Python to use a non open source bug tracker?

[Paul Boddie]

Giovanni Bajo wrote:
>
> The current request is: "please, readers of python-dev, setup a team of 6-10
> people to handle roundup or we'll go to a non-free software for bug
> tracking".

Actually, it would appear that the request goes out to
comp.lang.python/python-list as well (ie. the ungrateful plebs like
myself who supposedly have nothing to contribute to the direction of
the Python project).

[...]

> And besides the only thing I'm really sniping the PSF against is about
> *ever* having thought of non-FLOSS software.

It has already been brought up that Python plays well with everyone and
everything, and thus a closed source tool projects the attitudes of the
core developers. However, in contrast to the use of tools such as
Roundup which have some advocacy value, the adoption of commercial
products often works largely in favour of the vendor: they're seen to
be helpful and charitable (which they may well be), and there's a
certain level of publicity value generated from the transaction (albeit
not as much as if the Bugzilla project switched over to a closed source
issue tracker).

Of course, this message so far probably passes for "being political" in
the eyes of certain people, but I think it's interesting to put such
decisions in the context of the calls to advocacy that people come out
with every now and again. Indeed, I believe that the PSF now have an
advocacy coordinator to lead the onslaught selling Python into
"business" or whatever people regard Python advocacy to be these days.
However, as an open source project it doesn't necessarily send a good
message to "business" that the amazing processes that drive Python
development are powered by closed source software (although they also
have been through the use of SourceForge) and that the developers
passed over a project that they were quite happy to use promotionally
once upon a time.

Indeed, while it was still running, the Software Carpentry competition
(the initiative which led to the development of Roundup) was potent
publicity material showing that Python and open source development
produce great software. The risk is that "business" looks at the level
of self-belief ("don't mention the competition by name" [1], but where
the competition isn't just other languages: it's also other development
methodologies) and wonders whether they wouldn't be better off with
some closed source development environment for their closed source
commercial product instead.

I guess what plebs like myself are supposed to take away from this is
the following: if the core developers are subsequently much more
productive developing the language (which is not exactly the thing
which requires most attention in the Python distribution these days, in
my opinion), then who are we to complain as long as we can still stuff
our bugs into some Web-based interface or other?

Paul

[1]
http://holdenweb.blogspot.com/2006/03/marketing-why-do-you-use-python.html