Defending the Python lanuage...

[Cliff Wells]

On 31 Jan 2002 00:05:47 -0800
Rony wrote:

> "Hernan M. Foffani" <hfoffani at yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:<20020130073810.382$1b at news.newsreader.com>...
> ....
> > I fully agree that when a manager evaluates techs alternatives the
> > decision may be affected by non-tech factors. I don't think many
> > readers here would deny such claim and c.l.py is a great forum to
> > look for answers on TECH's issues of Python.
> 
> Wait just a moment here ... what are you saying here? c.l.py is a
> great place to tooks for tech's issues But we don't consider managment
> issues ...
> Well in the ***real*** world where i live all descission are taken by
> managers !

Which is why, of course, Unix had to be secretly developed in a back room
without funding ;)

Seriously though, I do think that management-related questions are
appropriate (as they relate to Python) and if you think about it, those
questions aren't just management questions.  Any developer should ask
himself these questions when considering new tools.  Actually, I have seen
these same questions asked before albeit in a somewhat different way.

I will say that it is refreshing to see a manager active on a technical
forum.  As you are probably well aware (and the last couple of posts on
this thread should make it obvious) there is a rift between management and
developers - developers tend to think that management is clueless and
management tends to think that developers just want to play with new toys. 
While there is a grain of truth there (managers tend to be less aware of
the technical details and developers do like to try new stuff), neither
view is true enough to ever take seriously (although when you find yourself
in the situations where it is true it can jade you for life :P )  

However, your last statement that managers make _all_ the decisions was an
unfortunate one.  It's better if the technicians make the decisions and
then managers _approve_ them.  This may be splitting hairs, but when it
comes to deciding on things like what language to develop in, who is going
to be better informed: the people /using/ that language or someone who is
more focused on the overall picture?  Tool choices are a detail and best
left to those using the tools.  Managers should focus on personnel
coordination, feature specifications, overall design, etc - the big
picture.  It's when they start trying to specify which
editor/debugger/compiler will be used that friction occurs.  Granted, if
you have a team and one person wants to do things differently than everyone
else, management needs to step in, but if there is a general consensus
amongst your developers, then you need to listen, or be prepared to look
for new developers when your existing ones start looking elsewhere for
employment.  If you won't use the technology they prefer, they'll find
someone who will.

Speaking-from-personal-experience-ly yours,

-- 
Cliff Wells
Software Engineer
Logiplex Corporation (www.logiplex.net)
(503) 978-6726 x308
(800) 735-0555 x308

"Then with your new power you'll accomplish all sorts of cool stuff 
 in no time, and We'll All Be Sorry.  At that point you can either 
 gloat a bit, and then relent, or go ahead and send the robot army 
 after us." - Quinn Dunkan