Even so Lazarus could be a great tool for Python programmers if only they could use it to code Python. For some it might even be enough if they could input Python even if it outputs Pascal code.
Go ahead, write it as a package (or find someone who will, which I guess is what you are trying to do with this post). Then put it into the online package manager.
How hang up are we with our sentiments on the name "Lazarus".
VERY
Besides, if I google "Pascal" Lazarus is the 8th result
- In no way was my intention as you suggest above. It was just an idea. It was truly only about hoping to get new blood into the community (for which we need ideas and not barriers on the road). Since that is the only thing that can make it flourish in a way that you all get a better pascal eco-system. I see it all as a means to a very important end (unless nobody cares about a better Pascal eco-system off-course).
Which is absolutely fine. Great even.
The name part, is in the end a matter of opinion. I made mine clear. That is just my opinion, no idea what other team members think.
As for the rest, if I may, I expect that you did post that not merely as "nice to mention", but rather "seeking ways for actual achievement"
Now if something should be achived, there a small numbers of ways (Including combination of the below)
1) Do it yourself
2) Have someone else do it. That splits into
a) pay them
b) give them some other motivation (e.g. ask a favour, if you are owed one)
c) pray and hope someone will just do it. (If no one has yet, and the idea is not completely revolutionary new, then the question begs why someone would do now, if they have not in the past.)
3) Lobbying (hoping for 2c)
- I understand how especially people like you will have their sentiments about things, but how far are you willing to go with that if it frustrates getting what you probably care for even more....
Well if this is about the name. It is not just my decision. Its for the team. My vote, if it came that far, is clear. Other than that I will do no lobbying, or other work to make it happen. But you are free (and welcome) to lobby for it, and try to reach us many people as you can.
As for the meaning of the name FPC / FreePascal => that is for the fpc team. (I am part of the Lazarus team)
As for other things (communicating with TIOBE, working on wikipedia, blogging, tweeting, or finding people who do so): I am fine if that happens. I have no objections to that. But I will not spent my time on it. (Not the reason why I joined the project, there are simply to many things, and I can only to some of them)
The last paragraph is kind of what prompted my previous reply: You need to find people that have time and willingness. Getting a better rank is good, and I guess no one will object.
My experience is that a sentence like "Something should be done" (in your case: add python), will lead to everyone thinking => great idea, wouldn't mind, wait for someone => and in the end no-one does it (this has happen countless times, but maybe you are more lucky)
So basically I wanted to say: According to my experience you need to put in more effort or it is not going to happen.
There are a lot of suggestions what could be added. Very few are picked up by existing contributors. Because those people are already flooded with work.
As for my suggestion "online package manager": Again my opinion. OPM can be added without the team needing to agree.
If you (assuming someone would be there to implement it) wanted it to be shipped with the default installer => needs team agreement.
As for, would I agree? Well maybe later, that is if it proves really popular on OPM, then maybe.
(Btw there is Pas2Js ... just to mention - its not impossible)
I am not saying your ideas can/should not happen. I am only pointing out what I have observed to happen to similar movements.
And it be a shame if this would go the same way....
- I don't understand you remark on googling "pascal". Since clearly the problem is that people don't do that often enough, for one of the reasons being because they Google "Lazarus" instead.
Sorry that was unclear....
About renaming Lazarus to include Pascal => I wanted to see, how much google already associates those terms.
Also adding the other way, if I search for "Lazarus", both the IDE and free pascal are in the top results. So google associates Lazarus<>Pascal.
Which may mean renaming, will not increase the amount of pages found.
Also
+"pascal progamming" gives 185000 results
+"lazarusl progamming" 41000
reduce the overlaps, and renaming would maybe add 10k to 20k?
Compare that to the Millions of pages other language have, it wont do much of a difference.
Well, yes: every little helps.
But the point is, a lot more is needed, that a name change would bring (not to mention that many people associate the name, and could be lost if it changed).
Changing the name would be one of the most dramatic steps one could do (and still the gain would be so small....)
So IMHO that is certainly not a step that stand anywhere at the top of the list.
_ I would greatly applaud ideas from your side, especially because in these quarter's your voice carries far (and rightly so I might add).
Well the main issue is: We are programmers not publicists. (Even writing documentation could need extra help).
We have a twitter account, and a developer blog. But none of us, feels like writing anything there.
Anyone can create their own blog, twitter, facebook.
Follow the project:
- Interesting info here on the forum?
- svn commit that might be worth talking about (ask on the mail list, if the committer is willing to give you background, and then make a story of it)
- fpc / release notes
- just explore what exists, pick random features and write about them
If we can get a handful of active blogs/twitter (i.e. at least one or more posts per week, with interesting content) => I would guess that should attract people.
If you look at the fact that people retweet our (boring) "new release" tweets... Well imagine a well written twitter account.
Only, none of us has the time to do this. So find people who can.
Add to that: Better press releases.
One of the biggest German papers.
https://www.heise.de/developer/meldung/Entwicklungsumgebung-Lazarus-2-0-fuehrt-Pascal-zu-JavaScript-Transpiler-ein-4303977.htmlI do not know who mailed them. But I think the text is exactly what was mailed. They did not change it.
So if we had someone who does better press release announcements. And feeds them to more papers....
Anyway, it all needs more contributors (in that case not for code-writing, but article-writing).
So the question is: How to get them?
If you have time, you could start a blog, or pre-draft an announcement for a newspaper. Once you have something, if you ask who would be willing to work with you, that may attract more people (hopefully, I really do not know).
There may be many more ways.
My 2 cents.