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Popularity and quality are not really correlated, so the first point is false. As for the second, nobody has to prove anything to you - if you're interested go

Popularity and quality are not really correlated, so the first point is false. As for the second, nobody has to prove anything to you - if you're interested go take a look and you will see for yourself, otherwise don't and keep using Python.

orf 6y ago
> Popularity and quality are not really correlated, so the first point is false Popularity is a good enough proxy for how good a given tool is at a given task. Go give 100 people a hammer and a tootbrush and ask them to nail a plank, and you can divine the relative usefulness of each tool based on the number of people who used each. > As for the second, nobody has to prove anything to you Nobody is beholden to anyone, but if you're putting a contrary position forward with no evidence be prepared to be asked to elaborate. Such is life.
- adamnemecek 6y ago
  The comparison ignores things like age (older tools will be ore popular). Certain things have to be experienced. I'm not sure how you want me to prove something like productivity. How would you prove python is better for some things than c.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- fishmaster 6y ago
  Your analogy is false. Python is popular because it is popular - it has momentum. That's pretty much the only reason.
  - orf 6y ago
    The reason for pythons popularity is only because it’s popular? Not because it’s suited to any particular task? Then no doubt the majority of those 100 people would use the toothbrush to hammer the nail. It is after all a far more popular tool.
    - dunefox 6y ago
      Again, that comparison makes no sense. Python became somewhat popular for a reason and that built momentum but it didn't get to the current popularity because it's a superior language for any task - rather because many people use it and write tutorials, answer questions on SO, and write libraries and tools.
      - collyw 6y ago
        Python had a number of similar competitors a few years back, the main one being Perl. Python is better than Perl for certain tasks, the syntax encourages writing more readable code. Personally I like Perl, but if I am doing anything non trivial, Python will give me more maintainable code. Perl has a more expressive syntax, which is both a blessing and a curse. Then you have PHP, which is (or at least was) an inferior langauge to Python when python started getting popular. Python does more that just web dev. Likewise with Ruby. Python could easily be described as "better" depending on the task.

orf 6y ago

> Popularity and quality are not really correlated, so the first point is false Popularity is a good enough proxy for how good a given tool is at a given task. Go give 100 people a hammer and a tootbrush and ask them to nail a plank, and you can divine the relative usefulness of each tool based on the number of people who used each. > As for the second, nobody has to prove anything to you Nobody is beholden to anyone, but if you're putting a contrary position forward with no evidence be prepared to be asked to elaborate. Such is life.

adamnemecek 6y ago
The comparison ignores things like age (older tools will be ore popular). Certain things have to be experienced. I'm not sure how you want me to prove something like productivity. How would you prove python is better for some things than c.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
fishmaster 6y ago
Your analogy is false. Python is popular because it is popular - it has momentum. That's pretty much the only reason.
- orf 6y ago
  The reason for pythons popularity is only because it’s popular? Not because it’s suited to any particular task? Then no doubt the majority of those 100 people would use the toothbrush to hammer the nail. It is after all a far more popular tool.
  - dunefox 6y ago
    Again, that comparison makes no sense. Python became somewhat popular for a reason and that built momentum but it didn't get to the current popularity because it's a superior language for any task - rather because many people use it and write tutorials, answer questions on SO, and write libraries and tools.
    - collyw 6y ago
      Python had a number of similar competitors a few years back, the main one being Perl. Python is better than Perl for certain tasks, the syntax encourages writing more readable code. Personally I like Perl, but if I am doing anything non trivial, Python will give me more maintainable code. Perl has a more expressive syntax, which is both a blessing and a curse. Then you have PHP, which is (or at least was) an inferior langauge to Python when python started getting popular. Python does more that just web dev. Likewise with Ruby. Python could easily be described as "better" depending on the task.