[Chicago] Google App engine is python powered

[Pete]

On Apr 8, 2008, at 2:26 PM, Garrett Smith wrote:
>
> Google got this right across the board and I think it will quickly  
> replace EC2 as the "platform in the cloud" of choice. That means  
> universal recognition.

Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding me.  EC2 is a general purpose  
virtualization platform (and not the only one at that).  You get full  
control of the machine and can run any software you like.  Yes, there  
are some comparable use cases, but on a technically level they're  
radically different.  And who knows what pricing's gonna be?

> Google mentions that they might support other languages in the  
> future. I doubt it. The sandboxing that they require and that's  
> trivial in Python is not so in PHP, Ruby, and Java. Neither PHP nor  
> Ruby is in Google's core competency and, while Java is one

Sandboxing is trivial in Python?  Bastion/rexec has been disabled from  
2.2 onward.  Maybe if you employ Guido, it's possible, but I still  
wouldn't call it trivial.  Java meanwhile has supported sandboxing  
since day one - remember it was designed to run browser applets.

> Once Ruby/Java/PHP devotees start using Python for app development  
> -- particularly in a well executed, geographically distributed,  
> scalable, affordable environment -- many will happily forget times  
> past and make the switch without complaint. Those

And the millions of existing sites are just going to magically port  
themselves, intranets included, with the PHBs singing Hallejulah all  
the way to the unemployment office.  All hail the Googleplex!

> So, it turns out that Python really *is* it.

In summary: dry your shorts off & turn your brain back on.

-- 
Pete
pfein at pobox.com