PythonLabs Team Moves to Digital Creations

[Tom]

Some of this sounds good, but some is a bit scary.  In particular:

> We will be spending part of our
> time on core Python development (including Jython and Mailman) and
> part of our time on Python infrastructure improvements that also
> benefit Zope.

If Python itself is good, and is being actively developed, then other
companies and individuals will develop 'infrastructure'.  For example, it
appears that WingIDE, Boa, and ActiveState's Visual Python IDE will all be
ready in the near future - this is evidence of the momentum that Python
currently has.

However, if work on the core of Python were to slow, or if it's direction
was guided by the interests of one particularly product (ie. Zope), then
this might discourage the development of all other 'infrastructure'
projects, and would hurt the Python community.

Tom.

"Guido van Rossum" <guido at python.org> wrote in message
news:mailman.972693760.7272.python-list at python.org...
> To all Python users and developers:
>
> Less than half a year ago, I moved with my team to BeOpen.com, in the
> hope of finding a new permanent home for Python development.  At
> BeOpen, we've done several good things for Python, such as moving the
> Python and Jython development process to SourceForge, and the
> successful release of Python 2.0.
>
> Unfortunately, BeOpen.com's original plans for PythonLabs didn't work
> out as hoped, and we weren't able to reach mutual agreement on
> workable alternative plans -- despite trying for months.
>
> I am proud to have found a new home for my entire team: starting
> today, Tim Peters, Barry Warsaw, Jeremy Hylton, Fred Drake and myself
> are working for Digital Creations.  We will be spending part of our
> time on core Python development (including Jython and Mailman) and
> part of our time on Python infrastructure improvements that also
> benefit Zope.
>
> Python will remain Open Source; Digital Creations has no desire to
> monetize or brand the Python language or specific Python
> distributions.  All future work we do on Python as Digital Creations
> employees will be owned by a non-profit organization yet to be
> created.  We think of this new organization as the Python Software
> Foundation.  In the meantime (while the PSF is under construction) I
> will own such copyrights personally.
>
> We're excited to be working for Digital Creations: they are one of the
> oldest companies active in the Python community, one of the companies
> most committed to Python, and they have a great product!  Plus, we
> know they have deep financial backing.  We trust that Digital
> Creations will provide a stable home for Python for many years.
>
> Digital Creations has also offered to take over hosting of the
> python.org and starship sites.  On behalf of the Python community,
> we're grateful for this support of the two prime community sites for
> Python, and we expect to be implementing the transitions shortly.
>
> These are exciting times for the PythonLabs team -- and also for
> Python and its community.  Mainstream successes for Python are showing
> up everywhere, and we're proud to be a part of such a smart and
> friendly community.  A great year lies ahead!
>
> --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)
>