Active State and the PSF

[Tim Peters]

[Nick Perkins]
> I have just been reading about the formation of the Python Software
> Foundation on March 6 of this year..
> http://python.org/psf/
>
> I was just curious about what is the relationship between Active State,
> a for-profit company selling Python, Perl, Tcl, etc.. and the non-
> profit PSF.  Is there is historical relationship between the two?

Guido is on ActiveState's Technical Advisory Board:

    http://www.activestate.com/Corporate/People/Tech_Board.html

ActiveState's founder and CEO, Dick Hardt, is the President of the PSF.  The
PSF exists largely thanks to Dick's sustained efforts in helping it get off
the ground.  Dick is not on the Board of the PSF, though -- the PSF Board
(of which I am a member, so you can believe this <wink>) elected him
President because Dick was willing to serve in that capacity, and a business
person is needed at this point, to attract sponsors etc -- see, e.g., the
other current thread about Guido's congenital inability to even sell
t-shirts <0.7 wink>.

> What does this mean for the future of Python?

I believe the PSF is an important step in securing Python's future, not
least because it serves as a legal entity for holding Python's intellectual
property (copyrights on the source code, and so forth), and is answerable
only to the PSF membership, not to the whims of the employer du jour.

> I suppose that if it means that there will be more money available
> to the developers of Python to continue improving the language and
> libraries, that would be a good thing for everyone.

That's not in the charter, although I suppose we could vote to change the
charter to give ourselves all the cash <wink>.  The PSF is aiming more at a
"scientific and educational" mission, and intends to qualify as a charitable
organization under IRS rules.  Funding Python development will have to be
done some other way.

> Is there any reason to be a little worried, or is it all good?

I don't know.  What would you *like* to worry about?

> Will Python stay free?

So long as Guido is breathing, that's a safe bet.  The PSF Board isn't
looking to kill him, either, if that's a concern <wink>.