Open letter to Guido van Rossum

[Andy Freeman]

In article <8lhtht$v1e$1 at nnrp1.deja.com>,
  ajsiegel at my-deja.com wrote:
> But I wasn't necessarily suggesting that there would be a contribution
> back to the community. There would be a proprietary solution - and
> perhaps a competitive advantage achieved. The contribution back to
> the community would be a separate business decision.

Here's the conversation.

Me: "I'd like to use Python instead of Java for Project X?"
VP: "Why?  Everyone here uses Java and I've never heard of Python."
Me: "I can finish Project X 30% faster in Python than Java."
VP: "But, is it compatible, and who will maintain the code?"
     <Assume that I win that argument, or that I at least get
     permission to build a prototype, so now we're having the
     roll-out discussion.>
VP: "Okay, what do you need to deploy?"
Me: "I need to hire a contractor to enhance some standard modules."
VP: "Project X will be rewritten in Java - we can't depend on that
     kind of uncertainty."

Note that the VP's job is to actually get into the rollout discussion
before I get started with the Python version.  (Note that the VP is
right to kill the project in this case, and changing the number to
70% faster doesn't help.)

The challenger has to be better on a number of dimensions and can
only be worse on trivial details - otherwise the incumbent wins.
("No one else here knows the language" is a very powerful argument
in a world where staffing is so difficult.)

-andy


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.