Python's popularity

[r]

Steve Holden
> What makes you assume this is a zero-sum game, and that Python won't
> survive if any other language becomes popular. Every language borrows
> from those that came before it. Terms like "outright plagiarism" don't
> encourage rational debate, and make you seem like a troll who is more
> interested in stirring up controversy than actually doing things to help
> promote the language.

This is a war Steve, and i will explain why. Python does not need to
compete with perl, lisp, C, basic, etc, etc. WHY, well because python
is SO radically different than those languages. Ruby on the other
hand, took most from python, the only difference is Ruby's full OO
integration.(12.method()). Since Ruby is so similar to python we must
consider that some people who would have found only python in this
niche now could go to Ruby. I am for choices, but this is out and out
robbery!
Of course we must stand on the shoulders of greater minds than our own
to get ahead, but using someone's knowledge against them is wrong. If
Ruby want's to incorporate so many Pythonian ideas into their
language, at least put a note in the tutorial giving credit to Guido
for his wisdom. Don't use our ideas and then bash python in the next
breath!

> I have an article about the Zen coming up in "Python Magazine" so I
> won't steal its thunder. Suffice it to say that people take the Zen far
> too seriously. Anyone who does so undermines their own credibility as a
> Python commentator. This isn't a war. Stop being childish.

I was speaking to the loyalty of Pythonista's. Of course we are not
really going to slay mats, come on Steve, get real!

> If all you want from a language is speed, go use C. I would avoid
> assembly language though, since a modern optimizing C compiler will
> often beat an assembly language programmer for execution speed, and the
> programming time will definitely be shorter. But to make speed the
> be-all and end-all is a witless approach. Speed is definitely not why
> dynamic languages' popularity is increasing. Speed *is* still relevant
> in certain areas, and completely irrelevant in others.

Come on Steve, i am NOT saying speed is the only thing that matters
here! But it is very important. I never compared Python to C, that is
madness. But it must be better, faster, smarter than it's direct
competition(ruby)... you agree??

> Much more of this kind of tripe and nobody will read what you write
> anyway. You will hear the plonking of a hundred thousand newsreaders
> every time you post.

Oh Steve... Listen, my words are ment as a wake-up-call to all who
still love Python, and i believe you are one of them. Maybe old age
has slowed your hand, that's OK, Us "youngsters" will take the helm.
And be serious, do you really think this group is read by "hundreds-of-
thousands of news readers? I wish it were, but I highly doubt it.