[Edu-sig] Python as Application

[Kirby Urner]

> Putting aside the question of whether my concerns are well founded or not,
> do you see anything to my sense of things that part of the disruption of
> disruptive technologies has been to move this line significantly beyond
> where it has once been drawn?
> 
> Just curious.
> 
> Art
> 

I'd like edu-sig to be a lot about Python.  Doesn't mean we can't discuss
"big issues".

Scenario:  

Microsoft realizes IronPython has great potential for recruiting future
knowledge workers to the .NET development platform and launches an
advertising campaign to that effect, focusing on a few showcase high schools
and colleges that have incorporated IronPython into their curricula, thanks
to generous grants from Microsoft for teacher training at Microsoft
University.

Microsoft also boosts the staff and development budget for this product, but
continues to use a "Shared Source License" making reference to Microsoft
patents.[1]
 
Note that IronPython also runs on Mono on the Linux platform and that
IronPython, including source code, remains a free download.  Linux
developers start seeing ways to write cross-platform Python GUI apps that
work much better than before.  IronPython also runs faster than CPython in
many contexts.  

Microsoft signs on as a major sponsor for Pycon2008.

How do you respond?  

Kirby

[1]
http://www.gotdotnet.com/workspaces/License.aspx?id=ad7acff7-ab1e-4bcb-99c0-
57ac5a3a9742