Jerry F
Posts: 4
Nickname: jefe59
Registered: Mar, 2006
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Re: Marketing Python - An Idea Whose Time Has Come
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Posted: Mar 3, 2006 10:45 AM
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If I were a "marketing guy" (which I admittedly am not), I'd define which segments you want to go after, identify who the competition is, and build a strategy around each. (Steve Ballmer jumping up and down shouting "DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS" comes to mind, sorry.) Here are some ideas:
First, some target markets (granted, there is overlap between these):
- Web Developers - The Slashdot crowd - College-aged elite hackers - The Web 2.0 crowd - New to programming (high school kids) - Sys admins and MCSE's - Microsoft Office Power Users - Old Hacks (QBasic or C guys)
Which market do you want to go after? I'm sure I overlooked some. But the key is, you can't be all things to all people. So I believe it's important to pick a market or three, and really focus on those. Certain markets will contain technology leaders, and will tend to pull the other markets along.
I am a huge (but new) Python fan, and I think Python is losing on a lot of fronts. Not from lack of results, but from lack of an effective Marketing Message.
Java vs Python: 1-0 Remember when Java got hot (no pun intended), and was being touted as the Language of the Web by Scott McNealy (early/mid 90's). As an HP rep, I watched IT departments buy tons of Sun gear, mostly based on buzz words and reputation. A lot of IT decision makers didn't know Sun from a black hole, but they knew the Internet was hot, and they better throw money at it. Sun really benefited from this, God bless 'em.
Whether you believe the O'Reilly "Web 2.0" hype or not, a bunch of money is going to be chasing new technologies, and there's a wave that Python can ride, right there. (http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html ). You just need to be "the language of Web 2.0" (and substantiate it in some way with results).
More random thoughts:
The Python community needs to publicize its successes. What turned me onto Python? Aside from my desire to learn something new and a dislike for the Microsoft language direction, there were three things:
1) noticing a trend that certain high-growth tech companies were very interested in Python (Google for one), 2) noticing a trend that some great, HOT software was written in Python (bittorrent was the final straw), and 3) noticing the sheer quantity of Python projects on Sourceforge (4859 as I write this).
Ruby vs Python: 1-0 I was talking with a friend, a talented programmer whom I highly respect for his abilities to learn the right new things, and told him I was getting into Python. He commented that he evaluated Python, and decided to learn Ruby instead. My respect for him really made me question MY decision. I asked him why, and his response was that the Python community seems far too pretentious. (Don't shoot the messenger here!) I think the acedemic (grad-level) background and approach of many Python gurus throws off the radical hacker who wants to dabble and learn. What looks to me like thorough documentation (detailed syntax descriptions) comes across to others as pretentious.
Java vs Python: 2-0 My son is preparing to take Java in high school - 10th grader. I asked the administration why not Python. Why Java? Java is the only language offered, at one of the most prestigious, challenging, college-prep schools in the city. Why? Because Java is on the AP (Advanced Placement) tests, and used to judge the skills for colleges. If you want to win over the students, you need to win over the teachers, and that means you need to win over the AP testing group.
Ruby vs. Python: 2-0 If you want to win over the web developers, the community needs to tout some examples of the latest awesome website which were developed in Python. And there needs to be a framework (sigh. maybe even a video) showing how easy it is. Does Youtube use Python? Or Digg? or Orkut? Or some other hot website on the rise? If so, tout it. If not, ask why not?
Java +18K, Python +5K, Ruby +1K Regarding the Slashdot crowd, this is a mixed bag of users. A good source of religious wars there! With words alone, you will never sway the group who swear by {braces} and swear at forced indents. The proof is in the examples: Google, Bittorrent, 4859 projects on Sourceforge, the next great web startup, etc.
Ruby +1 Regarding the experimental hacker, you can convert someone fast with the right tutorials. The tutorials on python.org are great, but Ruby has a no-download web page to learn and play in Ruby. If there were a web site that just let you play and do some beginner stuff (with a few cool advanced hacks), no-download-required, that would convert many. (There may be one of these, I don't know.) See http://tryruby.hobix.com/
I think that there are a whole group of potential users out there that would be converted, if they could see the ease and power of the scripting for normal system admin functions. Windows (or Linux) sys admins can do quick and easy text file manipulation and automate a boatload of tasks. If there was a popular toolkit of automations, maybe they'd see the light.
Ruby +1 No offense intended, but the current Python.org website is content rich but ugly. I think you'd be amazed with what a simple face lift would achieve. If I'm a web developer, looking to learn something new that will help me, and I look at www.ruby-lang.org vs. www.python.org, I'd steer clear of Python. "Python can't be a very good web language if their own site looks like this." Purely a comment on the asthetics. (Once again, don't shoot the messenger.)
A couple of immediate action ideas:
- Short of spamming Sourceforge, start publishing on sourceforge EVERY worthwhile Python program that you are willing to "open source". We could get that 4850 number to exceed 10,000, and people will take note. And when you post it to sourceforge, list Python as the only language - so that if someone, like me, does a quick check of the language page, it shows up with even better numbers (http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove_list.php?form_cat=160 ).
- Solicit volunteer graphical people to upgrade python.org, and make that thing shine. I'd challenge the Django team, and the Turbogears team to rebuild python.org with a face lift, demonstrating their toolset (and show us the backend!)
- Perhaps the Python wiki could host a list of the largest successes of Python. Maybe that's there already. But with every post to slashdot, every conversation about Python we could include a link to that page.
- Someone start working with the AP team (Advanced Placement), to preach how requiring a proprietary language is not in our best interest. At least have an option of Python vs. Java.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm sure I am very wrong in some of what I say. FYI, my background, an old hobbyist programmer (did it professionally in the 70's and early 80's). Own a small (million dollar) web app company for 10 years. We use ASP and 100% Microsoft, but I'd love to switch the team to Python if I could sell the team on it and still make a few bucks!
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