long-term release schedule?

[Ray Smith]

"Yan Weng" <yweng at cs.uoregon.edu> wrote in message news:<bc9is2$fr0

> The core of python still needs to enhanced.
> + byte code optimize
>    |- The current CISC like byte code may be not the best choice.
> + Speed improvement needed for scientific computing.
> + Static analysis tools needed to reduce error-finding time for commercial
> products.

Your first 2 points indicate speed as an issue.  For a large percentage of 
tasks Python seems fast enough as it is. Like everything it would be nice if
it was quicker :) but will this constrain the growth of Python????

I wouldn't put "static analysis tools" into thre "Core Python language" basket.
(but would be useful in large projects)
 
 
> Utilities needed to improve.
> + IDE: VB before VB.Net is a pretty bad language but it still gets a lot of
> users. Why? It has
>             a convient IDE making implementing some typical tasks easily.

An IDE (like for example BOA, PythonCard etc) can be developed externally to 
the Python Core Language.
 
> Python need to be *very* successful in "some areas" to gain the attention of
> the IT industry.
>     |- Testing, Scientific computing and Web applications seem the potential
>  areas.
>     |- The enough support from big companies will garantee the time of the
> best python programmers.
>         Recently, I checked out the websites of some good python
> programmers. I found their economic status are not good. If a person can't
> feed up their family. How can you ask them to contribute more time on the
> free things?
> 
> Just some thoughts.

I guess the "angle" of my question was it Guido and his team didn't get 
commercial backing to continue development of Python how would it effect the
growth and commercial support of Python??
My guess is enough people would be around to keep bug fixes going and the
real value of Python is now becoming all the external libraries???

Regards,

Ray Smith