[python-advocacy] Proposal for Monthly podcast series

[Tennessee Leeuwenburg]

I would like to propose something, but it will require more work than I can
do by myself. However, I don't think it's onerous.

There are now a number of articles comparing Python web frameworks, and
comparing Python against the web frameworks in other apps.

A website, should be created with a snappy name. (Suggestions: PythonVsWeb,
PythonFrameworks). This website should contain: links to all known
comparison articles; two recommended frameworks; a list of email addresses
where interested parties can reach real people to talk to about choosing a
framework; a list of websites which actually use these frameworks; and links
to success stories.

As Editor-In-Chief of The Python Papers, I am more than happy to help in
soliciting, editing and publishing articles in this field. I am increasingly
of the opinion that Python's lack of a simple choice of web framework is
holding the language back from hitting "the big time". I have confronted
this difficulty myself (I chose Webware), but found the choice difficult and
confronting. It would have been easier if I were an experienced web
programmer, but I am an moderately experienced general programmer, with more
experience in desktop and server applications than web applications.

A simple grid of features would have gone a *long* way to simplifying my
decision. Many developers will want to use a Python framework over that of
other languages if they are using Python already. Similarly, many developers
will steer clear of Python if they are using a web framework from another
language. Many people will choose a language based on which one supports the
greatest number of their needs. Relying on existing Python mindshare will
make it hard to get into organisations which are more unfamiliar with it.

As we plan our next and following issue, I am trying to get in touch with
commercial and other employers who are using Python in the workplace to talk
about their experiences. If people could suggest companies that they know
which use Python to develop web apps, I would be more than happy to follow
up with those companies regarding writing and article for The Python Papers.
Perhaps they would be more interested in writing an article for a magazine
than for the python.org website.

Cheers,
-T

On 6/18/07, Roy Smith <roy at panix.com> wrote:
>
> >> * Django (Turbgears and Pylons are both great projects and *equally*
> >> deserving of coverage - but would this be too much of a web-app focus)
> >> Oh, and there is always Zope. ;-)
> >
> > How about a 2nd 'track' that is just web technologies?
>
> If there is one thing Python is getting killed on, it's web apps.
> Specifically, Ruby on Rails.  We need to work on our image in this area,
> so I'm not worried if we focus too much on that.
>
> I've been pushing in my company for us to develop a Python scripting
> interface for our product.  We already have both a home-grown scripting
> language, and Perl.  There is wide-spread agreement that neither is
> satisfactory.  I've been pushing Python, but it's been an uphill battle
> against the Ruby mind-share.  Here's a quote from a recent discussion:
>
> > Python seems to be one of those specialty languages that builds up a
> > following but never makes it into the mainstream.  That doesn't make
> > it bad - Lisp, APL, SNOBOL, and Icon are other examples that come to
> > mind.  In fact, these language often are very well engineered and
> > their followers appreciate that quality.
> >
> > Ruby seems to be gaining rapidly increasing "mind share" these days.
> > Partly this is through the wide use of Ruby On Rails as a Web
> > development environment.
>
> Notice the point being made.  It's not about whether Python or Ruby would
> be a better language to write the product in, but which would be perceived
> by our customers as being more desirable.  And that perception is being
> driven by Rails.  That's what we need to be fighting.
>
>
>
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