Hack nights". These nights are smaller and limited in number of participants. These nights are designed for you to bring along your own projects and get help with them.
Needless to say any networking contact that helps us trade is a good contact I say.
Hope this helps, happy to answer any questions regarding the group but I am not a very good coder - yet.
Oh, one final thing, they provide beer/soft drink and pizza via the very kind sponsors of the evening.
How can you possibly go wrong!!!
I have no attended for a while but be happy to meet up with someone there. Might shake me out of my fear.
