OT: Alternatives to Jupyter Notebook

dn PythonList at DancesWithMice.info
Mon Nov 15 15:49:52 EST 2021


On 15/11/2021 12.24, Paige Bailey wrote:
> If you're experiencing issues with Jupyter, perhaps try JupyterLab:
> JupyterLab Documentation — JupyterLab 3.2.3 documentation
> <https://jupyterlab.readthedocs.io/en/stable/>
> 
> Or VS Code, which is also open-source and has support for Jupyter notebooks:
> Working with Jupyter Notebooks in Visual Studio Code
> <https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/datascience/jupyter-notebooks>


Which description, depends heavily upon one's definition of
"open-source", surely?

There are major differences between countries, cultures, and languages.
The typical US-understanding narrows-down to "free", as-in $0; and
relegates further meaning of the word, referring to "freedom" (in
French: "libre" - more often translated into English as "liberty").

In relation to software, the question may become: freedom from what?

There is a practice termed "open washing". This is attempting to portray
something as "open", when it may not be so - according to other people's
understandings. Marketing people often skirt definitions and confuse
with their own portrayals, eg what is "virgin olive oil", do "Kiwi
fruit" really come from New Zealand, is it actually "sourdough" bread or
merely flavored, can it be "balsamic vinegar" if it is made with
caramel, is it "champagne" if the grapes were grown somewhere else?

IT-Developers are generally more precise when choosing names and jargon
- even then, some are more accurate/strict than others! Did MS-Windows
really "come free" with that computer, or did some of the $money you
paid go to Microsoft rather than the hardware manufacturer? Do you "own"
your cell-phone/computer or does the Apple contract forbid you from
mending/augmenting it - because they still 'control' it (or you?). Did
you "buy" your Internet Domain Name, or have you in-reality
rented/leased such?

Yes, VS-Code is built upon an 'open' core. Thereafter Microsoft added
"telemetry" (ie "ET, phone home" - for their own purposes(!)), and other
proprietary additions ("featuritus" leads to "better"?). Further, it is
officially only available from their 'store'. Is this "open"? Is it
$free? Are you free from 'surveillance'? Is the product as a whole,
"open-source"? Are you free (legally unencumbered) to modify (or even
read) the source-code of any/all MSFT 'improvements'?

VSCodium claims to be an "open source" version/equivalent. Its
IDE-functionality is (all(?)) the same, but eschews MSFT-only 'features'
- including editor-sharing across the cloud (to my profound regret!).

The 'product' names are very similar.

They are both fundamental and invaluable tools for (Python) developers -
millions of us can't be wrong!

Either one could help the OP, exactly the advice intended by the above post!


Web.Refs:
https://vscodium.com/
https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/n7l444/vscode_vs_vscodium/

Further philosophy:
- "Liberté, égalité, fraternité " as a catch-cry of the French
Revolution (translates to: liberty, equality, brotherhood)
- becoming "created equal" and "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness" in the (US) Declaration of Independence
- "some...more equal than others" purported corruption of 'purity'
illustrated in Orwell's "Animal Farm"
-- 
Regards,
=dn


More information about the Python-list mailing list