See also http://wiki.python.org/moin/evangelism_support_materials
Promoting, pushing, proslytizing Python. Some possible topics -
- Finding audiences to promote Python to.
- Choosing or assembling "standard" intro-to-Python talks?
- Eye-catching, crowd-pleasing Python tricks.
- Selling to management.
If you are interested in continuing discussion or helping to develop promotional materials (articles, glossy brochures, pod casts, etc) for Python, please sign up on the mailing list:
http://wingware.com/mailman/listinfo/marketing-python
Notes from the session
PSF has a strong desire to promote the language.
Apache Software Foundation
- - Has formal publicity contact, which press-types love - Issues formal press releases (cost about $500)
Getting into educational world
- - Lack of campus user groups - Educational advantage - good foundation for CS understanding - Need Py in curriculum
- - Encourage your own alma mater to do so - CS curriculum committees may be intractable - CS decisions driven by perception of job market - May be easier outside CS dept., as pragmatic tool for scientists/engineers - Going straight to students - bottum-up - especially for classes that don't constrain language choice for projects - Need more material for educators, with separate designated teacher and student materials
Many current Python users are invisible - don't see them in community
Create a list of speakers that could present on Python
Need a template/example of a "standard" evangelical talk
- WesleyChun has created a talk, will make his slides available
- PSF once funded Software Carpentry slides - http://www.third-bit.com/swc/
Make screencasts
- - Screencasts can popularize "celebrity programmers" - well-known faces - user groups or PSF could push screencast creation - "Python@Google" video w/ Guido, etc. would be great - Arlington school system once created a video about Python - where is it now?
- - Included awesome quotes suitable for managers
Form regional scripting language conferences
www.python.org still not newbie-friendly - upcoming restructuring should help
- - Track website visitors according to newbie, experienced, manager, etc.? Or according to project need? - Ruby on Rails site includes a restricted ruby interpreter - shall we imitate?
PSF fund productivity studies?
- - One old "empirical" study on scripting languages in general exists - Could utilize university researchers always hungry for projects - But how to get it to industry's attention?
"Success stories" - several are at http://pythonology.org
Details on solving specific types of problems with Python (try this approach, these modules, case studies specific to that problem)
Software companies make glossy brouchures, managers like and expect that...
Testimonials on Subversion website helped it
Articles are a good introductory format - get them published in journals (Dr. Dobbs, etc.) - don't neglect trade journals, ACM's special-interest publications
Please follow these ideas up on the mailing list!