Version incomptabilities, code changes, __future__, etc

[Bjorn Pettersen]

> From: mcc at TO.GD-ES.COM [mailto:mcc at TO.GD-ES.COM]
> 
> On Thu, 12 Jul 2001 mcherm at destiny.com wrote:
> 
> > simonb at webone.com.au wrote:
> > > i don't want to see any more versions of python.
> > > ITS FINISHED
> > > AND I LOVE IT RIGHT NOW
> > > if you want more then make a new language.
> > 
> > Regretably, Simon, you are out of luck. In order to convince
> > Microsoft to support Python natively in their .NET initiative,
> > Guido was forced to make several major concessions. One of those
> > was to recind the "Open Source" liscense, which allowed anyone
> > to freely use Python -- using any version they wanted for (pretty
> > much) any purpose.
> > 
> > Unfortunately, Python is now released on a more restrictive
> > liscense, which, in a future version, will require all Python
> > programs to contact a Microsoft Certification server and
> > present a Passport certification before executing. In order to
> > ensure that everyone migrates to the new version of the software
> > (to be released as soon as Microsoft finishes building the 
> > infrastructure), the migration will be mandatory.
> 
> This "bon mot" needs more clarification.  This implies that 
> Python will
> only be available to the Windows community.  There are 
> environments where
> Microsoft Certification servers will never exist.  If there 
> will now be
> a component added to Python to only allow its use when authorized by a
> Microsoft Certification server, then one may need to change 
> or develop a
> new solution set.
> 
> I'm not particularly opposed to forking off a "Python for Microsoft
> Windows Environments" or a "Python for Microsoft Certification Server
> Environments" as long as there remains a Python for other 
> communities of
> interest.  If the latter is not going to occur, then I need 
> to reconsider
> whether or not Python is part of a viable solution.

Hmmm... Satire -- such a lost art (*sigh*)

--bjorn