Python Creator Guido van Rossum Leaves Google For Dropbox

New submitter mrvan writes "Guido van Rossum, the proclaimed Python Benevolent Dictator For Life, has left Google to work for Dropbox. In their announcement, Dropbox says they relied heavily on Python from the beginning, citing a mix of simplicity, flexibility, and elegance, and are excited to have GvR on the team. While this is, without a doubt, good news for Dropbox, the big question is what this will mean for Python (and for Google)."

Comments

Not a fractal of bad design

[tepples]

What's more elegant and nicer in Python than PHP?

Python isn't a fractal of bad design.

Re:Not a fractal of bad design

[DigitalisAkujin]

Every point in that write up has been rebutted. Linking to that over and over doesn't make any of it true.
http://forums.devshed.com/php-development-5/php-is-a-fractal-of-bad-design-hardly-929746.html
http://blog.ircmaxell.com/2012/04/php-sucks-but-i-like-it.html

Re:Python VS PHP

[Atti K.]

What do you mean? Skydrive has a 2GB limit on filesize (just found this out the other day, when trying to store a 3 GB encrypted backup there). On Dropbox the only limit is your available storage. (I have 10 GB:) ) Skydrive has no differential sync. Change 1 byte in a 2GB file, it uploads the whole thing again. Dropbox breaks down the files in (I think) 4 MB pieces, uploads only what changed. I'm in no way affiliated with Dropbox, I just think it's more flexible. It's true that Skydrive offers more free storage space though.

Re:Python VS PHP

[pmsr]

Quite right. And don't forget about LAN sync. Dropbox clearly is technically more advanced than Skydrive. The only handicap I see with Dropbox is the lack of some sort of permission system when you share folders. Or at least a read-only setting.

Re:What will he be doing at DropBox?

[Anonymous Coward]

AFAIK he was working on the Python part of Google App Engine, in particular the NDB API.

He has also developed Mondrian, a code review tool that was partially open sourced as Rietveld.

(Not a Google employee, so just going by public knowledge here)

Guido is overrated

[Anonymous Coward]

When I first saw the original Python's closure, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When I learned about the original Python's garbage collector, I just shook my head. I haven't looked at Python since.

Re:Python VS PHP

[dkleinsc]

I've professionally programmed in both Python and PHP. There's no reasonable competition - Python wins hands down.

A few of the advantages of Python over PHP:

• * The basic library of Python is coherent and well written. PHP's is anything but.
• * Python's syntax allows you to do the same thing as PHP with far less code. For instance, to filter an array in Python, you can do stuff like this:

  filtered = [x for x in unfiltered where x.foo=="bar"]

  In PHP the same thing looks like:

  $filtered = array_filter($unfiltered, function($x) { return $x->foo == "bar"; });

• * Python is massively easier to unit test: You can patch anything you possibly want, including system calls, it has fantastic mocking libraries and testing harnesses.
• * Python supports modularity and has since day one. PHP's closest equivalent, namespacing, was tacked on at the last minute and not used properly.

Gut reaction?

[blamelager]

In my case, was that Google are moving away from Python. Also see the last answer here:-

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2560310/heavy-usage-of-python-at-google

Perhaps there are some anonymous Googlers out there that are brave enough to comment?

Re:Python VS PHP

[metlin]

One word for all you whiny kids today: MFC.

Jesus H. I'd rather pull out my teeth. With pliers.

Re:Python VS PHP

[jthill]

You know, I've gotten used to anti-language screeds being the frustration of the ignorant and lazy compounded with childish exaggerations and intemperance even I boggle at.

But .... wow. Just wow. NULL < -1 && NULL == 0? "0133" == "133" because of implicit string-to-numeric conversions, but 0133 != 133? And the ? : implementation just leaves those examples in the dust.

Re:Python VS PHP

[dkf]

Also: What's a "PHP" or a "VB"?

A security exploit.