Python Popularity: Questions and Comments

[RPM1]

"Ron Stephens" <rdsteph at earthlink.net> wrote in message
> I recently read an interview with a Digital Creations top manager where he
said
> that he hopes someone starts a successful business based solely on
providing
> ISP services using Zope, with full technical support. Is anyone looking
into
> this? Does anyone think this could be a successful business model? I am
> interested in opinions on this.
>

"full technical support"

That's what gets thrown in my face whenever I mention Python.
(And I mention it a lot).  The company I work for writes point
of sale software in C and VB, because "there's support" and
"customers won't pay for something made with freeware."

I think if Python wants to get "bigger" or more acceptable,
it needs marketing.  The guy with the bag of money needs
to say, "Oh yeah, Python, I've heard of that."  Customers
ask us if we have a Java 'solution', they don't ask if we
have a Python 'solution'.  That's got to change if Python
'wants' to grow more, (I don't know that it does).

    It seems to me, (with my limited experience), that the
most dedicated audience Python has is the scientific
community.  I would start there.  Get some big chemical,
pharmaceutical, or biological corporations to use Python,
(by catering to their needs), and then they will in turn
support the language when they see the wonderful end
product.  Then people like me can say to my boss, "look
Dow, Johnson & Johnson, and ADM all use Python
heavily, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

Maybe I'm wrong.  But it seems to me that Microsoft
is ahead, not because of the high quality of their
product, but because of there timing and marketing.

Patrick