Don wrote -

It is this well-spring of ingenuity and talent in the Open Source world that brought you things like c /c++, tcp/ip, the Internet, e-mail, search engines,

scripting languages and of course, our own (well, Guidos' own, but ours too!)

Python. Not to mention the "also-rans" like perl, php etc.

My only quibble is the OT lead. The fact I am on Windows is a practical matter of happenstance. But my time invested exploring Linux (proudly, fairly early in the game - got Linux Journal #1 to prove it) was revelatory rather than just educational. The fact that Jeff Elkner uses Linux in the school systems is to me a key and encouraging fact. And with Python in the picture the possibilities of bringing the Open Source energy into the school systems is enhanced tremendously. I personally am not aware of a plan2 for the kind of role that Python can play. Which is why I tend to get excited here, a bit. ART