On Thu, 12 Jul 2018 at 11:53 Barry Warsaw <ba...@python.org> wrote: > On Jul 12, 2018, at 07:57, Guido van Rossum <gu...@python.org> wrote: > > > > I would like to remove myself entirely from the decision process. I'll > still be there for a while as an ordinary core dev, and I'll still be > available to mentor people -- possibly more available. But I'm basically > giving myself a permanent vacation from being BDFL, and you all will be on > your own. > > Leaving my emotions out of it for now, and with my heartfelt gratitude for > everything you’ve done, I am absolutely certain that the community you’ve > built is strong enough to carry on. > > I’m honored that a some of you think I can fill 1/3 of Guido’s shoes, > although in all humility I have my doubts. Aside from that, it’s important > to recognize that we have so many intelligent and compassionate > contributors, that much of Python’s ongoing development can essentially > carry on unchanged. Yury, for example worried about replacing Guido’s > extensive knowledge across so much of Python, and there’s the concern that > Guido’s unique authority as BDFL will be difficult to replicate. E.g even > if you still absolutely hate PEP 572 (which I don’t), it is now > unequivocally part of Python. It’s up to all of us to accept that, move > on, and learn to use it tastefully. > > I think this change in governance will increase the importance of the > BDFL-Delegate. We have trusted experts in many of the sub-topics of > Python, and I have so much more confidence in letting them make the > decisions relevant to those sub-topics. E.g. Nick, and now Paul for > packaging, Yury et al for async, etc. I know that experts and > BDFL-Delegates will make the right choices in these sub-topics, with the > right intentions, and the best of their abilities. Even Guido recognizes > that we’re all just trying to do our best. > > Where the BDFL role is most important is in those holistic decisions about > global features, such as PEP 572. These things impact everyone and every > corner of Python, so having a final arbiter(s) that is accepted by the > community at large is critical. I’ve long said that if I had to choose a > single person to fill that role, it would be Brett. He has the right mix > of technical and social chops to make thoughtful, intelligent, > compassionate decisions, and he has the advantage of being likely more than > a decade away from Guido in hopeful retirement plans, unlike perhaps that > FLUFL guy. :) >
Thanks for the vote of confidence! And I haven't hit my mid-life crisis yet, let alone gotten to worry about choosing when to retire. ;) > > That said, I think a triumvirate would work (Guido’s Unworthy Inherited > Delegation Organization). Nice! "GUIDO decided ..." Totally going to mess with Guido's personal SEO, though. ;) > Mostly, that group would identify and work with Delegates to make the > final decisions on such PEPs, and most importantly, confidently back them > up, even if those decisions are unpopular. > > For PEP 572-level language decisions, the group would be the final > arbiters, so it would have to be an odd number. I agree with Brett that > voting and rotation could be problematic due to the tyranny of the > majority. Imagine that PEP 572 were put in front of this group, and after > all the kerfuffle, the same decision were made. Put yourself in that place > when you think about the governance of Python-the-language over the next 25 > years. I personally value stability and certainty over popularity for such > features. PEP 572 won’t destroy Python, and I predict most of us will > appreciate it being there once in a while. > Maybe another way to label this is design stewards? We seem to be suggesting a cabal of folks who steward the overall design while relying on experts as appropriate to handle finer details. > > > There’s no rush to decide, and this would make for a fine discussion at > the core sprint in September. > Oh, if this isn't settled by September then I expect there will be a lively discussion at the dev sprints. :)
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