[Python-Dev] An example of Python 3 promotion attitude

[Terry Reedy]

On 10/6/2015 7:29 AM, Maciej Fijalkowski wrote:
> There was a discussion a while ago about python 3 and the attitude on
> social media and there was a lack of examples. Here is one example:
>
> https://www.reddit.com/r/Python/comments/3nl5ut/ninite_the_popular_website_to_install_essential/

I read this.  The proposition on the table for debate is

"Ninite -- the popular website to install essential programs at once -- 
should start offering Python 3 instead of Python 2"

The current situation (as of today) is that Ninite offers to install and 
update about 85 programs.  Among these is 'Python', which they translate 
as 2.7.10.

My first answer is that this makes their claim to keep people updated, 
"Always Up-to-Date", a lie because the most recent update to 'Python' is 
3.5.0.  I have no idea if they are editorially holding back updates to 
other programs or not.  In other words, the proposition was whether 
Ninite should do what they promise to do.

My second answer is that for Python, they should offer 'Python2' and 
'Python3'.  Many people said this also.

> According to some people, it is everybodys job to promote python 3 and
> force people to upgrade.

The discussion is about Ninite.  They claim that they install the most 
up to date version of each program users select and (forcibly, and 
silently) update everything when they *choose* to re-run it.  They are 
not doing that with Python.

Someone who emailed them reported back "they're considering it but 
holding off for now due to the fact that most people still use Py2."

To the extent that this is true, and it not in all contexts, it is 
partly because they are helping to keep it true by implicitly claiming 
that Python2 is Python and Python3 is not.

There was peripherally mention of a 4-year-document called LPTHW that 
recommends 2.  I have no idea what they are referring to.  There was 
also inconsequential mention of RHEL.

 > This is really not something I enjoy (people
> telling me pypy should promote python 3 - it's not really our job).

Pypy is not mentioned in the discussion you linked.  Your job is what 
you conceive it to be.  If you don't claim to support or promote the 
latest Python version, you have no obligation to do so.

> Now I sometimes feel that there is not enough sentiment in python-dev
> to distance from such ideas. It *is* python-dev job to promote
> python3, but it's also python-dev job sometimes to point out that
> whatever helps in promoting the python ecosystem (e.g. in case of pypy
> is speed) is a good enough reason to do those things.

This is *your* idea of what *our* job is ;-).  I think our job *as 
python core developers* is to collectively produce the best new releases 
we can within the constraints of policies and resources.  That currently 
includes further releases of 2.7.  Each core dev interprets and augments 
the above for themselves.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy