Is python commercializationazing? [ Was Re: ANN: PyStream - a C++ stream emulation ]

[Alex Martelli]

"Grant Griffin" <g2 at seebelow.org> wrote in message
news:39A6B447.3AFC880E at seebelow.org...
> Manuel Gutierrez Algaba wrote:
> ...
> > I'm starting to wonder if all these changes are more or less
> > a "face" wash to "sell" better python to the commercial world.
>
> Speaking as one of its residents, I think stability is generally a
> better selling point.

Seconded!  When I told people that the 1.5.2 release I was
using, the latest one, had been 100% stable for over a year,
I saw lights of wistful desire lighting in their eyes (at least
as soon as they understood that here, for once, 'stable' did
NOT mean 'dead':-).  Now, built-in Unicode is perceived as
an "obvious necessity" here, and I could easily sell augmented
assignment and perhaps list comprehensions, but I'm not
enough of a salesman to push the "print>>" hack.  Oh well,
it was nice while it lasted; now, the perception of Python will
switch back from "magically stable and sound beyond ordinary
mortals' parameters" to "quite ready to change core language
for the sake of a marginal and debatable minor gain", i.e.,
"just another neat thing off the net".  I don't think this shift
in perception will kill its chances of commercial adoption,
but it's definitely not going to HELP it any, IMHO.  Pity.


Alex