I got a warning in another thread not to mention that Microsoft ‘aquired’ python. I got that impression by a note somewhere on the web that Guido van Rossum switched from retirement to Microsoft employee, and Microsoft announced ‘python in Excel’. If these infos are true, then there are many more python installations around in Excel than ‘native’ - my impression - and Microsoft has some weight in how python proceeds, and! makes money with a project build up by a community.
That would be somewhat off from what I understand as free software.
Another different but nested point is what is allowed to say / ask, and what isn’t. Getting a ‘hide your posts’ warning in the second comment on a relatively harmless / humoric comment about the above feels rude / offensive to me, but other may feel similar. I admit that I have difficulties with restrictive structures, internet and free software mean freedom to me, also freedom to think and express oneself freely, the blockwart behavior on stackoverflow and in wikipedia clearly slow down progress in my opinion, and suppress free opinions in the sense of ‘downvoter communities’ that have conquered power there. My personal impression, my personal opinion, nothing to argue about as factually right or wrong. If python also develops / wants to develop in this direction … ‘I’m out’.
Microsoft does not own Python. Guido does not own Python. The Python community owns Python. Python is administered by the Python Software Foundation for the benefit of the community. I would suggest that you take this to the PSF topic as it is not a request for help but a question regarding the governance of the Python open source project.
To get a fuller picture of how Python development is managed and supported, let’s look at the Python Software Foundation site. Individuals, organizations, and corporations can join to support the effort at different levels that they can afford, but no single individual, outside organization, or corporation controls it. Also browse around this forum to note that there are various groups such as a Steering Council, Committers, Core Developers, and others that contribute their effort. Then, after having been informed by our reading, we can ask good questions and have a nice amicable and informative discussion.
I moved it to the PSF category. Now let’s learn more about the PSF by visiting the link supplied here, and then asking questions, when necessary. There’s information in there about membership. Many corporations use Python, and they can help out by contributing, which is good, in my opinion.
I think any such deal (imagined or otherwise) has far more potential to improve Microsoft, than it does to harm Python. The ideas sub forum receives a lot of suggestions that are complete non-starters. Even there I don’t think anyone’s ever requested adding extensive .Net or COM integration to the CPython run-time. Microsoft’s competitors may wish to keep an eye on any license changes, especially if accompanied by a second more commercial dual license (that should be a doddle for AI).
Just because software is free and/or open source, doesn’t preclude making money using it. It just means no-one can sell it (any more than they can sell anything closed source they don’t own).
Even if there should be something specific that prevents any commercial activity using a project at all, I think that license would be unapproved by the OSI. I.e. a faux-pen source license, (‘FOSS’?). It would even be more restrictive than the recently invented Business Source licenses.
Microsoft does not “own” Python and no such deal has been announced or is in the works. Someone is just making stuff up or repeating untrue things to you.
Guido works for Microsoft. Lots of Python core devs work for Microsoft, Google, and other tech companies. Microsoft is a sponsor of the PSF, but sponsorship doesn’t give them a position on the PSF board. The use of Python in Excel doesn’t mean that Microsoft owns Python; Microsoft is free to do this since Python has open source software license.
That other thread began with attention to the decimal module, but immediately went off the topic within the original post. However, here we can still achieve some gain by focusing on how the PSF is governed and funded.
