[Python-Dev] PSA (Was: FAQ Horribly Out Of Date)

[Martin v. Loewis]

> It appears that CNRI can only think about one thing at a time <0.5
> wink>.  For the last 6 months, that thing has been the license.  If
> they ever resolve the GPL compatibility issue, maybe they can be
> persuaded to think about the PSA.  In the meantime, I'd suggest you
> not renew <ahem>.

I think we need to find a better answer than that, and soon. While
everybody reading this list probably knows not to renew, the PSA is
the first thing that you see when selecting "Python Community" on
python.org. The first paragraph reads

# The continued, free existence of Python is promoted by the
# contributed efforts of many people. The Python Software Activity
# (PSA) supports those efforts by helping to coordinate them. The PSA
# operates web, ftp, and email services, organizes conferences, and
# engages in other activities that benefit the Python user
# community. In order to continue, the PSA needs the membership of
# people who value Python.

If you look at the current members list
(http://www.python.org/psa/Members.html), it appears that many
long-time members indeed have not renewed. This page was last updated
Nov 14 - so it appears that CNRI is still processing applications when
they come. It may well be that many of the newer members ask
themselves by now what happened to their money; it might not be easy
to get an answer to that question. However, there is clearly somebody
to blame here: The Python Community.

So I'd like to request that somebody with write permissions to these
pages changes the text, to something along the lines of replacing the
first paragraph with

# The Python community organizes itself in different ways; people
# interested in discussing development of and with Python usually
# participate in <a href="MailingLists.html">mailing lists</a>.
#
# <p>Organizations that wish to influence further directions of the
# Python language may join the <a href="/consortium">Python
# Consortium</a>.
#
# <p>The <a href="http://www.cnri.reston.va.us/">Corporation for
# National Research Initiatives</a> hosts the Python Software
# Activity, which is described below. The PSA used to provide funding
# for the Python development; that is no longer the case.

If there is a factual error in this text, please let me
know.

Regards,
Martin