Why Python needs to market itself

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Paul Boddie wrote:
>
> I think you should stop trying to think of all this as an
> intellectually lightweight corporate strategy meeting where we have to
> agree on some kind of marketing campaign that actually does nothing
> more than prop up the advertising profession whilst making complete
> fools out of everyone involved.

It's actually not my thinking.  I really think all the technocrats around
here are the marketing lightweights.  I have a very clear picture of what
makes it down the corporate value chain, which is why I'm highlighting your
post:

> What does stop Python from being recognised and adopted is the lack of
> awareness that people have, and it is true that part of this lack of
> awareness is down to a lack of brochures arriving on the desks of
> salespeople and strategists. Nevertheless, demonstrated successful
> systems have a more powerful impact on those whose money is ultimately
> being spent on new software - the customers. Because as their
> competitors demonstrate working systems that give them productivity
> benefits, they can turn to vendors and say, "Stop trying to sell us
> buzzword X - just give us something like our competitors are using!"
>
> The more I think about it, the more I realise that many customers
> probably don't care whether you've used the latest stuff from
> Microsoft or not (although they might be a bit concerned about the
> licensing schemes), and the more I realise that it must be the various
> bandwagons that "inform" certain parts of the "decision chain" that
> create this downward pressure on people to write all their stuff in C#
> or <insert flavour of the month>.

With you so far.

> As the balance of power shifts away
> from the vendor to the customer, however, I think you'll start to see
> the smart vendors adapt and start to discover what actually works,
> both from their customers and the people on the ground actually doing
> the work, and they'll cut out the brochure trail as they realise that
> it doesn't really help them to make money and satisfy customers at the
> same time.

Not in the absence of marketing.  Keep in mind, Linux is marketed.

> P.S. If you're really interested, there's a marketing/promotion
> interest group for Python. The details are out there on the Web, so if
> it's important to you, I'm sure you can dig them out.

Actually, I would be interested in their opinions of the Python community,
if they're willing to give them.  And maybe they'd be interested in an
outsider's perception of the Python community.  It is, after all, people
like me that have to be sold in order to grow the market.

-- 
Cheers,                         www.3DProgrammer.com
Brandon Van Every               Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real.
80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.