[Numpy-discussion] Re: [SciPy-user] Re[2]: [SciPy-dev] Future directions for SciPy in light of meeting at Berkeley

[Cory Davis]

Hi All

> I think the proposal is:
> development effort is a function of community size,

Undeniably true!


> and community size is a function of convenience as
> well as functionality.
> 

This is only partly true.  I think the main barriers to more people
using scipy are...

1. Not that many people actually know about it
2. People aren't easily convinced to change from what they were taught
to use as an under-graduate (e.g. Matlab, IDL, Mathematica)

As it stands, I don't think scipy is particularly inconvenient to
install or use.  On the two suggested improvements: I think
incorporating matplotlib is an excellent idea.  But I think the second
suggestion of separating Scipy into independent packages will prove to
be counter-productive.  It might put people off even before they start,
because instead of installing one package, they have a bewildering
choice of many. And it could prove to be annoying to people using scipy
who want to share or distribute code, with the requirement that both
parties have scipy becoming a requirement that both parties have a
specific combination of scipy packages.

Also, another reason why there might be a lack of developers is that
there a people like me who find that scipy and matplotlib already do
everything that they need.  Which is good right?

Cheers,
Cory.


> This seems right to me.
> 
> Cheers,
> Alan Isaac
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> SciPy-user at scipy.net
> http://www.scipy.net/mailman/listinfo/scipy-user
-- 
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Cory Davis
Meteorology
School of GeoSciences
University of Edinburgh
King's Buildings
EDINBURGH EH9 3JZ

ph: +44(0)131 6505092
fax +44(0)131 6505780
cdavis at staffmail.ed.ac.uk
cory at met.ed.ac.uk
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/contacts/homes/cdavis
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