[SciPy-user] Polynomial interpolation

[Gael Varoquaux]

On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 10:26:49PM +0200, Rob Hetland wrote:
> Namespaces get  cluttered enough without all that extra stuff, and even
> if people  don't get OO, the can all certainly read a docstring.

These people don't read docs. In addition the people I am thinking about
don't know what a docstring is.

I used to think that is was normal to have to go through a learning
process to use a tool, hardware or software. Nowadays I have learned in
incredible amount of tools, I am faced with new tools on a day-to-day
basis. Some of which are forced upon me, some that I choose to use, some
that I try out and drop later on. I am also heavily overworked (it's
almost a culture for me). When I want to get some problem solved, I
rarely have much time to spend on it. Quite often I need a solution real
fast. As a result I try out a tool. If I am not able to produce something
fast, I give it up. The tool might be excellent. I might even be
convinced the tool is excellent, but I have to move along, and use a tool
that I believe is less technically good, because it has a smaller learning
curve.

I am glad that I learned Unix system administration, C coding, VIM, Make,
Blender, and all those powerful tools with steep learning curves when I
had time a few years ago. I just love those tools. However, I am so
grateful when I can pick up a software like Inkscape that makes it really
easy for me to draw something quickly. I thank the developers of this
software for making it really easy to start with.

Usability is making the software match the user expectations, helping him
make the first step, and also helping him move forward to go from his
beginners workflow, to a more advanced and efficient one. Python is great
in this respect. You can start with scripting, than use functions, and
later objects. You don't have to know what objects are to start with it,
but if you use Python long-enough you will absorb these concepts and you
will have learned useful things.

Gaël