ESR "Waning of Python" post

[Chris Angelico]

On Fri, Oct 12, 2018 at 5:51 PM Marko Rauhamaa <marko at pacujo.net> wrote:
> > Python uses the GIL mainly because it uses reference counting (with
> > almost constant changes to potentially concurrently used objects) for
> > memory management. Dropping the GIL would mean dropping reference
> > counting likely in favour of garbage collection.
>
> Reference counting was likely a bad idea to begin with.

Then prove CPython wrong by making a fantastically better
implementation that uses some other form of garbage collection. The
language spec does not stipulate refcounting, and in fact very clearly
does NOT stipulate what kind of garbage collection is used, so if
refcounting is such a bad idea, you should be able to take advantage
of CPython's flaw and make something better.

Go ahead. Put your code where your mouth is.

ChrisA