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“I'm basically giving myself a permanent vacation from being BDFL”

(mail.python.org)
2024 points randlet | 3 comments | 12 Jul 18 15:22 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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jacquesm ◴[12 Jul 18 18:52 UTC] No.17517514[source]▶
Reading that thread is like reading an actual Monty Python plot.

Guido van Rossum has given his life for this language and besides the obligatory 'thanks for all the fish' there isn't even a single person who stops the clock to evaluate what went wrong that they pushed out the person that started this all.

Instead it's 'kthxbye' and they're already dividing up the cake to see who gets to rule.

Not the nicest moment in the history of FOSS, I wonder what kind of a mess will ensue when Linus steps down.

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tptacek ◴[12 Jul 18 19:28 UTC] No.17517820[source]▶
What are they supposed to do? Python is bigger than GvR. A pretty big chunk of the tech industry depends on it. We were probably long past the point where a "BDFL" was healthy --- not because of any moral issue, but because over the long term the market is going to dictate where Python goes and how it grows, and people should stop kidding themselves that it might be otherwise.

I don't think it's at all unseemly that people involved in the Python project respond to GvR's LOA announcement by working out continuity. As someone who has to interact with a lot of Python code professionally, that's exactly the response I'd hope for.

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1. logicallee ◴[12 Jul 18 19:36 UTC] No.17517893[source]▶
>because over the long term the market is going to dictate where Python goes and how it grow

The market didn't give the world any language nearly as readable and approachable for non-programmers.

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2. holografix ◴[12 Jul 18 19:54 UTC] No.17518079[source]▶
Isn’t this what always happens though? A remarkle person or small group of people creates something unique and of value. As this thing is adopted by more and more common, unremarkable folk (like me) a market and great demand is created and power over the thing and its creators is established. This power voices opinions and suggestions which in aggregate are a reflection of all the commoditised stuff that already exists. The thing evolves to follow the demands of the market power. The thing is no longer remarkable, its creators move on to the next thing.
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3. logicallee ◴[12 Jul 18 22:45 UTC] No.17519251[source]▶
You repeat that "The thing evolves to follow the demands of the market power" but that doesn't make it true. You can probably think of counterexamples, likely a dozen off of the top of your head.