GideonGoals

High Level

Provide a discovery and distribution server framework for python components
Provide community infrastructure to evaluate components and assist in distribution.

Keywords

Scalable
Open Implementations
Adaptable
Replicatable (sp:)
Community
Automated

Here's a good quote from Clemens Szyperski's Component Software book which gives a hint on what we're trying to create.:

    "Once component markets form, component software promises another
    advantage: multiplication of investment and innovation. Naturally this
    multiplier effect, caused by combining bought and custom-made
    components, can only take effect when a critical mass is reached,
    that is a viable market has formed. For components to be multipliers,
    there needs to a competitive market that continually pushs the
    envelope, that is it continually improves cost-performance ratios. 
    However, creating and sustaining a market is quite a separate problem
    from mastering component techonology"

Anonymous User (Feb 22, 2002 7:05 pm; Comment #1): "Provide community infrastructure to evaluate components and assist in distribution."
Glad to see a mention of community in here. The critical understanding that is missing in the perpetual merry-go-round discussions in comp.lang.python about CPAN is the important part that community plays. The PAUSE process, and the modules mailing list provide the key to knowing that the modules that get uploaded to CPAN are appropiate, thought out, and intelligently named. And the heavy emphasis on author ids, means you can learn to trust certain authors, and disregard the few who seem to managed to consistently slip crap through. This is what was always missing from Vaults for me, not the lack of a decent client (though that is also missing) but some assurance that what I'm downloading will be useful, and structured intelligently.