Python stands to lose its GIL, and gain a lot of speed
I worked in Python for years and while I suppose I'm glad for any improvement, I have never understood the obsession with true multi-threading. Languages are about trade-offs and Python, again and again, chooses flexibility over performance. It's a good choice! You can see it in how widely Python is used and the diversity of its applications.<p>Performance doesn't come from any one quality, but from the holistic goals at each level of the language. I think some of the most frustrating aspects from the history of Python have been when the team lost focus on why and how people used the language (i.e. the 2 -> 3 transition, though I have always loved 3). I hope that this is a sensible optimization and not an over-extension.