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

mail.python.org

31–40 of 764 posts

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

#31
Even though I write python only if it’s going to be like 200 loc tops, it’s insane how gracefully the language has aged. It came out in 91, thus predating for example Java. Fun fact, I believe the very first google scraper was written in it.

At the same time I can’t wait for the next language to replace it.

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

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a direct quote from the email. Do you think it was taken out of context in a way that communicates editorial intent? Seems pretty directly connected to the contents of the message to me.

It’s journalistic, but is not misleading. “[python-committers] Transfer of power - Guido van Rossum” would be more verbatim, but I think the title is okay.

Sigh I'm not saying it's not okay in this case, I'm saying that I believe this would've been disallowed before because we didn't want it to be up to people's judgement whether it is okay or not.

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

#33

Sorry Guido but it’s BDFL — for LIFE! Just kidding and Thanks Guido for all you’ve done for the Python community.

But he is still the BDFL, he's just on permanent vacation.

Have you tried reaching software engineers on vacation? “Sorry I’ll be camping on some rock on Mars where I’ll have spotty internet access so....”

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

#35

What was the issue that was evidently so contentious that it made him wish to step down?

(a := b) rather than a = b Naturally people went to the barricades for it, in a classic example of bikeshedding and Wadler's Law (programmers will fight to the death over trivial syntax disagreements and just shrug at profound changes to semantics and architecture)

That's not an accurate summary of assignment expressions.

Assignment expressions perform the assignment and also return the value of the assignment. So you can assign and test a conditional at the same time. It's quite an elegant alternative to some quite verbose repetitive code you would otherwise have to write in some scenarios.

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

#36
post #9

I got to say, HN has become much looser with the titles since dang took over. It could be for the better (or not), but I definitely see at least 5 top posts a week with an editorialized title now, compared to a lot less before. Edit: Everyone is saying it is fine. Again I'm not saying it is not, but if it is, can you please update this part of the guidelines: >Otherwise please use the original title, unless it is mis…

It makes a LOT more sense than "Transfer of Power" does.

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

#38
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is a really interesting point. Without some process formalizing his (desired it appears) removal as BDFL he could override any future construct that is built to guide python. The thought of a schism in the direction of python is worrying. Edited to remove inadvertent backhanded compliment

His email made it pretty clear he doesn’t care how things move forward as it’s now up to the community to decide.

Yes, it is clear as of now. I expect if a chunk of his life's work looked like it was going to go off the rails he may want to reconsider.

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

#39
Part of the issue here is Guido being a BDFL but then trying to run a project like a pseudo-democracy. If you're a dictator, be a dictator for the good of the project. The worst you can do--and this goes for being a "BDFL" CEO as well--is letting every minor stakeholder derail the process. Leaders are leaders (ideally) because they have an intuitive sense of what's best for the organization or project and can be trusted to make decisions.
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