An Interview with a Release Manager

PODCAST.__INIT__, the podcast about Python, interviews Eric Steele, Plone's Release Manager

PODCAST.__INIT__ ("The Podcast About Python and the People Who Make It Great") interviewed our very own Eric Steele, who has been Plone's release manager since 2009.

The interview, lasting 52 minutes, covers many topics, including Eric's introduction to Plone (one of the longest-lived Python projects), his thoughts on how Plone continues to maintain an impressive security track record, and what he considers the biggest challenges facing the Plone project and community.

Listen to Eric's interview at the PODCAST.__INIT__ web site

The complete list of interview questions:

  • How did you get introduced to Python?
  • Can you start by explaining a bit about what Plone is and how you got involved with it?
  • How did the Plone project get started and how has it evolved over the years?
  • What makes Plone unique among the myriad CMS tools that are available and which of them do you consider to be direct competitors?
  • Plone has managed to keep an impressive track record of security. What are some of the key features that enable that?
  • I know that for much of its history, the default data storage for plone was the ZODB (Zope Object DataBase). How would you describe its benefits and drawbacks for someone who is familiar with a relational database?
  • Plone is one of the most long-lived Python projects that I am aware of. What are some of the most difficult maintenance challenges that you have encountered over the years of its existence?
  • What does the internal architecture of Plone look like?
  • One of the major tenets of the project is the ability to install extensions. What are some of the most interesting plugins that you are aware of?
  • What kinds of projects are Plone best suited for?
  • What does the workflow look like for a user of Plone?
  • What are some of the most interesting uses of Plone that you have seen?
  • What are the biggest challenges facing the Plone project and community as development and deployment paradigms continue to change?