[Python-Dev] Python 3.0.1

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

"Martin v. Löwis" writes:
 > > It might also be a good idea to take the download link off the front
 > > page of python.org: until that happens newbies are going to keep coming
 > > along and downloading it "because it's the newest".
 > 
 > It was (and probably still is) Guido's position that 3.0 *is* the
 > version that newbies should be using.

Indeed.  See Terry Reedy's post.

Somebody who is looking for a platform for a production application is
not going to download something "because it's the newest".  Sure,
those advocating other platforms will carp about Python 3.0, but hey,
where is Perl 6?  "The amazing thing about a dancing bear is *not* how
well it dances."  Let's not get too worried about the PR aspects; just
fixing the bugs as we go along will fix that to the extent that people
are not totally prejudiced anyway.

I think there is definitely something to the notion that the 3.x
vs. 3.0.y distinction should signal something, and I personally like
MAL's suggestion that 3.0.x should be marked some sort of beta in
perpetuity, or at least until 3.1 is ready to ship as stable and
production-ready.  (That's AIUI, MAL's intent may be somewhat
different.)