Is Python moving too fast? (was Re: Is python commercializationazing? ...)

[Tim Peters]

[David]
> And now that I've ruffled a bunch of feathers (five, at last count), I'll
> apologize for being so crass.

Ain't ruffled, and didn't think you were crass.  Guido worried a *lot* about
how moving to a commercial company would be received, and even more about
how such a move would affect Python's evolution.  It wasn't done lightly.  I
think we were all surprised at how few people asked hard questions.  We've
been willing to answer them, but not unless they got asked <wink>.  By all
means, keep us honest!

> ...
> 2. I'm disappointed that the dozens of messages protesting the "print >>"
> concept do not appear to be taken seriously.  It's as if the core
> developers have all made up their minds, and the intelligent
> counter-arguments, alternatives and concerns of us revolting peasants
> aren't being taken into consideration.

But what more do you want?  Guido jumped into the threads himself, explained
his reasoning in detail, refuted many of the counter-suggestions decisively,
agreed he would reconsider it for P3K, explained why he wouldn't reconsider
it for P2.0, and added more rationale to PEP 214.  *This* ruffles me.
Whether or not print grows one small (and often-requested, btw) option is,
in the grand scheme of things, about as trivial as issues get.  You can read
that as arrogance; I wrote it as realism.  In any case, he did indeed make
up his mind, one side won, the other lost.  You never hear the winning side
complaining about being ignored <wink -- but it's just human nature that
some on the losing side *always* complain implacably about getting the
shaft>.

As to "all the developers" having made up their minds, yes!  This particular
issue is years old (as are most issues in Python, btw), and I imagine no
veteran has changed their mind this century <wink>.  Many of them made up
their minds against it, as they've said here repeatedly too.  Guido is
called the Benevolent Dictator for Life in part because he gets the last
word -- and, in this case, he gave it.  Move on.

anyone-questioning-his-benevolence-will-of-course-be-shot-ly y'rs  - tim