[pypy-dev] we passed the interim EU review!

[holger krekel]

Hey folks, 

in case you didn't hear about it already: yesterday the EU
reviewers accepted the results and our general direction of
the PyPy project!  Cheers to everyone who helped to make
this happen ... the last two months have involved some of
us quite intensively on preparing reports and the review. 

Here are some more remarks from my side.  First, i think that
everybody from our presenting group performed really well.
Second, the reviwers were also well prepared and had read
our reports to some detail with specific questions to
technical and non-technical topics.  It was was a very
interesting and intense session.  Apart from accepting our
results they provided 5-8 recommendations which we will
receive as a report within a month.  I am thankful that our
Project Officer picked reviewers who really seem to have an
interest in our project. 

It helped tremendously to meet for a rehearsal the day before
the actual Review day.  Basically we improved all of our talks
and thus could present a coherent view of the project.  This
review was an interim review so there was not too much
emphasis on financial aspects of the projects - although some
questions were put forward there as well.  

As to the revision ideas regarding our EU work plan, i guess
that they were well received.  We presented the idea 
to work towards a separate RPython compiler that could
be used more independently from translating PyPy itself. 
Also the Summer of PyPy idea got some support (although
not as official feedback) and we will have to see now how/if
we can put this to work.  Regarding the JIT compiler 
it seems possible that we postpone a release (planned for 
May at the moment) to a later date.   We have to discuss
at project levels now how/if we want to tackle the revision
ideas.  Basically the EU wants us to meet our objectives 
and allows freedom on the means and plans to meet those
objectives. 

Again, i got the impression that it is too easy to just
blame the EU and its adminstration for problems that 
occur within a funded project.  During the last two months
i have met several such people and without exception they were
very reasonable people - and one has to consider that they 
organise the spending billions of Euros and are confronted 
with some partners and organisations simply wanting to 
get the most money with spending the least effort - if not
outright attempts at cheating.  Anyway, sometimes it may also 
be our own organisational issues that delay things or make 
them more complicated.  

so far, feel free to ask any more questions, 
i am sure others can chime in as well
and add their impressions ... 

cheers, 

    holger

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