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I've been struggling with the "how to propose Lua so my life would be simpler" issue (currently working as independent consultant). The way that worked for myself, is to first use another language (C# in one recent case, C++ in another) and prove my capabilities there. Customers only start to value your opinions once they know you, and your work.

Then comes the time when you know the customer's case so good that you can actually state specifics where _their_ life would be easier would they to use Lua. One feedback I got was "if only had we known such a tool exists...". Dropping the PiL book is also good, many programmers treat good books with the respect they deserve (many MBA's might not, though).

After the C# project I simply stated that if future work is to be continued, it better be in Lua. For everyone's sake. This kind of comments cannot naturally be done in early stages.

I still believe your focus on "what if R. dies" is plain wrong. If you're worried about that, you need to eventually amplify it by each author of each module you'd use (s.a. Diego for luaSocket, me for Lanes..). The more valid risk your customers should point out is, how to prove also the modules being used have QA on par with Lua itself. To that, there is currently no direct answer.

-asko


Tim Kelly kirjoitti 26.12.2007 kello 23:57:


Quite frankly, if decision makers in your company are not very bright, maybe you should not bother to use Lua. Not all projects deserve Lua, after all...
;-)

I am the decision-maker at my company. My company bids on projects. The bids are evaluated by clients that not only ask me "what happens if you die tomorrow" but why they should select the technology I propose. In order to ensure I had an answer to the second question, I asked Lua itself why I should invest in developing solutions based on Lua. Yeah, it does seem to come down to "what if Roberto gets killed tomorrow?" Assuming developers will step in when there is no official structure now flies in the face of decades of failure of software projects after the central leader leaves.

There are vast differences between people that have been employees all their life and people who have run their own businesses. Employees get paid no matter what and are basically disposable. That's built into the equation. Bids don't automatically get accepted and don't automatically get paid. I've gotten a lot of responses from people that have been employees all their lives. I'd like to hear from people that run their own businesses and propose Lua as part of their solutions.

tim
--

"Anything war can do, peace can do better."  --  Desmond Tutu