[Python-Dev] Licensing // PSF // Motion of non-confidence

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Steven D'Aprano writes:
 > On Tue, 6 Jul 2010 01:58:26 pm Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

 > > Licenses are written in a formal language intended to have
 > > precise semantics, especially in the event of a dispute going to
 > > court.  What you wrote is precisely analogous to "a computer program
 > > should be understandable to non-programmer people".
 > 
 > You've never used Apple's much-missed Hypertalk, have you? :)

No.  I was solving quadratic programs back then, and FORTRAN was much
better for that.  But I think it's more relevant that my mother tried
writing HyperCard stacks, and gave up.  On the rare occasions she
wanted her computer to do something she couldn't do with MacPaint or
MacWrite, she called me.  She never complained about me writing
programs in BASIC, even though they were totally incomprehensible to
her....  And mentioning the "Python as executable pseudo-code" thing,
I think you're way overestimating what average non-programmer people
can cope with.  (I'd be pleased to be proved wrong, especially by the
undergrads I teach!!!)

As for missing it, why would I when I've got Python?<wink>