[Python-Dev] 2.7 Release? 2.7 == last of the 2.x line?

[Raymond Hettinger]

[Michael Foord]
> What will it take to *start* the port? (Or is it already underway?) For many projects I fear that it is only the impending 
> obsolescence (real rather than theoretical) of Python 2 that will convince projects to port.

FWIW, I do not buy into the several premises that have arisen in this thread:

* For 3.x to succeed, something bad has to happen to 2.x.  (which in my book translates to intentionally harming 2.x users, either 
through neglect or force, in order to bait them into switching to 3.x).

* Core developers will are losing time supporting 2.x. (backports take some time but it
is small in comparison to getting a patch to work in the first place -- if anyone can comment on this assertion,  it is the people 
who have been doing it already (such as AP, MD, BP, GB, and myself)).

* That 3.x has proven its readiness to supplant 2.x.  (It hasn't been exercised that heavily and there are a lot of things that may 
or may not prove to be successful in the end -- bytes/text issues, tuple comparison challenges, new io, mapping views with set 
operations, etc).

In all these matters, I think the users should get a vote.  And that vote should be cast with their decision to stay with 2.x, or 
switch to 3.x, or try to support both.  We should not muck with their rational decision making by putting "carrots" in one pile and 
abandoning the other.


Raymond


P.S.  I found it curious that one of the strongest proponents of killing 2.x also mentioned that he has never written a line of 3.x 
code.   Since this discussion is a matter of great consequence, I would hope that advocates will only take informed positions --  
this isn't really time for shooting from the hip and killing 2.x.