[meta-sig] Re: [Python-Dev] SIG: python-lang

[Michael McLay]

Tim Peters writes:
 > I don't know how to solve that, but it sounds like each of the rest of you
 > does <wink>.  I know what's needed in the *end*, though:  a permanent
 > repository for spec and rationale docs, coupled with free-form discussion
 > forums.  Nothing of permanent interest should remain in the forum:
 > everything a newcomer to an issue needs to know should appear in the
 > appropriate spec or the rationale.  And every particular idea needs a
 > champion whose job it is to update those docs, else the idea drops out of
 > consideration.

This sounds a bit like the RFC mechanism used by the IETF.  The email
lists are used for discussions, but the specifications and rationales
are captured as numbered documents.  Perhaps python.org should have a
(in)formal submission process modeled after the IETF process.

The wiki idea sounds interesting as well, but I like the persistence
of the IETF RFC documents.  My only complaints with the IETF RFCs is
the lack of forward references in obsoleted RFC, but other than that I
find it very easy to track the important decisions made by the IETF.
I suppose the Python RFCs could use an XML document format to add some
structure to the Python RFCs.