[python-advocacy] Second-Term Status Report for Python Advocacy

[Aahz]

On Mon, Sep 24, 2007, Tennessee Leeuwenburg wrote:
>
> Yeah, I don't see much by way of a grassroots movement either. I
> see the same thing in The Python Papers. I've always seen TPP as a
> tool for advocacy also, or at least for community-building which is
> a related concept. If the money were available, I could see a real
> argument for paying three or four really talented people to focus on
> Python marketing projects. Unfortunately, I believe that a task like
> co-ordinating advocacy (or indeed running a magazine) is something
> that needs a *lot* of time spent on it building relationships and
> doing the hard work. I am not sure that such a task lends itself to
> a leaderless model. I think that Python could really benefit from
> some individuals to go out there and sell it to organisations, major
> groups and so forth. Python needs to get more mind-share from people
> currently outside the Python community, especially in business. Yes,
> I know there are a lot of success stories, but there is really no
> business portal to Python.  There is not a lot there in academia,
> major software magazines or business journals which promote the use of
> Python. I think all of that will take a lot more than people's spare
> hours.

This is reminding me a bit of the current discussion about the GIL,
where one person referred to Python's lack of built-in concurrency a
"crisis".  (I'm pointing particularly at "Python needs to get more
mind-share".)

While I think advocacy for Python is a Good Thing (prima facie evidence
is my presence on this list; plus co-authoring _Python for Dummies_;
plus...), I also believe that organized, formal advocacy is not essential
for Python.  Although I was (and to a certain extent am still) in favor
of using the PSF's money to fund advocacy (speaking as a PSF member), I
think that when you start saying that Python *needs* organized advocacy,
you need to justify your statement.  That goes double because many people
in the Python community have even greater antipathy toward organized
advocacy than I do.

I suggest that in many ways a better purpose for this list is to focus on
ways to get better advocacy out of the resources that present themselves
rather than trying to get more resources for advocacy.
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

The best way to get information on Usenet is not to ask a question, but
to post the wrong information.