Python use growing or shrinking

[Erik Max Francis]

Greg Brunet wrote:

> Just as a point of information, I was reading this article about Java
> and the recent ruling that MS must include it in Windows & .NET
> (http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/01/21/java/print.html). It
> had a link to this site (http://www.tiobe.com/tpci.htm) which ranks
> Python as a "B" status language with declining popularity.

I coincidentally just noticed this latter site (the one that ranks
Python as a "B" language with declining popularity), and had probably
the same reaction.  It purports to estimate the rankings based on Google
searches, and turns those results into a "rating," and then assigns a
"status" (A or B) based on, presumably, the value of that rating.

So little information about this rating system is given that I would be
inclined not to give it much weight.  The consideration of HTML and
(particularly) XML as "programming languages," the arbitrary cutoff
between "A" and "B" languages, and the total lack of detail (I admit to
not poring over the site, but I couldn't find any obvious quantitative
information about how these figures are calculated and where the lines
are drawn) leads me to put very little weight into the information
presented there.

They admit to subjective elements being present (to their credit), but
give such heavy-hitting advice as, "Programming languages that have
status 'A' are considered to be mainstream languages. It is strongly
adviced [sic] to stick to those languages for industrial,
mission-critical software systems."  Since we don't know how these
ratings are calculated, and what distinction they've chosen between an
"A" and a "B" language, I find it extremely hard to take this advise
[sic] terribly seriously :-).

-- 
 Erik Max Francis / max at alcyone.com / http://www.alcyone.com/max/
 __ San Jose, CA, USA / 37 20 N 121 53 W / &tSftDotIotE
/  \ Ride / Ride this wave of mine
\__/ Res
    Physics reference / http://www.alcyone.com/max/reference/physics/
 A physics reference.