Deposing Dictators

[David Goodger]

on 2001-07-25 10:05 AM, margg at ux-ma160-18.csv.warwick.ac.uk wrote:
> 1) New versions of 'Python' are not 'Python', and should be indicated
> as such -- perhaps by calling it 'Python++' :)

True, Python 2.2 is not Python 2.1. Also, 2.1 != 2.0, 2.0 != 1.6, 1.6 !=
1.5.2, etc., back to 1990. So what?

> If Guido does change Python in the way it currently appears it will,
> and if so many people disagree with the way it is developing, then
> why not stand up and call for people to ignore the dictator, and
> keep Python the way it should be?

Go ahead, keep Python the way you like it. Nobody's forcing you to upgrade.
The source code is completely open.

> This new version of Python will not be one that I will be happy to use.

So don't use it?

> If there are enough people who feel as I do, then perhaps we will be
> able to depose the dictatorship, and create a stable and sensible
> system for developing Python (not Python++).

If you want stability, stick with Python version X.Y. If you want new
capabilities without new core language features, and backport the standard
libraries you want to use. Create an open source project for them; I'm sure
there'd be a market.

But then, your X.Y won't match everybody else's X.Y.

-- 
David Goodger    dgoodger at bigfoot.com    Open-source projects:
 - Python Docstring Processing System: http://docstring.sourceforge.net
 - reStructuredText: http://structuredtext.sourceforge.net
 - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net