Comments on Python Redesign

[Graham Fawcett]

"Richard Brodie" <R.Brodie at rl.ac.uk> wrote in message news:<bjkk32$tkk at newton.cc.rl.ac.uk>...
> "Graham Fawcett" <fawcett at teksavvy.com> wrote in message
> news:mailman.1062993191.23216.python-list at python.org...
> 
> > Developers will always be first-class Python users; it's a programming
> > language, after all. Whether they should be first-class users of
> > www.python.org, in my humble opinion, is questionable.
> 
> I don't think so. They *are* the primary users of www.python.org
> If you're suggesting that to give a professional feel, we should be like
> Microsoft by moving around content so nobody can find it any more,
> I strongly disagree.

So would I!

> I exaggerate, of course. However, although, I am not a complete
> purist about it, keeping deep links (like say the PEPs) from breaking
> should be part of the aim of the redesign. I'm sure it is.


I agree. All I'm really saying (and I think you'll mostly agree) is that

-- we developers are not the only Python audience

-- the other audiences are interested in different facets of Python, i.e. not
   the docs and downloads

-- therefore it makes sense to give each group different messages/content

-- we are technically sophisticated (at least I hope we are)

-- some (many?) members of other audiences are not

-- technically-minded people know how to find sites, no matter where they
   are "hidden", through instinct, reading skills, and Google.

-- giving the easiest-to-find site to the less technically sophisiticated 
   is a just course of action

-- we are a just organization 
   (if there's a flaw in my argument, this is probably it! ;-)

-- therefore, give the www.python.org site to the less technically-minded
   audiences.

That's all pretty rational. I'd add the following, purely an opinion:

-- a Python marketing group, well-rounded and well-informed, ought to
   determine what goes on the 'non-developer' portal, bearing in mind that
   developers are an important audience, but not the primary audience, of the
   'non-developer' portal (www.python.org).

-- developers who are incensed by this arrangement should either

   a) boycott the www.python.org site, spending all their time at 
      dev.python.org

      or

   b) be rounded up, restrained and forced to view the new www.python.org site
      with eyelids sewn open, until they come to appreciate how wonderful a 
      job the marketing team has done.

Whether it's (a) or (b) I'll leave up to our Dictator for Life, and we'll see
just how Benevolent he really is. ;-)

-- Graham