I did RTFA, but I haven't been on the Python scene long enough to have a truly educated opinion about the transition to v3. It's not unusual for a language to make breaking changes in early versions. What happens when you realize you need to do it late in the game? Tough call. I think it's probably impossible to know whether cost of breaking changes in the short term (people leaving Python for Go, etc.) was justified relative to the cost of a crufty and inadequate Python in the future (people leaving Python for Go, etc.). I'm generally sympathetic, but I'm glad I didn't get into Python until the transition was well underway.