[Python-Dev] [RELEASED] Python 2.7 alpha 2

["Martin v. Löwis"]

> The announcement is precisely to avoid the situation where people commit
> new features to the 2.x main line of development (after the 2.7
> maintenance branch is created) in the expectation that they will be
> released as part of a hypothetical 2.8 release.
> 
> Whether that info needs to be in each and every 2.7 announcement...
> probably not. It isn't really info for users of Python, just for
> developers of Python.

I think the announcement is indeed also for the users, and I would
prefer it to stay in the release announcements, so that people will
know for sure (and speak up) before the 2.7 release happens.

As for decisions: I don't think there was an official BDFL pronouncent,
but I recall Guido posting a message close to that, proposing that 2.7
will be a release that will see bug fix releases for an indefinite
period of time (where indefinite != infinite). This was shortly after
him proposing that perhaps we shouldn't make a 2.7 release at all, and
stop at 2.6.

As for such a decision giving a bad light on Python: I don't think that
will be the case. Instead, I hear many users surprised for how long
we have been maintaining to parallel versions - "that must have taken
a lot of effort". So everybody will likely understand that enough is
enough.

Regards,
Martin