Python mascot? How about a Pythoneer?

[Michael Chermside]

> I've been thinking that a good Python mascot might help in raising
> public awareness of Python.
> 
> The problem with a snake as a mascot is that it is not anthropomorphic
> enough.  An effective mascot has to have something approximating two
> arms, two legs, and a head, so that he can be put into various
> interesting situations and adventures.  (At the very least, he has to
> be able to work a keyboard and a mouse!)  Good examples can be found
> in some of the imaginative things that have been done with Linux's
> Tux.
> 
> So a snake is out.  

I'm not an artist, but I still want to question your "requirements"
above. You declare "An effective mascot has to have something
approximating two arms, two legs, and a head". I certainly see why
an effective mascott needs a _face_ (to express emotion, and to take
advantage of the hardwired human facial-feature processor). But I
really don't understand the need for two legs, and with some creative
stretch, I'm unsure about the hands.

I *am* concerned that any mascot *other* than a snake would prove
confusing in the marketplace. For instance, I'd say that most everyone
in the software profession recognizes the steaming cup of coffee icon
for java (http://java.sun.com/images/javalogo_box.gif). Many fewer
recognize duke (http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/rmi/images/duke.gif).
Why? I think it's because there's nothing tying it back to the 
technology other than explicit advertising that Sun does.

Now, I realize that our marketing budget dwarfs Sun's <wink/>, but
the way I figure it, ANY time that people see a snake logo in 
connection with programming, they'll think of the language Python.
We've already captured that mindshare. 

So I say, exploit it! The "Odi" logo 
(http://www.python.org/wiki/img/Odi.jpg) shows that a snake can be
"cute" (but lose the pixelation yeuch!), seems to me that all that's
needed is a little creativity... perhaps he (she?) types and mouses
with his (her?) tail. Sure, it'd be a bit odd, but it would be
distinctive, and most importantly, everyone would immediately know
that it represented Python.

-- Michael Chermside