The Incredible Growth of Python (stackoverflow.blog)

[Tim Golden]

On 12/09/2017 12:20, Leam Hall wrote:
> This is an area the Python community can improve on. Even I would 
> encourage someone new to Python and wanting to do webdev to use Python 3.
> 
> But if someone comes onto the list, or IRC, and says they need to stay 
> on Python 2 then please drop the dozens of e-mails and comments about 
> upgrading. Help the person learn; that makes them happier with Python 
> and when the time comes to switch to Python 3 they probably will.
> 
> My recent experience with some people's inability to take "Sorry, I 
> can't" for an answer has been a real turn-off. I have requirements that 
> dictate Python. If this was a personal venture I'd already be elsewhere 
> purely because the Python community on the list and IRC is so unwelcoming.

I agree. Except for the unusual case where someone's mistakenly chosen 
to use, eg, Python 2.4 because they're using an old text book which 
mentions it as the current version, most people are using the version 
which suits them for one reason or another.

And, if I may put my 2.5p-worth in here, they're probably using the 
operating system which suits them. (Maybe because their employer has 
said so, or because they're familiar or whatever). So saying, as people 
occasionally do, "Upgrade to Linux", even with half-a-wink, is not 
really that funny or helpful.

That said, my experience of this list and other Python forums is that we 
don't do *too* badly at being friendly. However, what we do suffer from 
is an excess of technical helpfulness. In principle it's a good thing, 
but it can give rise to solving a problem with the OP doesn't have. One 
example of which is: over-egging the advantages of Python 3. ("How do I 
do X in Python 2.7?" "Why aren't you using Python 3"). Another might be: 
suggesting a toolkit they're not using. ("How do I use Tkinter to do 
blah?" "Use Pygame; it's much better").

Of course, such advice can certainly be helpful, eg pointing out the 
advantages of requests over urllib2 etc. But trying to answer their 
question as well as pointing out possible alternatives is probably more 
friendly.

TJG