I would like to see constructive discussion around this point. I hope that it doesn’t get lost in these threads. I appreciate thinking towards making global representation of the Python community less US-dominated.
To that end, I think this thread (or perhaps a new thread) would be well-served by pointers to information on the following topics:
- what relationships does the PSF have with different local organisations around the world?
- are there relevant local organisations with little to no current relationship with the PSF?
- how has this changed over time?
- have people at the PSF been thinking about these questions? Are there any plans which may change answers to these questions in the future?
Perhaps the most important thing missing from the thread is direct input from more local organisations. I would love to hear from local organisers on topics like:
- what are the biggest challenges you face in setting up and maintaining local Python communities?
- what problems could support (financial or otherwise) from the PSF solve?
If we can build up a solid information base from these topics, I think there is genuine room for well-informed discussion on how the PSF could change to help address global inequalities.
I think that accusations of bad faith and forecasts of impending doom serve to distract from such constructive discussion. At the very least, they serve to discourage engagement from those in the community who feel intimidated or uncomfortable in spaces of heated discussion, and who may otherwise have had valuable input.
Inequalities are often maintained through the mundane acts of good-faith actors. Even when bad faith seems apparent, there may be value in pursuing constructive discussion over argumentation. Hence my humble advice to abandon such an antagonistic angle, out of pragmatism if not conviction.