does anybody earn a living programming in python?

[wesley chun]

since 1997, i've been pretty much working full-time in Python:
- at yahoo, we developed yahoo!mail in python (and some C++)
- at synarc, i wrote software for doctors in python (and some C)
- at ironport, most everything is in python (and some C, PyRex). we
have a million lines in python (http://www.python.org/about/quotes/)

for the forseeable future, i plan on keeping it this way. i took a
contract which led me back to C, but as i was doing this, most of the
time i felt like i was "wasting my time," e.g., char **x =
(char**)malloc(...)... *x++ = (char*)malloc(...) ... free()...
free()... (segmentation fault)... bus error... gdb... blah blah, led
to thoughts such as, "i have better things to do with my time," "when
does this contract end?", etc. it did, however, make me more
appreciative of the C code which comprises the Python interpreter. i
sense that because i had done that (C) before and realized how Python
makes me more efficient, that i've become "spoiled" by it and am more
picky about my opportunities... anyone else feel the same way? I saw
the +1 from Aahz already.  ;-)

however, i can understand the original posters inquiry... you just
don't see too many FT positions offered that list Python as the sole
or major development language. i'm sure folks on the list either get
"found" by companies that need Python skills, or, we want to keep
those jobs to ourselves and spend time hacking sites to remove those
listings. :-)

it is also worthy to note that in general, the number of job listings
which have the word "Python" in them have risen steadily over the past
few years.  i guess the "secret" is getting out. just subscribing to
dice and monster have let me see this growth on a weekly basis.  if
you're lucky, one or two of the listings in these weekly lists will
contain positions that are pretty much Python-only.

cheers,
-- wesley
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Core Python Programming", Prentice Hall, (c)2007,2001
    http://corepython.com

wesley.j.chun :: wescpy-at-gmail.com
python training and technical consulting
cyberweb.consulting : silicon valley, ca
http://cyberwebconsulting.com