[python-advocacy] New python products supported?

[Michael March]

>> I noticed recently that Perforce released an officially supported version
>> of their Python API to replace the previously distributed, but not
>> supported, version
>>
>> (http://public.perforce.com/guest/robert_cowham/perforce/API/python/index.html).
>>
>> I suspect this is a fairly common scenario.  Somebody inside a company
>> does some kind of Python add-on for their company's main product.  The
>> company half-pretends it doesn't exist for a while and after enough time
>> goes by, they decide to turn it into a real supported product.  It would
>> be interesting if we had a list of such "coming of age" Python events.  It
>> would be a good way to show that the corporate world is starting to take
>> Python seriously.
>
> I think the corporate world is already taking Python seriously.  I see who's
> buying licenses for Wing IDE and there's a distinct trend towards inclusion
> of the big names / fortune 500 / etc.
>
> In nearly 10 years we've gone from almost all individual sales (consultants
> mostly, or individual employees buying on their own), then we saw the
> addition
> of more and more smallish and startup companies to the mix, and finally in
> the
> last 2-3 years now also the big corporations.
>
> I doubt this is just due to the product improving, but rather think it
> reflects
> the path by which Python has made its way into these companies.
>
> In other words, I think the "secret sauce" aspect of Python is no longer
> a secret.
>
> That said, I'm sure there's plenty of room for expanding into companies
> that don't use Python now, but I'm not sure that lack of credibility or
> being taken seriously are the main barriers at this point.
>
> - Stephan

As someone who has made it his 5 year mission of embedded Python into
all corporate work I do, I can tell you Python has a LONG way to go
before its reaches its potential in the IT world.  My experience is
that most IT leadership either hasn't heard of Python or they
immediately lump it in with Perl.

Granted, Python's 'brand' is rising but its still going to take people
stealthly implementing internal projects using Python and THEN pulling
the curtain to reveal what language was used. I've been doing that at
all my gigs and I've (mostly) left a trail of Python converts.