On Thu, Jul 12, 2018 at 1:50 PM Brett Cannon brett@python.org wrote: [..]
One way would be to re-elect them every 5 or so years. Essentially, an N-virate is a dictator-like entity for a few years.
But that doesn't help deal with inconsistency since that just means we have consistency for 2 releases and then we start all over again. If you're suggesting someone forcibly rotates out every 5 years then that's different since that adds in some consistency thanks to the remaining two members.
My worry is that not everybody can stick to to be with Python for a few decades like Guido. Ideally, there should be a mechanism for both leaving the N-virate and being appointed to it.
Another worry -- Guido knows mostly everything about all aspects of Python design in all fields. To illustrate my point, I'm particularly worried about async/await, asyncio/trio/twisted ecosystem -- so far it seems that it's only Guido and I who've spent a huge chunk of their time maintaining (or caring about) it. We have many other critical fields besides async: general language design, packaging, scientific ecosystem, web (partially overlaps with async), performance, etc. Essentially we need to build our N-virate to have knowledgable representatives (formally known as BDFL-delegates) from all of those fields, otherwise the language can stop evolving in some important directions.
IOW I don't see anyone (or some group of 3) who is as well-versed in everything on Guido's level. That can be solved if Guido agrees to join the permanent N-virate though :)
Yury