The decentralized nature of the Python community is driving me crazy

[Mike Orr]

metaperl.bzr at gmail.com wrote:
> hi everyone,
>
> I am the first of what may be hundreds of refugees from the Perl
> community. Not only is Python a more productive language, with many
> more nice apps, but the people are friendly as well... waaay more
> friendly than the Perl crowd.
>
> But I must say the one thing I miss about Perl is my ability to stay on
> top of all the latest modules and apps in one place: CPAN. With Python,
> code is EVERYWHERE - people's local boxes, sourceforge, freshmeat,
> codezoo, parnassus, etc, etc. Different approaches to documentation. A
> much nicer install utility (python setup.py install r0x). But I am
> finding it hard to keep on top and browse all the wares that are out
> there because they are literally all over the net!
>
> And then you have discussion and yet again, there is no perlmonks.org
> for Python. We have this, IRC, and what else?
>
> So, I guess this is my way of letting you know how lost I feel about
> this de-centralized community. Dont get me wrong. I'm glad to be part
> but I was thinking it would be nice if there were a one-stop-shop for
> all my chat and wares needs. But for now, I guess I need to just add
> few more bookmarks to main places to keep on top of daily besides
> pythonware.com/daily.

Hi Metaperl, glad you're enjoying our language. :)  I left Perl in the
mid 90s and came to Python after a year with Java.  So I don't know
what perlmonks.org is.  The lack of a CPAN equivalent has been a
persistent lament of Pythoneers over the years, and there have been
several attempts to build a Python one or a multilingual one.  The
Cheeseshop and easy_install are the most successful attempts.  There's
a project aimed at integrating easy_install into Python itself, but
with the technical and compatibility issues it will take several
months.  More and more packages are being listed in the Cheeseshop.  If
there's anything of importance that's *not* listed there (and I can't
think of anything), you would do well to prod the owners to get with
the program.  You can pretty much ignore Parnassus and Freshmeat etc
unless you have a fondness for old software that will never be in the
Cheeseshop.

comp.lang.python is where most of the discussion takes place, and the
best place to ask questions.  It's so big I read it the weekly
Python-URL summary instead, which is how I found your message.    I've
never read the daily Python-URL much, but it looks like a good place if
you want more "input"  [Number 5 voice; "Short Circuit" movie].

Other good sources of information are local users' groups and
conferences.  I attend PyCon every year, and find that something always
happens somehow that sets my direction for the year.  Some really good
idea you collaborate on at the conference, then work on during the next
several months.  If you're plugged into users' groups, I don't see a
real need to have lots of bookmarks to read every day.

There are a ton of Python books now too that might be helpful.  There
are also some good articles on O'Reilly's OnLamp
(http://www.onlamp.com/python/) by several Python bigwigs, including
Cameron Laird who founded the Python-URL.  Plus there's Guido's blog of
course (http://www.artima.com/weblogs/index.jsp?blogger=guido).

As for "different approaches to documentation", that's something the
Python community has not come to any consensus on.  There are tools
that convert docstrings into documentation, and tools that run tests
embedded in docstrings, and these impose a syntax on the docstrings,
but in each area there are multiple programs and it's too soon to say
which approach will win out.  But they are gradually converging.

--Mike  <sluggoster at gmail.com>