variable declaration

[Alex Martelli]

Arthur <ajsiegel at optonline.com> wrote:

> Do the STUPID firms use Python as well.

Yes, they're definitely starting to do so.


> Why?  

The single most frequent reason is that some techie sneaked it in, for
example "just for testing" or "to do a prototype" or even without any
actual permission.  Firms hardly ever follow the "build one to throw
away" dictum (and some argue that the dictum is wrong and the firms are
right), so, once it's in, it's in.

There are other reasons, such as "it's intolerable that we're using half
a dozen different languages, we need to unify all our software and
rewrite it into just one language" -- a rather silly reason, and this
plan (to rewrite perfectly good working software just for the purpose of
having it all in one language) generally doesn't come to fruition, but
meanwhile there are very few candidate languages that _could_ fill all
the different niches *and* not bust the PHB's softare-purchase business.

Even the various "success stories" we've collected (both on websites,
and, more impressive to PHBs, into paper booklets O'Reilly has printed)
play a role.  ``NASA uses it for space missions, so of course we must
use it to control our hot dog franchises'' -- we DID say we're talking
about stupid firms, right?

This is a good development, overall.  Against stupidity, the gods
themselves contend in vain; Python's entrance into stupid firms broadens
its potential appeal from less than 10% to around 100% of the market,
which is good news for sellers of books, tools, training, consultancy
services, and for Python programmers everywhere -- more demand always
helps.  *BUT* the price is eternal vigilance...


Alex