Python Popularity: Questions and Comments

[Cameron Laird]

In article <u2nk47nvtu000c at corp.supernews.com>,
RPM1 <rpm1deletethis at frontiernet.net> wrote:
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>"full technical support"
>
>That's what gets thrown in my face whenever I mention Python.
>(And I mention it a lot).  The company I work for writes point
>of sale software in C and VB, because "there's support" and
>"customers won't pay for something made with freeware."
>
>I think if Python wants to get "bigger" or more acceptable,
>it needs marketing.  The guy with the bag of money needs
>to say, "Oh yeah, Python, I've heard of that."  Customers
>ask us if we have a Java 'solution', they don't ask if we
>have a Python 'solution'.  That's got to change if Python
>'wants' to grow more, (I don't know that it does).
>
>    It seems to me, (with my limited experience), that the
>most dedicated audience Python has is the scientific
>community.  I would start there.  Get some big chemical,
>pharmaceutical, or biological corporations to use Python,
>(by catering to their needs), and then they will in turn
>support the language when they see the wonderful end
>product.  Then people like me can say to my boss, "look
>Dow, Johnson & Johnson, and ADM all use Python
>heavily, so there's nothing to be afraid of."
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Companies like Dow, J&J, and ADM *do* use Python.

I'm rather grouchy on this subject.  My experience
is that organizations that start talk about "full
technical support" are resistant to any factual
content.  It doesn't matter how much we demonstrate
Python's technical superiority to them, nor how
many times Python has proven itself capable/reli-
able/efficient/...; it makes them uncomfortable,
and no rational discussion affects their comfort.

I say, "it's an optimized solution.  Yes, it has
Java segments."  That's usually enough for the
people who just want buzzwords.
-- 

Cameron Laird <Cameron at Lairds.com>
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net
Personal:  http://starbase.neosoft.com/~claird/home.html