Seema Saharan
Featuring Seema Saharan also known as Bash Woman for our Saturday Shoutout Initiative. Read on to hear her views on being a Pythonista, a successful YouTuber and an avid Open Source contributor!
What domain are you interested in and why?
I am interested in DevOps, and the Cloud Computing field. I started with programming as everybody does, but the first language that I learned was C, and then moved to C++, and they were really tough for me, I understood all the concepts, but I wasn’t able to apply them in the programs, and I guess that’s the problem faced by many of us, so after that, I got introduced to Linux for the first time, and it really seemed interesting, because this helped me to explore an Operating System as I am curious about technologies, i.e. what’s the thing behind the scenes.
After learning Linux I came to know about DevOps, and Cloud Computing, and yeah that’s the story.
When did you first use python and how was your experience?
I used Python after my Second year, and it was like, “Man, this programming language is for me”, why? Because It seemed really easy, you just have to type a single line, and there you go, your first program in Python.
After that, I got deep in Python, I started automation in Python, it helped me a lot. And I have always been afraid of Data Structures and Algorithms, but this year I finally learned that practiced it, I was able to think about how things work and able to program that too.
And after doing all that, I contributed to some of the repositories on GitHub.
Describe the one kick-ass project that you made using python?
There are a few projects that I have made, but the project that I am proud of is simple yet it was very new learning for me.
I made a Python package that downloads subtitles for any movies/series.
You will think that it’s really simple, yeah now I do too. But earlier, I used to think that, How can we make a Python package?
Others are for automation.
Tell us about your journey on YouTube so far.
I never thought I will be able to start my YouTube channel because it’s a big commitment to oneself. But yeah, I did. So far, I have been uploading videos that are helpful for the students. And that was actually the main aim of my channel because there are a few resources available for the videos I have made.
I remember I couldn’t find anything about open source, that’s good to watch and to learn, so I learned all the things, and made it simple for others.
And it’s not just me but many people including my family have been so supportive. Thank you to each and every one.
How has OpenSource helped you grow in tech?
For those who are scared of what is open source and will they be able to contribute to it ever?
Remember that it just takes one mindset to start, if you really wanna do it, then just start. I am not a motivational speaker or anything, but it’s just my experience, that I just had this thing in my mind that I will definitely contribute to some open source project one day, and I worked a lot, because I didn’t know many things, and I am still learning a lot of things. I worked in Git for the first time this year, and I made my account on GitHub in my third year, but never used it, because I thought that it’s tough. I can’t do it. But this time I believed that yes, I will. Take challenges. And move out from your comfort zone,
So, just start, and keep learning.
What do you think is the reason for the low participation of women in tech how would you improve it?
There are many aspects in this, many women are not aware how technology can help them, some don’t have the right resources, and in India, working in a corporate world for a woman is still not considered a good thing, at least in North India. Because I have seen many of my friends.
So, I can’t really tell.
What are your thoughts on the statement “Can women have it all?”
Why not? As you grow, I think it’s really not about just women, but any gender can have it all. “We can not make something normal by highlighting something.”
