Comments on Python Redesign

[Arthur]

>I do not believe that Economics is the relevant field to consult as to the
>purpose of the python.org website.

OT, to be sure:

but, as it happens

a favorite of mine website pays homage to the Economist.

http://www.foulds2000.freeserve.co.uk/economists.htm

Less OT, is my confusion about an approach promoting Python which does not
adequately distinguish itself from the approach that may be appropriate to
promoting, say, peoplesoft.  An analogy that has been made.

I had the same confusion at the PBF meeting at PyCon. There it was Java
based technologies, for example, that was discussed as a competitor.
But in my view, *especially* from the managers point of view, the
implementation language of a particular technology is not particularly of
interest and the people promoting a specific technology generally assume
that is so.

It will mostly be of interest, only in the negative.  If it's Java or C++,
let's move on.  If its Python or Ocaml - perhaps it needs to be discussed.

And I understand the "promoting Python" campaign as an organized effort to
assist some in getting past that discussion.

The issue boils down to a chicken and egg thing.  As the critical mass
number of programmers using Python grows, the discussion begins to go away
of its own accord.  So that "promoting python"  should, in that case, remain
directed toward the hard core developer community.

OTOH, it could be argued that that critical mass of Python programmers will
not be achieved before there is support from managment. So that is where
promotion should be directed.

But it is my guess that efforts of a programming language community to
promote its favorite language that is transparently the efforts of a
programming language community to promote its favorite programming language
can have  - let's say - unintended consequences. Especially, if it moves too
far from the aesthetic that got it to where it has gotten.

So I would advise a gradualist approach.  Not a shocking break from the past
approach of python.org. Which is blandly, but cheerfully, informational - in
a generalist way.
Having gotten the ball rolling to the extent it has, it is an approach with
a track record.

I like track records.

Art