suggestions for more docs (was Re: Bug fix releases)

[Tim Peters]

[Grant Griffin]
> ...
> From the preceeding, I'm gonna deduce that the primary excitement the
> PythonLabs team gets is implementing new language features.

I wouldn't know -- I haven't had time to implement a new feature since I
started this job <0.5 wink>.

> But what about writing more documentation?--*that's* pretty exciting!
> In fact, as one who publishes software myself, I can attest to the
> fact that it's even _more_ exciting than implementing new
> features. <wink>
>
> [followed by excellent suggestions for doc projects]

A point may be getting missed here.  PythonLabs isn't especially looking for
new projects to soak up time; to the contrary, we're already overloaded and
are looking to shed Python work.  So new projects require volunteers, be it
additional docs or additional bugfix releases.  That isn't a reflection on
the value of new projects, it's just the reality of how much sheer grunt work
there is in keeping an every-platform-on-earth language + extensive library
in good working order.

As is, we owe DC a major chunk of our time and are behind on our commitments
to them.  So the amount of work we can devote to core Python is actually
going to decrease significantly and soon.

I don't know whether that's good news or bad news for Python's users.  It
could be good news, if 5x the number of volunteers pop up as are needed just
to fill the gap; or it could be bad news, if it falls in the other direction.

great-ideas-are-a-nickel-a-hundred-but-a-competent-masochist-who-
    never-sleeps-is-rare-as-size-11-fairy-earlobes<wink>-ly y'rs  - tim