On Tuesday 07 July 2009 12:51:42 Steve Holden wrote: > Jeff Rush wrote: > > > > The children of the cobbler continue to go without shoes, and I continue > > to have people ask me why if Python is so cool for webapps do the basic > > needs of the community go unmet? "People are busy" while accurate seems > > a poor response.
The saying about the cobbler is something I'd expect Steve to say. :-) > I asked much the same question at both PyCon and EuroPython (with a > rather more positive response at the latter, I might add, possibly due > to the talk being a plenary). See "ThePSFAndUs.pdf" on > > http://wiki.europython2009.eu/TalkMaterials > > I believe it's up to the PSF to advertise this need until it gets > filled. If necessary I'll threaten to have PHP programmers do it ;-) I was going to have a few words with you about this at EuroPython, Steve, especially after your talk, but I didn't manage to track you down at the right point. The problem with all these Web-related activities is that people approach them from a "Soviet" perspective and after having wiped the slate clean (or pushed all the toys off the table - choose a metaphor!), the result is usually a top-down solution with very few engaged participants. Meanwhile, a bunch of other people are usually plotting to replace the existing solution with another developed in much the same fashion. The result is a large number of dissatisfied people complaining about everything and anything, in my experience, even if the solution is actually usable and not actively detested by most people. As far as python.org is concerned, there is already a solution that involves a fair number of people: the wiki.python.org part of the site. Just as we see with the EuroPython site, that's where most of the action is, and the sensible thing would be to emphasize it instead of pretending that it isn't a "proper site" and then developing a custom solution that won't be properly maintained. I've recently helped another organisation already using MoinMoin with the behind-the-scenes theme code and useful extensions, and the EuroPython Wiki theme developer has already offered his work for python.org use, so the pieces are already there to use. If Bruce Eckel sees the point of using a Wiki instead of the combination of Sphinx and a version control system [1] - arguably a "developer mindset" take on what some would call a "proper site" - surely there's some merit in going in the direction already shown by wiki.python.org after all. Paul [1] http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=261930 _______________________________________________ EuroPython mailing list EuroPython@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/europython
