How to sell Python ( and OpenSoruce )

[Martijn Faassen]

Thomas Weholt <thomas at cintra.no> wrote:

[scary stuff about 'closed-source fanatics' -- these exist outside
companies which sell software? :)]

> To be more exact :

> My mission is to swap

> expensive, oversized databases solutions like MS
> SQL 7.0 with PostgreSQL 7.0,

> crappy inconsistent script-languages like
> VBScript with Python

> and MS SiteServer / IIS with Zope,

This all sounds great!

> Linux with Windows  2000/ NT 4.0.

Why switch from Linux to Windows NT/2000, though? ;)

[snip]
> The thing is that these people don`t thrust OpenSource. They laugh at
> script-languages in general,

Probably due to exposure to various crappy scripting languages. Perhaps
just not use the word scripting. Use words like 'byte-codes' and 'virtual
machine'. Mention 'portable'. Thanks to Java these words have good hype-value.

Application specific hacked-up scripting languages are generally pretty
crappy, so they may have all the wrong association setup.

Of course there's probably also the 'real men use compilers, not
interpreters' aspect. The response to that should be reason: 'wimps
using interpreters can produce the same application in less time and
end up with a more robust and flexible system. And *perhaps* it runs
slower, but usually that's fast enough'.

> and the idea of sharing code is even more stupid. 

Perhaps point at successful open source projects?
Or perhaps cite from personal experience. Or have them read something by ESR.

> The growth of OpenSource, Python, Linux etc. depends on how well it
> can be a suitable substitution for ClosedSource-alternatives. A more
> agressive form of propaganda, showing off successful solutions, WITH
> benchmarks, results of stress-tests etc. is vital. Right now there are
> alot of talk about how great Python are, but few actual test of how
> well Python performes under pressure, and not just Python alone, but
> in a more complex environmet, like in Zope

Zope appears to survive slashdotting. There were various discussions about
Zope under stress on the zope lists recently. There's also a wiki; perhaps
you can find more info there.

> or using Python as interface to a RDBMS.

> I need selling points for OpenSource, the idea and philosophy,
> examples of successful technology and eh .. moral support. I feel like
> I`m in the lions den right now. ( " Think of a happy place. Calm blue
> ocean, calm blue ocean ..." )

I think Python is relatively easy to sneak in. Start with
a few 'insignificant scripts' that after a while turn out to do 
quite important stuff; i.e, bind them with some subtle spells.
Python can do neat stuff on Windows, so you might want to exploit that.
Use it to convert or adjust existing databases; I've used Python
quite a bit for that.  Or have it generate PDFs from whatever data you have.

Also perhaps sneak in PostgresSQL through one of the various PostgresSQL
on Windows solutions; the database runs on Linux but something bridges
it to Windows (perhaps through ODBC).

Zope is harder to introduce, as it's such an extensive package. Maybe as a
way to integrate various company data sources into an intranet site. Some
Zopists are working on stuff like that. 

Good luck!

Martijn
-- 
History of the 20th Century: WW1, WW2, WW3?
No, WWW -- Could we be going in the right direction?