Tkinter: The good, the bad, and the ugly!

[rantingrick]

On Jan 17, 10:24 pm, rusi <rustompm... at gmail.com> wrote:

> The quality of ... systems will  decline unless they are rigorously
> maintained and adapted to operational environment changes.

This is both eloquent and frightening at the same time when applied to
the current state of Python's stdlib. We have come so far and forged a
path of langauge innovation. However we have now entered a state of
limbo, we have solidified -- This collective static state has
manifested both in the tangible (stdlib) and more frighteningly the
intangible (community). Are we going to allow this slow decay to
wither away all the work that has been done because we cannot come to
a consensus on anything as a community? Heck i'll bet we could not
even agree on what punch to serve at the next Pycon much less makes
some real decisions that concern this community.

When does the slightly overweight spare tire become the morbidly
obese? When does losing a few hairs become que ball histeria , and
when does the slow creeping of time catch up to the blissful ignorants
and mortality slap you in the face *slap*. Sadly and most often-ly
when the missed opportunities are now but wishful fantasies and
stories of glory days unrealized! Are we in those days as a community?
Maybe?

> Just look at emacs --once upon a time the best editor for alpha geeks,
> today unable to get rid of 40 years of cruft.

Today emacs, tomorrow Python.

> Guido's 'benevolent dictatorship' has so far kept python the exception
> because
> - he give powerful batteries to start with
> - does not introduce junk
> - is not afraid of backward incompatibility for the sake of clarity
> and cleanliness (python3)

Agreed

> Gui (and web) frameworks are two of his more visible failures

His initial intention were pure. However TclTk may turn out to be
GvR's Achilles heel. It seems Tkinter has metamorphosis into some ill
legitimate red-headed step child that the community both hates and
loves at the same time. Or is something more sinister at work here?
Could a high ranking TclTk "Guru" be within the "inner circle" of
Python dev? Or maybe even Guido's close friend? Could emotions and
back door politics be standing in the way of Tkinters graceful exit?
Is hurting one or two peoples feelings really that bad in face of what
is best for a community?

In any event we definitely need a mid life crisis to wake ourselves
from this slow decay of narcissism, sarcasm, pretentiousness, apathy,
and just outright laziness that is destroying everything we hold
dear.

Because the bell that tolls, may just be our own (as a community).