[Pythonmac-SIG] My stab at a new page

[Bill Janssen]

> You seem to have a good handle on what is needed to get new users 
> involved in working with Python on the Mac. Even some of the 
> questions that you list here might be a little too complex for new 
> users.

The problem is that there are many kinds of "new users".

There are experienced programmers who understand the Mac, and are
familiar with, say, Objective-C and Cocoa and Java, but are looking at
Python for the first time.  They want to know the things that Bob and
Ron keep working on, things like "How do a build an app in Python?"
and "How do I use Cocoa, or Apple Events, or ... in Python?" or "How
do I use Python with Xcode?"  And they want the Python tutorial.

There are Python programmers coming from Windows or Linux, who want to
know primarily how to get Python on their Mac, and what special things
about the Mac they need to know to avoid tripping over their feet
while using Python.  They know about things like site-packages, but
not about /Library vs. /System/Library, or frameworks, or various
Apple-specific gcc bindings for dynamic linking.

Then there are people like Karl described yesterday in his story about
the computer teacher descovering Python's turtle graphics, who are
looking for low-entry (no installers) ways to do scripting or
education.

A good entry page tries to speak usefully to all of these communities
at the same time, without speaking down to any of them.

Bill