[Python-Dev] towards a faster Python

[Guido van Rossum]

> While not trying to convince you, I do have to say that we use this
> trick to provide implementations of builtins to code running under
> older Python versions.

Whatever works for a given Python version works.  Going forward,
builtins may become more static than they currently are (but only if
the performance benefits turn out to be really worth it).

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)