Python does not play well with others

[Kirk Sluder]

In article <1170600807.504088.80150 at m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>,
 "Paul Boddie" <paul at boddie.org.uk> wrote:

> Would it benefit the Python community more if Python shipped with
> MySQL support out of the box? Is it likely that a user suddenly finds
> him/herself needing to connect to a MySQL database? 

The other problem is that it chains the python release schedule to 
that of MySQL AB (and postgresql, and whatever.)  One of the key 
advantages to independent modules is that I don't need to update my 
entire python system every time my database vendor releases a new 
library, nor do I have to accept lag time as the module is tested 
and rolled into the base distribution.  Database client libraries 
are much more of a moving target than core language features.

I find it interesting that PHP struggled with these issues and 
decided to abandon embedded MySQL support partly because they 
couldn't maintain their own parallel versions of the client 
libraries.
  
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/faq.databases.php#faq.databases.mysql.ph
p5

Among the other problems faced by both PHP and Python in bundling 
MySQL support is that they can't legally do it without adopting the 
GPL.  

Which leaves me wondering why the python core should adopt a feature 
that was abandoned by PHP, and was never highly recommended or used?

> Paul