[Pythonmac-SIG] Mac User Python Newbies

[Troy Rollins]

> > .. beggars can't be choosers :)
> >
> > -bob [ comment in the context of distribution packages but it applies
> > to the discussion of IDE chaos as well].
> 
> My comment:
> 
> (1) In this business, beggars do  choose, and they vote with their
> feet.   If a beginner-friendly IDE is not an interesting problem for
> cognoscenti, the python foundation (or some such) should step in, or
> the python community should consider the possibility that the
> demographics of the development community is in danger of ceding  the
> next generation...

I for one, don't care to think of myself in the context of "begger",
but more so in the context of uninitiated contributor. If developers,
new to python, have a barrier to entry, they may well walk of to Ruby,
or Lua... etc. At some point, I'd like to be contributing to the
effort, but just getting off the ground is a bit daunting. Obviously,
it is doable, since lots of folks work in it every day, but how many
have peaked in and turned and left without saying a word? Out of that
number, how many may have evolved into providing some contribution? It
isn't up to the members of this list to fix, or at least isn't a
"responsibility", but it is an issue which also shouldn't simply be
dismissed, I think. I think if there is some governing body for
Python, it should very much be paying attention to this issue, and
recognizing that it is perhaps one of the most important aspects of
maintaining and furthering the language... new developers. Many of
which would prefer to get started (at least) within the relative
controlled environment of an IDE.

-- 
Troy Rollins
RPSystems, Ltd.
www.rpsystems.net