[Edu-sig] re: Python Programming: An Introduction to ComputerScience

[Kirby Urner]

> For education related purposes - I argue these issues are one and the
> same, or certainly correlated.
> 

I don't see a need to link these issues.  A given open source language could
suck or be inappropriate.

> I would not make the same argument for business purposes. VB is useful in
> business. So are lots of other inanities.
> 

I think VB is becoming less useful.  MSFT is trying its best to bring along
a generation of VB programmers, but if you're just starting out, might as
well use C# against the .NET framework.  It likely has a brighter future.
Or Java.

> I happen to consider myself a businessman. So I say this without rancor.
> 
> Art
> 

I still think it'd be better to do some simple cgi programming with Python,
against some database.  Basically, I'm thinking LAMP deserves more airplay.
But WAMP is another option (Windows, Apache, MySQL, Python/Perl/PHP).

My ideal CS-for-business type class is more into overview in any case.  We
look at streamlined implementations of these things ("cave paintings") as
grist for the mill, to help us extrapolate to real world cases, which are
almost inevitably more complex.

A business person should know about Enterprise Java, .NET, LAMP, SQL and
XML.  It's also good to have a handle on open source (history, where it fits
in to business models these days).

Kirby