[Distutils] setuptools controversy (was Re: Prototype setuptools-specific PyPI index.)

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 12:56 AM 7/23/2007 -0400, Fred Drake wrote:
>On 7/22/07, Phillip J. Eby <pje at telecommunity.com> wrote:
>>Setuptools has lots of features that are targeted at different
>>audiences.  There are plenty of features targeted at the group you're
>>in, don't begrudge the other groups their features.  :)
>
>Actually, I suspect this is a substantial contributor to setuptools
>being considered controversial: it encompasses to many different
>features.

That's precisely my point, though: "too many" always means "has 
features I don't use", even though the features one person uses are 
considered superfluous by other parties, who consider the first 
person's "superfluous" features essential.

However, I'm entirely reconciled to it being controversial.  It is in 
fact impossible to have a significant impact on *anything* without 
creating controversy, as anyone involved with the history of Zope 
should be well aware.  ;-)

Usually, people think they can get away with making "simpler" 
versions of Zope because they don't understand the full range of 
requirements which it is intended to meet.  The situation with 
setuptools is much the same, except that sometimes now it's the Zope 
folks making the accusations of too many features, excess complexity, 
evil, etc.  :)