[python-advocacy] Fwd: what made you take py seriously?

[Jeff Hinrichs - DM&T]

oops, forgot to reply all.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jeff Hinrichs - DM&T <dundeemt at gmail.com>
Date: Mar 10, 2007 12:13 AM
Subject: Re: [python-advocacy] what made you take py seriously?
To: Stephan Deibel <sdeibel at wingware.com>


On 3/9/07, Stephan Deibel <sdeibel at wingware.com> wrote:
> For me it was in 1998 when playing with Python to prototype a GUI that
> was taking forever to develop in C++.  For both the C++ work and Python
> work, it was GTK as the GUI toolkit.  I was blown away with how fast I
> got a GUI together with Python, and quickly realized that it didn't have
> to be a prototype but could be the real app.
>
> I think it's always something like this -- Python provides a solution
> that fills a need and draws someone in far enough to wow them.  Then it
> gets used for a lot more than just the original task.
>
> I recognize the significant barrier that exists before someone is
> willing to try something new, since I also long resisted trying Python.
>   The things that help get people past that resistance are important to
> focus on.  Sometimes that's achieved by Python masquerading as a
> complementary/new tool (not a replacement) for something like
> prototyping or testing, and sometimes it's just a strong recommendation
> from someone you trust that makes the difference.  Or, as in my case,
> both together.
>
> The peer contact thing is really the most important.  After that, next
> most useful is a collection of "Doing X with Python" docs that tell
> people how to solve their problem with Python, and wow them with how
> easy and elegant it is.  Then articles like the Python Success Stories
> and other high-level intro/marketing type content that the programmer
> can then use to convince their boss to accept the technology.
>
> - Stephan
> _______________________________________________
> Advocacy mailing list
> Advocacy at python.org
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/advocacy
>

For me it was an app named edna, http://edna.sourceforge.net/ written
by Greg Stein.  It was my first encounter with python and after
reading through the source code I knew I had found a new tool.  That
was back in 2000/2001.  Since then I've brought it in to my work
place.  I've trained numerous interns with it and it does all of the
heavy lifting at my day job.

In my consulting sideline it is my tool of choice whether I'm just
doing some simple sysadmin scripting or full blown development.  Now
some times the situation dictates another tool but when it's left to
my discretion -- it's pretty hard to go wrong with the snake.

Once you get use to a truly multi-platform tool that it geared for
real life it is very hard to break the habit.

--
Jeff Hinrichs
Dundee Media & Technology, Inc
jeffh at dundeemt.com


-- 
Jeff Hinrichs
Dundee Media & Technology, Inc
jeffh at dundeemt.com
402.320.0821