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To: python-list@python.org
From: Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Python Newbie
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:59:53 +0000
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On 23/02/2013 02:40, Mitya Sirenef wrote:
> On 02/22/2013 09:18 PM, Chris Angelico wrote:
>> On Sat, Feb 23, 2013 at 1:02  PM, Steven D'Aprano
>  > <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> wrote:
>  >> On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:47:20 -0500, Mitya Sirenef wrote:
>  >>
>  >>> It's been used for many important projects by a huge number of big
>  >>> companies:
>  >>>
>  >>> http://www.python.org/about/success/
>  >>>
>  >>> Unlike Java and C#, it's not backed by a marketing effort of a large
>  >>> company, so its success is entirely due to its value.
>  >>
>  >> +1 QOTW
>  >>
>  >>
>  >> Well said. While Sun (now Oracle) have spent millions marketing
> Java, and
>  >> Microsoft done the same for C#, Python has got where it is almost
>  >> entirely on merit and word-of-mouth.
>  >
>  > It's worth noting, though, that there are self-perpetuating aspects to
>  > it. I can happily distribute a .py file to a Linux audience, because
>  > many Linux distros come with a Python already installed, or at very
>  > least can grab one easily via the package manager. No matter how
>  > awesome Fred's Awesome Internet Language is, it's not going to be as
>  > good a choice as something that people can simply 'apt-get install',
>  > 'yum install', or whatever they're most familiar with. I don't have
>  > enough history with Python to know when that status began to be
>  > achieved, nor how it happened, but I'd guess that exciting/interesting
>  > a distro manager is different from being the best choice for writing
>  > an application.
>  >
>  > That said, though, Python is very good at both halves. But there might
>  > very well be a language far superior for writing (say) a GUI app, that
>  > just doesn't have the traction that Python does thanks to its
>  > usefulness in the plumbing.
>  >
>  > ChrisA
>
>
> Sure, that's true; I mostly meant it in context of stuff listed on that
> page, and when compared to languages of similar age.
>
> It's also worth noting that if there's a new language that is somewhat
> better than all established languages, but not to the extent that it
> will ever replace them (because of network effects), it's not really
> better for any practical purposes -- present and future[*] ecosystem is a
> part of a language's value proposition.
>
>   -m
>
> [*] of course, future is hard to predict, especially when it hasn't yet
> happened.
>
>

Seems like as good a time as any to throw this into the pot 
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/python/python/129650?do=post_view_threaded

-- 
Cheers.

Mark Lawrence