Re: If Guido was hit by a bus?

Dik.Winter@cwi.nl
Thu, 30 Jun 1994 02:58:15 +0200

> After reading several responses to the (somewhat morbid) question of
> being hit by a large vehicle, I ask: Does "standardizing" slow down
> progress? If a standard restricts what the authors and users can
> do together then forget it. If it's just a matter of paperwork, and
> IF someone's willing to push the paper, then there isn't any harm.

If it is a permissive standard there will not be so very much slow down
of progress. But my experience is that permissive standards are rare.
In general standards cast in concrete what is current practice (see
for instance the C standard). Indeed, it's just a matter of paperwork,
but a large amount of paper work. Expect a body of 10 people to work on
it for about 2 years and you will have something approaching a standard.
And, a standard of python as it is *now*, not as it will be in 2 years
(do not expect standardization efforst to keep up with current practice).

But on the subject, mind that there are a lot of buses going through
the city and that Guido goes amongst them on his bicycle without even
wearing a hard hat.